Santa Cruz Heckler GX AXS 29 Review

As a component giant, Shimano is mostly known for its dominant position in bicycle gears. But with the EP801, the Japanese are clearly showing that they can look beyond their own plate too. Even nasty steep sections are effortlessly climbed by the motor. The Shimano EP801 conveys a riding feeling. Whoever enjoys longer tours will be pleased with the good range.

Even nasty descents get smoothened by the good Rock Shox chassis. The thick 38mm stanchions on the fork provide an extra dose of steering precision and performance. Especially for heavy riders, the Santa Cruz brakes could be a problem. With four pistons they only decelerate averagely. At the drivetrain components and the rest of the parts, Santa Cruz uses average parts. When it comes to the geometry, Santa Cruz does not go completely crazy. The head tube angle and reach values were chosen with care. The result: A balanced riding behaviour with a good combination of playfulness and straight-line stability. The bottom bracket is high, which costs handling points. This tends to make the rider stand on the bike. On other EMTBs it feels better integrated. Overall, the Santa Cruz developers have done a great job with a very god geometry.