[PizzaMan]

Hello SC riders !
I'm new in these forums. I'm thinking of getting a new long travel trail bike. To be exact, I'm looking to build my bike from the frame up. I have seen some interesting bikes like Turner 5 spot, Intense 5.5 , Yeti 575 and of course, the SC Heckler. The Heckler is by far the cheapest frame of the bunch. I can actually almost get a complete bike for the price of some of the other frames alone.
Is the price differance due to the simple single pivot design of the Heckler ? or are there other reasons too (bike origin maybe ? are Hecklers american made ? )
Would the other bikes on my short list out handle the Heckler on the trails because of a more "sophisticated" suspension linkage , or is the single pivot all I need and everything else is a marketing hype ?
Other thing is, I guess pretty soon SC will release some kind of a VPP version Heckler (something in between the Blur and VP free). If I assume it won't be as pricy as the 5.5 (the Blur is cheaper than the Spider), Is it worth the wait, or is the Heckler everything I'll ever need ?

 

[Hecklerboy]

Some answers, maybe...

Hello SC riders !
I'm new in these forums. I'm thinking of getting a new long travel trail bike. To be exact, I'm looking to build my bike from the frame up. I have seen some interesting bikes like Turner 5 spot, Intense 5.5 , Yeti 575 and of course, the SC Heckler. The Heckler is by far the cheapest frame of the bunch. I can actually almost get a complete bike for the price of some of the other frames alone.
Is the price differance due to the simple single pivot design of the Heckler ? or are there other reasons too (bike origin maybe ? are Hecklers american made ? )
Would the other bikes on my short list out handle the Heckler on the trails because of a more "sophisticated" suspension linkage , or is the single pivot all I need and everything else is a marketing hype ?
Other thing is, I guess pretty soon SC will release some kind of a VPP version Heckler (something in between the Blur and VP free). If I assume it won't be as pricy as the 5.5 (the Blur is cheaper than the Spider), Is it worth the wait, or is the Heckler everything I'll ever need ?

Well to start off with, Hecklers are made oversees and assembled at Santa Cruz's factory. Did that make a difference in my buying a Heckler? No, I don't care were's it's made as long as it works, and the Heckler definetly works. The single pivot design keeps the price down along with maintenance in the future (only one pivot to worry about). This was a key selling point for me along with the Heckler's ability to climb well and bomb down the rough sections. The Heckler's single pivot suspension may not be as "sophistocated" as other designs. Does this make the other designs better? I would say that's up to the rider.

As for Santa Cruz releasing a version for the Heckler with VPP, your guess is as good as mine. Again the main reason I went with the Heckler is the single pivots ease of maintenance. So buying a VPP version kind of kills that idea.

Are the other bikes on your list better than the Heckler, maybe and maybe not. It's all up to the rider and what he/she likes.

I will say that I don't think you will be dissapointed if you go with a Heckler. The bike is absolutely amazing. It climbs great and can handle anything I can throw at it and I ride very rocky, rooty, singletrack. Santa Cruz is also great to work with and has the best customer service I've seen. That can play a big deal when spending allot of cash on a new bike.

Well, I hoped this helped some, maybe it just confused you more All in all, the Heckler is an awesome bike at and incredible price.

 

[PizzaMan]

Well to start off with, Hecklers are made oversees and assembled at Santa Cruz's factory. Did that make a difference in my buying a Heckler? No, I don't care were's it's made as long as it works, and the Heckler definetly works. The single pivot design keeps the price down along with maintenance in the future (only one pivot to worry about). This was a key selling point for me along with the Heckler's ability to climb well and bomb down the rough sections. The Heckler's single pivot suspension may not be as "sophistocated" as other designs. Does this make the other designs better? I would say that's up to the rider.

As for Santa Cruz releasing a version for the Heckler with VPP, your guess is as good as mine. Again the main reason I went with the Heckler is the single pivots ease of maintenance. So buying a VPP version kind of kills that idea.

Are the other bikes on your list better than the Heckler, maybe and maybe not. It's all up to the rider and what he/she likes.

I will say that I don't think you will be dissapointed if you go with a Heckler. The bike is absolutely amazing. It climbs great and can handle anything I can throw at it and I ride very rocky, rooty, singletrack. Santa Cruz is also great to work with and has the best customer service I've seen. That can play a big deal when spending allot of cash on a new bike.

Well, I hoped this helped some, maybe it just confused you more All in all, the Heckler is an awesome bike at and incredible price.

Hey,
Great website you got there Hecklerboy , and also one great looking Heckler. Is that a Medium trans - red ? I also see you are running a 120 mm stem. I'm also kinda on the fence between sizes (M or L, me being 5'9") but preffer my bikes smaller. How does the bike feel with the 120 mm stem ?

 

[Hecklerboy]

Yep, Medium Trans Red...

Hey,
Great website you got there Hecklerboy , and also one great looking Heckler. Is that a Medium trans - red ? I also see you are running a 120 mm stem. I'm also kinda on the fence between sizes (M or L, me being 5'9") but preffer my bikes smaller. How does the bike feel with the 120 mm stem ?

I'm 5'9" as well. The 120mm stem feels great. The slack angles of the bike make it feel very stable on steep drops. I rarley ever have to get behind the seat. the Heckler also pedals great on flat ground. I did an 18 mile rail trail ride last night just to get some spin time in. Average speed was around 15 mph.

Forgot to mention that with the 5th Element shock you get no bob out of the rear suspension, even when climbing in the granny gear.

