Heybike ALPHA unveiled as new reasonably-priced mid-drive electric bike

Heybike is well-known as an entry-level electric bike brand, so what is this company doing building a mid-drive e-bike that is leaps and bounds above anything they’ve produced before? That’s exactly what I wanted to find out – and why I decided to become the first to ride this newly introduced e-bike.

The ALPHA was unveiled today at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), but I got a sneak peek at the bike last month, where I had the chance to spend a few hours riding it in both city and off-road environments.

But let’s start with a spec overview, which you’ll find just below the video of my ride below.

Heybike ALPHA Testing Video

Heybike ALPHA Tech Specs

• Motor: 500W mid-drive Galaxy motor (MiVice X700)
• Top speed: 28 mph (45 km/h) on pedal assist or 20 mph (32 km/h) on throttle
• Range: Up to 60 miles (96 km)
• Battery: 680 Wh frame-integrated and removable battery
• Weight: 32 kg (71 lb)
• Frame: 6061 aluminum alloy
• Tires: 26x.4.0″ fat tires
• Brakes: Dual-piston hydraulic disc brakes
• Extras: Shimano Altus 8-speed shifter, torque sensor in mid-drive motor, included fenders, included rear rack, LCD display, front and rear LED lights, available in white or black colorways

Heybike ALPHA first ride

Getting the chance to test this e-bike out a month before its launch meant that not every decision had been finalized. The throttle seems to be different (now it’s a half-twist), the exact brakes look slightly different, but the major design decisions are all there.

That means it’s still got the first mid-drive in Heybike’s new line of Galaxy motors, including that torque sensor for pedal assist. It’s also still got the other major players, like the included rear rack and fenders, the light package with turn signals, the nice color display, the option of a step-over and step-thru frame, etc.

Basically, the bones are there, and so off I went to test this thing out on a combination of off-road adventuring and city cruising. The former is what the bike is meant for, while the latter is what most people will actually use it for.

The first thing I noticed on the ALPHA was that despite a 500W sticker on that motor, it’s surprisingly powerful. The 105 Nm of torque tells a fuller picture, and I was able to easily climb steep hills, even starting from rest.

You can see in the video above how well it climbs in a number of situations, including right up a set of stairs.

Of course, one of the major benefits of a mid-drive motor is that you can downshift for extra torquey starts and hill climbs, then upshift for more speed at the top end. And with the included torque sensor, the pedaling feels quite good. There’s none of that ‘throw you back in the saddle’ feeling like you get from a cheaper cadence sensor that triggers all of the power delivery at once. The torque sensor in the motor provides a much smoother and more natural feeling experience.

This Galaxy motor is the first in Heybike’s upcoming line of motors that all bear the Galaxy name. The actual manufacturer of the motor is MiVice, which is an e-bike component maker whose factory I’ve visited and whose quality and precision I’ve witnessed firsthand. I’m glad to see Heybike went with such a good motormaker, as opposed to one of the lesser-known brands out there.

The MiVice X700 here is a dependable, torquey motor that puts out more power than you’d expect after reading its spec sheet.

I don’t personally know how long that 680 Wh battery can last as I didn’t get the chance to totally deplete it on my own test riding experience, but I’m going to call bull hooey on the 60 miles (96 km) claim for real-world riding. Yes, I’m sure if you put it in the lowest pedal assist mode and pedal your heart out, you could get somewhere near there. But very few people will ride a bike like this in the lowest power mode, so the real-world range likely won’t be close to 60 miles.

In fact, the inclusion of a throttle does mean many people (if not most) will likely spend a good chunk of their saddle time not pedaling, and instead cruising around that 20 mph (32 km/h) throttle-enabled top speed. To go faster, up to 28 mph (45 km/h), pedaling will be required, but 20 mph is still going to feel fast on any fat tire e-bike.

