2010 Santa Cruz Heckler Complete Bike

SANTA CRUZ HECKLER COMPLETE BIKE

Eyeballing a frame and determining its purpose can be hard. The Santa Cruz Heckler looks like a brawnier, longer-travel version of the Superlight. It is, and has a few more differences. It has a geometry that is better for bigger hits, gnarlier terrain and faster downhill riding.

Generous 2.5" tire clearance and a maximum rotor size of 203mm make the Heckler a versatile machine. While it can be built up as a cross-country or freeride bike, the Santa Cruz Heckler might be best realized as an all-mountain bike. As an all-mountain ride, it will be prepared for the widest possible variety of riding. With this in mind, Santa Cruz includes braze-ons under the down tube for a water bottle cage.

We're usually of the mind that selecting each component one at a time is the best way to build a bike. It takes the longest time but yields an intimate knowledge of the resulting bike and pride in every little bolt. So, with simplicity in mind, we're offering three complete bike builds of the Heckler. As always, Santa Cruz eschews the group mentality and does a clever job picking parts one-by-one. And a not-inconsiderable benefit is that when the bike comes as a unit, there is impressive cost savings.

The X9 AM build adds a little flash and a lot of performance. The front derailleur has been upgraded to the Shimano XT, and the shifters to SRAM X-9. The Shimano SLX crank makes an appearance, too, but that’s the last of Shimano on this bike. Brakes go up to the Avid Elixir CR, with the 185mm front and 160mm rear rotors. The cockpit has been upgraded to Easton EA70. The wheelset is laced at Santa Cruz using a DT 340 rear hub and Chub 20mm front with 14/15/14 double-butted spokes via alloy nipples to DT 5.1d rims. Completing the light hoop set are the Kenda Nevegal 2.35" folding tires. The fork is Rock Shox Revelation Race 150 with Maxle.

The R AM build features a Shimano XT Shadow long cage rear derailleur, and mates it with Shimano SLX RapidFire shifters. A Truvativ Stylo 3.3 crankset provides the drive. They've also selected Avid Elixir 5 brakes with 185mm front and 160mm rear rotors. We’re fans of Mavic rims and DT spokes, so we’re happy to see those two threaded to Shimano XT hubs. Finishing off the rolling rubber are Kenda Nevegal 2.35” tires with Kenda Freeride tubes. The front suspension is provided by a Fox 32 TALAS R featuring a 15QR thru axle.

The D AM build is the most cost-conscious of the groups. It's a mix of Shimano XT, SLX, and Deore for the drivetrain, and careful picks from several manufacturers for the rest. The Avid Juicy 3 brakes have a 185mm front rotor and 160mm rear. While they stuck with the same spokes and rims as those on the R AM package, the hubs are downgraded to LX. A Rock Shox Recon 335 Solo Air fork provides the cush up front with the security of a 20mm Maxle.

If you'd prefer to customize your Heckler, please click here.

The Santa Cruz Heckler complete bike is powder coated in your choice of Black, Lime, Sea Bright Blue, Red, White, or Yellow with a Fox Float R shock. It uses a 30.9 seat post, and a 34.9 top swing front derailleur. The bottom bracket shell is 73mm wide. And, best-of-all, the right dropout has a replaceable derailleur hanger with an integrated bottle-opener. It's nice to know Santa Cruz pays attention to the little things now, isn't it? The Heckler frame has a two year warranty against manufacturing defects, while the bearings are guaranteed for life.

US Santa Cruz dealers are prohibited from shipping Santa Cruz bicycles outside of the United States.

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