How stupid can you ride a Heckler? With a coils shock and big forks? Big tyres and short stem?
Comparable to Bottlerocket?

Define stupid, and how to "ride stupid".

I'm debating a coil shock..

And I ride a 70mm stem..

Great Bikes… – love mine to bits…

I do this on an 03 Heckler, which is 'only' 130mm of travel all round, using a 90mm stem on it.

I've done Aston Hill on it with fat tyres, and taken it up into the mountains of Spain.

Also now ride it around Australia's bush, but it's not tested there (other than the occasional drainage hump jump).

It's not the lightest bike, but it's super capable.

For me although I've got other bikes, this one can do all. I would suspect later versions are just as good…

i think that bottle rocket frames are probably tougher and heavier, at least that's the impression I got when I had a spin on one. ( And I own an older style heckler)

Bottlerocket for dh'ee / FR stuff I guess but probably suitable for more if you don't mind a bit of weight.
Heckler for do it all depending on build but not big stuff. Mines more than capable for me though.

Run a 50mm stem on mine with pikes and 2.3 High rollers mostly. ( older heckler design)

I'd second not big stuff – Aston (isn't big) was interesting as the tyres were way more heavy than the bike, if you get my drift. Made it very odd across the roots etc at DH speed.

2008 Pearce DH Series in Seniors
1 Round Hamsterly Winter Series also 2008
2 x Morzine overtaking the all the gear no idea brigade on 8" bikes
Some "Mental" stuff up here in the lakes
Quick play on Mt Stromlo DH

It was a little lacking on the DH races but nothing a better rider couldn't have sorted:)

DHX5 & Short Stem

With a coils shock

aren't Hecklers falling rate?

retro83 – Member
With a coils shock
aren't Hecklers falling rate?

Eh???

❓

Eh???

Actually I think it may only have been the older ones, and looking at the pic posted by ex-pat compared to yours it does look like the shock is activated at a different angle.

Edit: This post would back this up as it specifically mentions the 'older' Heckler.

The old santa cruz heckler/superlight is a great example of a falling rate design. They were OK with the propper shock, however, put a newer (non progressive) shock on it..and it either bottoms easy or looses small bump compliance.

my 04 heckler felt stupid when i built it with 150mm forks and dual ply tyres. i rode it at fort bill and pitfichie a few times although that was back in the day when 90mm was a short stem! now i run it with pikes, slammed low at the front with a 50mm stem and it rocks! front-to-rear balance is much more important than fitting a long travel fork purely to get more travel.

I rode mine out here in the Alps for a season and a half. Mostly big singletrack descents rather than DH.

Then it snapped!

Did Mega on mine…

Had an RP2 shock, MZ All Mountain 1's and 2.5 tyres.

all* single pivots are falling rate

*its impossible to make them progressive, so by default they are at best an aproximation of linear. Run an air shock, or a coil piggyback shock with more air than usual in the cannister (this takes load off the spring and makes it more progressive).

Coil shocks & messing about is fine, the boost valve on newer foxes can help regarding falling rate, never had harsh bottom out on mine. HT angle isnt slack, but with longer forks on (Lyrics etc) they get nice and stable, I felt it was a bit twitchy with Pikes.

(just sold this, still shedding a tear)

No more Heckler & Koch then, Scruff?

Ah… Now I see…

Still very tempted to put a coil on mine…