Bike Check: Jason Lind’s Santa Cruz Heckler
Jason Lind owns and manages a few of the leading bike stores in and around the Cape Town CBD. An avid rider and resident of the Atlantic Seaboard area, he fills his somewhat limited spare time on the various trails of Table Mountain or the roads of the Cape Town Cycle Tour. We caught up with him to take a closer look at his current personal eMTB, a Santa Cruz Heckler.
How many eMTB’s have you owned? Three
Do you have any personalized touches on this bike? The bike is pretty much out of the box, I have put on the arm your ride, and a cSixx mudguard. I am still waiting for my ‘oil slick’ pillar spokes to finish a Tune hub upgrade with South Industries Enduro Carbon rims, which will get a cSixx foamo in the rear.
What surprises you the most about this bike? It felt like a completely new bike compared with last year’s model. On my previous bike, I had done the mullet change, but this new motor is so much lighter and the rear end of the bike feels so much more lively. The motor itself is way more tuneable and I am having fun with that. I like the fact that the lowest assist level is suitable to ride with my buddies who are not on e-bikes and we can still enjoy a social ride together.
Any imminent component upgrades? The wheels and I probably should do the rebound damper in the Pike to make it more like the Lyrik.
What do you enjoy the most about this bike? It gets me onto the trail! It rides like a proper bike, I forget it’s an e-bike when I am flowing the trails.
| IMAGES: Gary Perkin |