Interview: Santa Cruz’s Rob Roskopp Talks eMTBs

Did you hear that Santa Cruz has just launched their first e-bike? The Heckler has 150mm of rear-wheel travel, a 160mm fork, and is powered by Shimano’s 250-watt E-8000 Steps system. If the name sounds familiar, it’s because Santa Cruz first it used on way back in 1996 for one of their early full-suspension trail bikes. Given the flak that some battery-powered riders have to deal with, especially online, it seems like an appropriate name to bring back for their first e-bike as well.

Above, we quiz Rob Roskopp, one of Santa Cruz’s three original founders, and Aaron Foley, the lead engineer on the Heckler, about the new bike, why it’s happened now, and what to expect from Santa Cruz when it comes to motors and the future.

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