SANTA CRUZ HECKLER SL FROM £6,699

If we had to guess, mid-powered e-bikes are the future of mountain biking. Every year the motors used get stronger, lighter, and smaller, while the bikes feel more real, and that is drawing in brands and riders alike.

The latest convert is Santa

Cruz with the new Heckler SL, a motorised Bronson in all but name, with 150mm travel, a 160mm-travel fork and the same mixed-wheel mash-up. The geometry figures are almost identical to the Bronson too, with the exception of the chainstay length, which is 5mm longer on the motorised bike.

Most interesting of all though, Santa Cruz has moved on from the Shimano EP8 motor used on its full-fat Heckler (naturally, because Shimano has no lightweight unit) and instead we get a Fazua Ride 60 with 60Nm of torque. And it’s one of the best drive units out these thanks to its great power and delivery, small size, low weight and decent 430Wh battery. You also get an integrated top tube display with USB-C phone/gps charging port, there are three Fazua assist levels plus Boost (450W) and Walk Assist mode, and the app lets you customise those power bands too.

The Heckler SL comes in carbon only, C or lighter CC, and an MX wheel set-up (29in front, 27.5in rear) on all sizes (S to XXL). Bikes start at £6,699 for an R build on a C spec frame and head up to £11,999 for the SRAM XX AXS build with Reserve carbon wheels.

What about the weight then? Drumroll... Santa Cruz says the “average” across the range is 18.5kg – around a kilo lighter than the Transition Relay with the same motor, and a kilo heavier than the Specialized Levo SL (with a smaller battery and Spesh motor).

So this is a bike to get excited about. The original e-bike version of the Heckler was overpriced and underpowered, but within two years it had developed into a great all-mountain machine. Santa Cruz has learned how to make e-bikes that warrant the high price tag then, and the Heckler SL is a tantalising tweak of the recipe.