Heckle me o Heckler

Right, so may I present to you the namesake of my blog.
A 2012 Santa Cruz Heckler frame...

Ahhhhhhh, I collectively hear from every corner and orifice of the planet.

Heckle me o Heckler. Heckle those around you. The tree.. the rock... the space ship. Feel it's presence flooooow through... dah crap. That's a Jedi isn't it. Well, we'll see if this completed baby can behave like a Jedi, or merely a space smuggler with a gun and a wookie.

So, what's cool about this frame?
- It's a Santa Cruz.
- Including shipping, I got it for nearly half price.
- It's a Santa Cruz
- It's a sexy blue colour.
- It's a Santa Cruz.

Back to business.... It was seeing this bargain back in December '12 that prompted me to conjure up this zany scheme.

Santa Cruz Heckler frame, with shock in Oz, $1800. Imported from the US, WITH postage, $1000. I thank Paul and his son for helping me get it here. Interesting experience, which I will cover off in the next post... For now, lets just rejoice in the fact that it is with me, sharing my queen size bed, until it starts growing bits that will damage both the bed and me in the night.

The frame came armed with a Fox CTD (Climb/Trail/Descent) shock with 6 inches of travel. Not Kashima coated, but I got over that in about 1.2 seconds. The Reign is currently armed with a Fox RP23 which has been simply fantastic to me. No repairs, rarely needs an air top up and a lovely feel on the climbs and flats. We will see how it compares....

On the mountain bike scale, the Heckler is considered one of your "all mountain" rigs. It will keep you sane pumping up long climbs, but also leave you grinning ear to ear when you hit those downhill sections. The Heckler is also a more traditional frame design with a simple single pivot point for the rear suspension and aluminium frame. The basic geometry of the frame hasn't changed for several years. One of the few cases in life where someone has actually employed the "if it ain't broken, don't fix it" rule. I was also pleasantly surprised by the weight of it - far lighter than expected. Notice also the raised rear chain stay common on Santa Cruz bikes. I am looking forward to not hearing the chain slapping on those downhill sections.

Progressive costs:
Actual: $625
Estimated: $625
If RRP: $1800

Keep it real trendsetters,
Justin.