Santa Cruz Heckler X0 AXS RSV MX 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. Thanks to the good range, longer tours with the Heckler X0 AXS RSV MX are no problem.

Even the most treacherous downhill runs are effortlessly handled by the high-end Rock Shox chassis. The thick 38mm stanchions on the fork provide an extra dose of steering precision and performance. Thanks to the solid power, the SRAM brakes can be counted on in the upper class segment. With four pistons and 200 millimeter rotors , Santa Cruz won't take any chances in that area. At the drivetrain components and the rest of the parts, Santa Cruz uses good equipment. 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. Due to the short chainstays , when climbing steep sections, it requires active weight shifting to prevent the front wheel from lifting. Hell yeah, the geometry is killer! Here the know-how of the Santa Cruz developers is videly visible. The scale stays at 21,49 kg with this model. That makes the Heckler X0 AXS RSV MX one of the light All Mountains.