If you are going throttle-only, you’re missing out on the beauty of that torque sensor that enables such nice pedal assist response, and you’re also going to want a crash course in how to ride a mid-drive e-bike. More specifically, you’ll want to educate yourself on how to shift a mid-drive e-bike. I made a whole video on the subject that I’d recommend. But the summary is to let off power briefly while shifting and don’t spend the entire time in your smallest (fastest) gear.

Unlike some nicer e-bikes, the Heybike ALPHA doesn’t have a sensor to cut power automatically when it feels you shifting gears. That means you’ve got to be careful shifting under power because the bike will be derailing its chain while the motor still pulls it across the sprockets. At low power, that’s not terrible. But if you’re pedaling (or throttling) harder, the motor will be yanking that chain like it’s starting a mower. You’ll know you messed up because you’ll hear terrible chain-grinding noises as the sprocket teeth protest. So make sure you lighten up on the throttle or pedaling power for a split second before you initiate a shift.

In fact, because of how torquey the motor is, Heybike has programmed the motor to disallow throttle starts from rest. There’s just so much torque that it would put a lot of stress on the drivetrain – especially from the riders who ignore proper practices and leave their bike in top gear all the time. So you’ll have to turn the pedal a quarter or half a rotation before that throttle kicks in. That’s the downside of a powerful and high-torque mid-drive motor, especially at a time when bicycle drivetrain components like chains and sprockets are still catching up to the amount of power that motor makers are now putting in e-bikes.

It’s fair to say that mid-drives aren’t for those who want the simplest and easiest riding experience – that’s where hub motors shine. But mid-drives have many other larger benefits that make them valuable. They offer better torque for hill climbing in low gear, they make the bike better balanced for riding and carrying, higher efficiency riding, easier tire changes, and usually just feel more natural.

So if it sounds like I’m talking down mid-drives, please know that that’s not the case. In fact, I prefer them most of the time. It’s just that you have to ride a mid-drive e-bike a bit differently – you can’t check out completely.

A more luxurious riding experience

Heybike is pushing the idea that the ALPHA gives a more luxurious riding experience over their hub motor e-bikes, and I’m inclined to agree. This isn’t a luxury e-bike, but it feels much nicer to pedal and ride like a typical bike, even if you’re relying on a higher-power mode to do most of the hard work for you.

The torque sensor still makes you feel like you’re in control of the bike while pedaling, and that it’s not just a motorcycle beneath you.

At the same time, you can absolutely go places you wouldn’t be able to ride a fat tire e-bike on pedal power alone. That torquey motor makes quick work of hills and the front suspension combined with the fat tires help the bike traverse terrain that many people would avoid on their typical hybrid or commuter e-bike.

This isn’t a highly optimized mountain bike, so don’t think you’re going to hit the local downhill trails, but it’s still going to take most riders to some interesting places they might not have considered before. That is, if they choose to ride it off-road. Like we’ve seen in the past, many “adventure” bikes like these ultimately become pavement prowlers, spending most of their lives in the bike lanes or cruising the local suburban streets.

And that’s fine! A major advantage of a fat tire e-bike is that it’s simply more comfortable to ride over any terrain, whether that’s roots on your local nature trail or potholes on your local coffee shop commute.

How much does it cost?

Here’s the kicker – we just don’t know yet. Heybike has said the ALPHA will be “competitively priced”, and Heybike is known for aggressively affordable pricing, having produced many e-bikes in the $1,000 to $1,400 range. Obviously, this one is going to need to cost even more due to the nicer powertrain, but Heybike has always done a good job of keeping prices affordable for the widest number of riders.

With any luck, we’ll hear pricing information from Heybike soon so we can see where the ALPHA fits into the market.

Until then, I can only tell you that I was impressed with the ride. It worked great for both rolling through grass and dirt-filled trails, as well as for cruising around the city on streets and bike lanes.

But enough of my thoughts, now let’s hear what you think of the just-announced Heybike ALPHA. Sound off in the comment section below!