Santa Cruz are known for their mountain bikes having produced some of the most iconic MTBs of the last two decades. They have dabbled in drop bar bikes too but the Skitch is a completely new concept for Santa Cruz, aimed at the electric gravel bike and urban commuter market.
So Santa Cruz has made a hybrid commuter, albeit a very posh hybrid. The Skitch will be available in either flat bar urban hustling mode or drop bar for all-surface powered adventures. Santa Cruz says that the aim of the Skitch is to replace car journeys with bike rides, or as they say N+1 (less car).
The Skitch is Santa Cruz's fourth e-bike but will be the first that's equipped with Fazua's Ride 60 motor. The Fazua is a lightweight drag-less motor that is still able to put out 60 Nm torque and give it a top speed of 28mph (32kph in Canada). The motor comes with a 430 Wh battery which Santa Cruz claims to be able to offer a 60+ mile range, as with any electric bike milage will vary based on support modes, terrain, and other factors like temperature etc.
There is a minimal handlebar ring controller to switch between the three power modes, Breeze (conservative), River, and Rocket (faster). A top tube battery meter means you can keep an eye on your battery levels and the battery meter can be flipped up revealing a USB-C port for charging your phone, GPS, or lights.
The Skitch has a Stigmata-inspired CC-grade carbon frame (S to XL sizes) and comes in a single Matte Olive Green colorway. The Skitch's geometry has been tweaked slightly from the recently released rowdier Stigmata to offer a little more stability at speeds. Santa Cruz has slackened the head angle by half a degree (69 degrees) and lengthened the chainstays which in turn has increased the wheelbase as well. The fork is suspension-corrected for a 40mm gravel fork so in theory you could fit a RockShox Rudy or Fox Tapercast if desired although Santa Cruz state that neither of these forks are rated for a Class 3 (28mph) e-bike you'd need to lower the speed limit of the bike to 32kph/20mph to stay within the fork manufacturers' ratings.
The CC carbon frame, lightweight motor and battery, and high-end specs mean the Skitch is light for an e-bike. Santa Cruz quotes the lightest build (Apex Flat Bar) to weigh in at 13.53kg (29.83 lbs) while the heavier options are only 170g more.
The frame has clearance for 50mm tires so you won't be short of comfort or grip in urban or gravel environments. It's nice to see Santa Cruz cater to those of us that aren't blessed with California levels of sunshine and the Skitch has mounts for fenders (up to 700x45mm tires). That's about where the urban practicalities end as there are no rack mounts.
Santa Cruz Skitch pricing and specifications
Santa Cruz are keen to push the urban transport angle of the new Skitch although the premium builds and subsequent price tags mean you will need to have some very secure bike locking facilities and invest in the best bike lock if you want to keep it safe while out and about town.
The Skitch is only available in the US and Canada and pricing starts at $5,999 for the Apex Flat Bar kit, $6,299 for the Apex Drop Bar, and tops out at $7,299 for either the GX AXS Drop Bar or GX AXS Flat Bar specs.
For more information, head over to Santacruzbicycles.com.
Santa Cruz Skitch Apex Flat Bar
- Frame: Santa Cruz CC carbon
- Motor: Fazua Ride60
- Battery: Fazua 430 Wh Integrated Battery
- Drivetrain: SRAM Apex AXS, 12-speed
- Handlebar/stem: RaceFace Ride / RaceFace Ride, 80mm
- Seatpost: RaceFace Ride, 27.2
- Saddle: WTB Silverado Medium, CroMo
- Brakes: SRAM S-300, 160mm rotors
- Wheels: WTB EZR i23p 700c, DT Swiss 370 hubs
- Tires: Schwalbe G-One Overland Evo, 700x45c, ADDIX SpeedGrip
- Size: S-XL
- Price: $5,999 / £N/A / €N/A
Santa Cruz Skitch Apex Drop Bar
- Frame: Santa Cruz CC carbon
- Motor: Fazua Ride60
- Battery: Fazua 430 Wh Integrated Battery
- Drivetrain: SRAM Apex AXS, 12-speed
- Handlebar/stem: Zipp Service Course 70 XPLR AL Bar / Zipp Service Course Stem, 70mm
- Seatpost: Zipp Service Course, 27.2
- Saddle: WTB Silverado Medium, CroMo
- Brakes: SRAM Apex, 160mm rotors
- Wheels: WTB EZR i23p 700c, DT Swiss 370 hubs
- Tires: Schwalbe G-One Overland Evo, 700x45c, ADDIX SpeedGrip
- Size: S-XL
- Price: $6,299 / £N/A / €N/A
Santa Cruz Skitch GX AXS Flat Bar
- Frame: Santa Cruz CC carbon
- Motor: Fazua Ride60
- Battery: Fazua 430 Wh Integrated Battery
- Drivetrain: SRAM GX Eagle AXS T-Type, 12spd, 10-52t
- Handlebar/stem: SRAM Atmos Flat Bar, 760mm / SRAM Atmos Stem, 80mm
- Seatpost: OneUp V2 Dropper Post, 27.2
- Saddle: WTB Silverado Medium, CroMo
- Brakes: SRAM Level Silver Stealth 2-Piston, 160mm rotors
- Wheels: Easton ARC Offset 25 700c, DT Swiss 370 hubs
- Tires: Schwalbe G-One Overland Evo, 700x45c, ADDIX SpeedGrip
- Size: S-XL
- Price: $7,299 / £N/A / €N/A
Santa Cruz Skitch GX AXS Drop Bar
- Frame: Santa Cruz CC carbon
- Motor: Fazua Ride60
- Battery: Fazua 430 Wh Integrated Battery
- Drivetrain: SRAM GX Eagle AXS T-Type, 12spd, 10-52t
- Handlebar/stem: Zipp Service Course 70 XPLR AL Bar / Zipp Service Course Stem, 70mm
- Seatpost: Easton EC70, 27.2
- Saddle: WTB Silverado Medium, CroMo
- Brakes: SRAM Rival AXS, 160mm rotors
- Wheels: Easton ARC Offset 25 700c, DT Swiss 370 hubs
- Tires: Schwalbe G-One Overland Evo, 700x45c, ADDIX SpeedGrip
- Size: S-XL
- Price: $7,299 / £N/A / €N/A
