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Cannondale has been a premium brand for as long as they’ve been in existence. Their road bikes have been ridden to victories at the Tour de France and their mountain bikes have crossed the line first at the World Championships. While the Cargowagen Neo is obviously no racing machine, it benefits from Cannondale’s deep experience in making high-quality bikes.

The Cargowagen Neo is a long-tail cargo e-bike, meaning it carries most of its load behind the rider, rather than in front of them. Long-tail designs are generally considered easier to ride because despite their long wheelbase, they turn more like a regular e-bike because the front wheel is much closer to the rider. Also, like many long-tail designs, the cargo deck is very low thanks to its 20-in. wheels.

Providing the muscle for this e-bike is a Bosch mid-drive motor and battery. The rest of the parts pick is decidedly high-end as well: a Shimano 10-speed drivetrain with a wide range cassette will make anthills out mountains and Tektro 4-piston hydraulic brakes will stop this e-bike even if loaded like a freight train.

Cannondale Cargowagen Neo Spec Review: Bike Overview

The Cargowagen Neo is a long-tail cargo e-bike with small wheels (20-in.) and a 250W Bosch mid-drive motor. It comes equipped with a 545Wh Bosch PowerPack battery, and can be equipped with a second battery for long-range use.

High-end components from Shimano and Tektro give this e-bike a quality presentation at every turn. And while this is Cannondale’s first cargo e-bike, they have created a broad spectrum of accessories to outfit to fit the user’s needs. Better yet, they have included a number of items that most makers of cargo e-bikes don’t include, so while this is a pricier e-bike, Cannondale has loaded it with value.

In our Santa Cruz Heckler SL review we will take a look at how this eMTB compares to the standard Heckler as well as how it measures up on its own. Santa Cruz is respected for both how their designs handle as well as how the VPP (virtual pivot point) suspension performs.

The Heckler SL is designed as a mullet (29-in. wheel in the front and 27.5-in. wheel in the rear). The frame comes in two different versions as well, either with the standard C carbon fiber construction or their CC carbon fiber construction, which uses some fancier layers of carbon fiber to reduce the amount of material in the frame which preserves strength while lowering the frame’s weight.

The extra muscle comes from Fazua’s 250W Ride60 motor and 430Wh battery. This is a different system than found on the regular Heckler, and part of how the Heckler SL comes in at a lower weight.

Normally, we would say this is an e-bike that leaves the realm of trail riding and moves into all-mountain/freeride territory thanks to its use of a 160mm-travel fork and 150mm-travel rear suspension, but Santa Cruz is calling this a trail bike, though a longer-travel one for sure.

Buyers can choose from five different builds. All of them are equipped with SRAM components and at the low end someone can expect to spend a bit more than $7000, while the high end version comes in a bit more than $12,000.

With such a premium product, one-size-fits-most isn’t a thing. Santa Cruz makes the Heckler SL in five sizes: S-XXL. They suggest that the sizing run should accommodate riders from as diminutive as 5 feet 1 up to 6 feet 7; each of the sizes features some overlap so that riders on the bubble have options.

In plain English, the Heckler SL is neither someone’s first mountain bike nor someone’s first e-bike. Let’s dig into this exciting new release.

Santa Cruz Heckler SL Spec Review: Bike Overview

The Heckler SL is no ordinary eMTB. It’s designed for riders who aren’t just competent; they are badasses. With a 160mm-travel fork and a 150mm-travel rear, this is an eMTB that Santa Cruz has designed to be on the ground no more than absolutely necessary.

In terms of handling and travel, both the Heckler and the Heckler SL bear much in common with the un-electrified Bronson.

So how is the Heckler SL different from the current Heckler? Santa Cruz went for both a different motor and a different battery. Both motors are 250W mid-drive units, but the battery shrank from 720Wh to 430Wh to help shave some of those all-important pounds.

As a mullet design, the idea is that the 29-in. front wheel will give the rider a superior ability to roll up and over all the things, while the smaller (27.5-in) rear wheel increases the eMTB’s maneuverability, making it more flickable as we like to say.

Of course, the big question on everyone’s mind is just how SL (as in superlight) the Heckler SL is compared to the standard Heckler. Depending on the build level and that particular