Santa Cruz E-Bikes: Sending Chutes and Shredding Trails

Written by: Rémy Rossi | March 27, 2024 | Time to read 5 min

Say the name “Santa Cruz” and you just know you’re in for a dope, fun-filled ride in the coolest spots. Check out why we’re such fans of the bold bike brand.

More about the Author: Remy Rossi

Rémy Rossi is a bike writer, mechanic, and educator who got his start in community-based bike shops and co-ops. With a decade in the industry, he still wrenches on bikes when he can and plays bike polo on a fixie.

Way back in high school, I was in Santa Cruz for a jazz band competition. We went to a restaurant and I ordered fish and chips— per my dad’s suggestion, I squeezed a bottle of unlabelled malt vinegar (I think it’s a British thing) on my fries. Little did I know that it was actually maple syrup, resulting in a wacky and wild flavor combination that I was not in the least prepared for.

There’s something about coastal and mountainous Santa Cruz that brings out the bold, spunky, and unexpected side of life. The same is true for the eponymous Santa Cruz Bicycles brand, which never ceases to improve its gutsy fleet of dominant bikes and e-Bikes. And in contrast to maple syrup on fries, Santa Cruz bikes are an excellent combination of style, swagger, and performance.

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Table of Content

Introduction

Santa Cruz e-Bike fleet

Why ride a Santa Cruz e-Bike?

Who are Santa Cruz e-Bikes for?

Key Takeaways

Santa Cruz e-Bike fleet

Santa Cruz Heckler

The Santa Cruz Heckler is the brand’s motorized trail e-MTB, equipped with a mid-travel suspension package with 160mm of travel up front and 150mm in the rear. The brand just switched over to only making the SL (super light) version that shaves some grams, but the original version is still around plenty of bike shops, Upway’s inventory, and, of course, the trails.

This rugged model is a favorite of MTB legend Danny MacAskill, so you know it’s capable of just about anything. The Heckler has Santa Cruz’s proprietary, advanced VPP rear suspension technology and a versatile mixed wheelset.

Santa Cruz Bullit

You know Bullet Bill from Mario Kart? It’s that giant bullet-looking character that bulldozes through the race faster than the others— the Santa Cruz Bullit offers a similar behemoth boost. This model is the brand’s dedicated downhill electric mountain bike with the longest amount of travel in the entire fleet, slotting in at 170mm.

The powerful Shimano EP8 motor lets you skip the chairlift queue and shuttle yourself up the mountain and take on the roughest lines out there. Big tires, big travel, big watts, and big fun. As I’ve heard before, the Bullit is ready to explore those steepest and chunkiest trailers that you don’t even know about yet!

Santa Cruz headbadge and close up of FOX rear shock

Santa Cruz Skitch

One of the coolest e-Bikes you may ever lay eyes on, the Santa Cruz Skitch is a rigid-frame electric bike that lets you be as flexible as you want. The gravel e-Bike design means there’s wide tires to take on light trails and uneven roads, like a road bike with superpowers. It’s available with drop bars or flat handlebars depending on the flavor you want. Outside of the mountain bike category, this versatile machine could be a rugged commuter or multi-surface explorer. This one’s on my wishlist for sure.

Santa Cruz Vala

The Vala is the latest addition to the Santa Cruz e-Bike family, slotting in as a mid-travel trail e-MTB powered by a Bosch motor. It has a 150mm suspension package and mixed wheelset like the Heckler, though it has slightly longer rear shock stroke due to the four-bar linkage design. For big believers in Bosch drive units (that’s all of us, no?), this model comes equipped with that German engineering we know and love. Potentially a replacement for the Heckler mode, the new Vala has made quite an impression.

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Why ride a Santa Cruz e-Bike?

Santa Cruz Heckler electric mountain bike with brush

I’ve been a big fan of Santa Cruz bikes for a long time. Maybe my California bias is showing, but the bold brand has plenty of fans and pro athletes from across the world who can vouch for its superiority on the toughest terrain. These pricey models (let’s face it, they are more expensive than most other e-Bikes) are the crème de la crème for electric off road bike and adventure e-Bike models.

Beyond the killer design, bold colors, and vivacious marketing, Santa Cruz e-Bikes have the durability and performance to back them up. The advanced carbon fiber layups (no aluminum frames here) maximize stiffness while minimizing weight.

And the proprietary VPP suspension technology offers best-in-class traction and comfort on the most rugged, steep, and chunky routes— many of which are right in the brand’s backyard in the Santa Cruz mountains. And compared to Specialized e-Bikes, Santa Cruz handpicks the motor for each of its e-Bikes from the likes of Bosch, Shimano, or FAZUA.

Who are Santa Cruz e-Bikes for?

Handelbars of Santa Cruz Heckler electric mountain bike

Santa Cruz e-Bikes are about as good as it gets, designed in collaboration with the brand’s pro riders using the finest components out there. All that top-level performance comes with a high price tag, so I’d recommend Santa Cruz models to riders who are expecting to put in plenty of miles and ride demanding terrain where such advanced parts make a difference.

Three of Santa Cruz’ four e-Bikes are full-suspension mountain bikes, so the brand definitely skews toward MTBers, though the Skitch gravel e-Bike is great for road or multi-surface riders.

How much is an electric bike from Santa Cruz? Santa Cruz electric bikes are some of the priciest on the market because of their premium parts and advanced suspension, priced above $8,000 new. But Upway offers huge deals on your favorite models from Santa Cruz, complete with a one-year warranty!

Key Takeaways

High-Performance Builds: Santa Cruz e-Bikes feature premium carbon frames, VPP suspension, and top-tier motors for serious riders tackling tough terrain.
Diverse Lineup: From full-suspension MTBs like the Heckler and Bullit to the versatile Skitch gravel e-Bike, there’s a model for every adventure.
Premium Price, Upway Deals: With prices over $8,000, these bikes are an investment, but Upway offers deep discounts and a one-year warranty.

Check our e-Bikes

There is more to Explore

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The Rad, Coastal Story Behind Santa Cruz Electric Bikes

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E-MTB Brand Battle: Specialized vs. Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz E-Bikes: Sending Chutes and Shredding Trails