The Rad, Coastal Story Behind Santa Cruz Electric Bikes
Written by: Rémy Rossi | March 21, 2025 | Time to read 4 min
You probably already think Santa Cruz makes dope bikes— and you’re right. Now it’s time to find out the origin story of this swaggering bike brand from the California coast.
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.
And that’s what Santa Cruz has been doing since 1993, eventually tail-whipping onto the e-Bike scene in 2020. Here’s a breakdown of the story behind Santa Cruz Bicycles and its latest chapter adding electric mountain bikes to the fleet.
👋 Interested about Upway?
Mountain biking roots
Rob Roskopp and Rich Novak came together because of their collaborations related to the Santa Cruz Skateboards company and soon connected with bike engineer Mike Marquez. These founders started working with designer Tom Morris who had expertise in bicycle suspension, releasing the full-suspension Tazmon XC bike in 1994. They soon developed another longer-travel model— the Heckler— that was produced all the way up to 2016, returning in 2020 as a rejuvenated electric bike!
Bold brand and big success
The Santa Cruz brand has been a mainstay in performance cycling, especially mountain biking, for decades. The Santa Cruz Syndicate downhill racing team is always at the top of the sport and the brand’s production models offer high-end performance for use by mere mortals who won’t be turning pro any time soon. Santa Cruz has always stuck out as a fiercely authentic brand with innovative designs and a fun, creative identity.
Santa Cruz’ bread and butter is mountain bikes, with many models across XC, trail, enduro, and downhill disciplines, including several build kits for every model. There’s also the Santa Cruz Stigmata for roadies and gravel bike enthusiasts out there. And more recently, Santa Cruz has added electric bikes to the family for those searching for an electric off road bike.
Bursting onto the e-Bike scene
But Santa Cruz took its time, eventually releasing the Santa Cruz Heckler in early 2020 to an eagerly awaiting public. Later that year, the brand launched the Santa Cruz Bullit downhill e-MTB with longer suspension travel. In 2023, Santa Cruz added the Skitch electric road bike. The latest e-MTB to join the fleet is the Santa Cruz Vala which was introduced in the fall of 2024. The Santa Cruz Heckler even made it onto Upway’s list of the 5 best electric mountain bikes of 2025!
What is the best electric bike from Santa Cruz? Find your dream adventure e-Bike among these top models below:
- Santa Cruz Heckler SL: Lightweight mid-travel trail bike
- Santa Cruz Bullit: Downhill electric mountain bike
- Santa Cruz Skitch: Rigid e-Bike for roads, gravel, and city
- Santa Cruz Vala: Mid-travel Bosch-powered trail bike
Key Takeaways
- Deep Mountain Biking Roots: Founded in 1993 in Santa Cruz, CA, the brand started with full-suspension bikes and remains a leader in high-performance MTB design.
- Bold Brand with a Loyal Following: Known for innovation and authenticity, Santa Cruz has built a strong reputation with its Syndicate race team and top-tier bike models.
- E-Bike Expansion: Entering the e-MTB scene in 2020, Santa Cruz now offers electric models like the Heckler, Bullit, Skitch, and Vala for diverse riding styles.