Thanks for the comment about my website. It's just something I do in the winter to keep my mind on mountain biking until the spring thaw.

Good luck on choosing a new bike. With the quality of higher end bikes today, I don't think you will be dissapointed no matter which one you choose.

 

[Blue Shorts]

Hello SC riders !
I'm new in these forums. I'm thinking of getting a new long travel trail bike. To be exact, I'm looking to build my bike from the frame up. I have seen some interesting bikes like Turner 5 spot, Intense 5.5 , Yeti 575 and of course, the SC Heckler. The Heckler is by far the cheapest frame of the bunch. I can actually almost get a complete bike for the price of some of the other frames alone.
Is the price differance due to the simple single pivot design of the Heckler ? or are there other reasons too (bike origin maybe ? are Hecklers american made ? )
Would the other bikes on my short list out handle the Heckler on the trails because of a more "sophisticated" suspension linkage , or is the single pivot all I need and everything else is a marketing hype ?
Other thing is, I guess pretty soon SC will release some kind of a VPP version Heckler (something in between the Blur and VP free). If I assume it won't be as pricy as the 5.5 (the Blur is cheaper than the Spider), Is it worth the wait, or is the Heckler everything I'll ever need ?

The Heckler is a great bike at a great price. Every bike is a trade-off of some sort. her are my opinions on the bikes that you mentioned:

Heckler - Single pivot. Pros: Strong, easy maintenance, price, good for jumps and drops, high speed handling
Cons: Good for smooth to mildly technical climbs...only semi active while climbing, brake jack and suspension lockout while using rear brakes

5 Spot - Horst Link. Pros. Strong, but probably not as strong as the Heckler. easy maintenance due to zirk fittings and high quality bushings, fully active suspension while climbing and braking. Great climber on all types of terrain, especially very technical terrain. High speed handling
Cons: Price, probably not as strong for jumping and dropping as the heckler

Intense 5.5 - VPP - Pros - Good climber (somewhere between the Heckler and the 5 Spot), great at pedaling out of the saddle, weight, low speed handling

Cons: Price, semi active suspension while climbing (more active than Heckler), some brake jack and lockout using rear brakes, some pedal feedback

Yeti 575 - single pivot(essentially) - I have never been on this bike, but I would suspect that it would perform similar to the Heckler, but due to a much lighter weight, will be better at climbing and not designed for jumping and dropping.

All of the above bikes are very good bikes. It all depends on your wallet and planned usage.

 

[Dave99]

That's a good summary, blue shorts. I find Horst linkage bikes more supple over low-speed small amplitude bumps than single pivots. They just feel more plush than the Heckler on the small stuff. However, the 5th Element coil makes a pretty supple ride and I'd like to take the Pepsi challenge again now that I replaced my air shock with a coil shock. The single pivot is as good or better on the hard stuff.

Brake jacking is also noticeable on the '03 Heckler but I don't feel it significantly limits my handling envelope while downhilling. You can feel the rear end tighten up a bit but it still gives, though not as smoothly as without rear brakes engaged. It's not the end of the world. Most of your weight is on your front suspension when pointing downhill, anyway.

The Heckler is awesome. I never walk away from my bike thinking it let me down; however, I have heard other people wish they had a Heckler. I would save your hard-earned money for biking trips.

 

[AsianPersuasion]

The Heckler is a great bike. The others on your list seem to be a level up in price but not necessarily in performance. Get the suspension dialed in right for you size and style, and use the saved $ for accessories and trips.
Hecklerboy, I went to WVU and still long for the trails, spills and thrills of the WV landscape. I wish I had the level of bikes I now own back then. Really want to take a trip back down but talking my riding buddies into a 8 hour road trip has been futile thus far.

 

[Hecklerboy]

Who need riding buddies...

The Heckler is a great bike. The others on your list seem to be a level up in price but not necessarily in performance. Get the suspension dialed in right for you size and style, and use the saved $ for accessories and trips.
Hecklerboy, I went to WVU and still long for the trails, spills and thrills of the WV landscape. I wish I had the level of bikes I now own back then. Really want to take a trip back down but talking my riding buddies into a 8 hour road trip has been futile thus far.

Just load up the bike and meet me in the Monongehela National Forest. I'll get the rest of the gang and we'll hit some trails.

But seriously, if you ever want to come back and ride and need a riding buddy for the day, drop me an email and I'll be more than happy to tag along.

 

[AsianPersuasion]

Just load up the bike and meet me in the Monongehela National Forest. I'll get the rest of the gang and we'll hit some trails.

But seriously, if you ever want to come back and ride and need a riding buddy for the day, drop me an email and I'll be more than happy to tag along.

Sounds awesome. I may head down for a game in the fall. if I do, Ill definately take you up on that offer. How far are you from Morgantown?? What else is there to do in your town or the area?

 

[Hecklerboy]

Way south of Morgantown...

Sounds awesome. I may head down for a game in the fall. if I do, Ill definately take you up on that offer. How far are you from Morgantown?? What else is there to do in your town or the area?

I'm about 2.5 hours south of Morgantown. We would be riding near Snowshoe Resort in the National Forest. There's not much to do in my small town, but if you stayed near Snowshoe there should be plenty to do at the resort. Resteraunts, shops, nitelife, etc.

If you can't make it to the southern part of the state you could alway ride at Cooper's Rock with CrashandBurn. He loves riding there and goes often. Heck, maybe even I could make the trip to Cooper's and ride with you guys.