Heybike Alpha All-Terrain, Mid-Drive Fat Tire E-bike review – Is mid better than hub? – News 4 Social
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REVIEW – Ever since my first e-bike, I’ve been kind of obsessed with them. Ask my family. I have four e-bikes in my garage right now. I love riding a bike to the park, running quick errands, and enjoying the outdoors. I’ve had basic e-bikes, long-range e-bikes, and even folding e-bikes. When the Heybike Alpha All-Terrain e-bike was released, it grabbed my attention. It’s a fat tire e-bike, not with a typical rear-wheel hub motor, but a mid-drive motor. What did that mean? I’d never ridden a mid-drive e-bike before. So now that I’ve gotten the chance, here’s how it went.
⬇︎ Jump to summary (pros/cons) Price: $1499.00 Where to buy: Heybike, Use code BFG100 for $100 until June 14, 2025
What is it?
The Heybike Alpha is the latest e-bike from Heybike. It is an all-terrain cruiser that has 26” x 4” fat tire wheels. Its key distinction from all the other large-wheeled fat tire e-bikes is that it uses a mid-drive motor instead of a typical rear-wheel “hub” motor. This gives the bike a better center of gravity and a more “regular” bike feel. A mid-drive motored e-bike puts the power from the motor through the chain to drive the rear wheel. It also comes with a torque sensor that proportionally translates your level of pedaling to how much power the motor provides. The more effort the rider puts in, the more assistance the motor puts out. In other words, the power is there when you ask for it.
The Alpha comes with either a step-over or a step-through frame design. It has all the necessary e-bike essentials, such as hydraulic brakes, a large battery, a throttle (although different from other bikes), a color screen, and many other features.
What’s included?
All the goods
Heybike Alpha e-Bike (partially assembled)
Front Wheel
Front Fender
Pedals
Headlight
Charger
Keys
Tools
Stickers
Instructions are to be downloaded
Tech specs
Motor: Mid-drive, 500W, Heybike Galaxy eDrive System
Torque: 105 N·m
Brakes: Hydraulic, 180mm discs
Gears: 8, Shimano Altus 8-speed Shifter
Wheels/Tires: 26” x 4” fat tire, spoked
Sensor Type: Torque
PAS Levels: 0-5
Display: LCD, color
Lights: Headlight, tail lights, and turn signals
Throttle: Half-Twist
Top Speed: 28 mph (45 kph)
Battery: 48v, 680Wh, removable lithium-ion, UL 2271 certified
Charger: 2A, 109W, 54.6V output, 100V-220V AC input
Range: Up to 60 miles (97 km)
Frame: Aluminum Alloy, Step-through and Step-over
Suspension: Hydraulic front suspension
Weight: 71.6 lb (32.5 kg)
Seat Height (min to max): 33-1 – 38.2 in. (84 – 97 cm)
Length: 70.8 in (180 cm)
Payload: 400 lbs max (181.4 kg)
Warranty: 2 years
Design and features
The Heybike Alpha is chock-full of features and design style to make any bike rider pleased. It has enough style to stand out among the very crowded field of fat tire e-bikes, and the appropriate features to make riding less strenuous and more enjoyable.
Step-over frame vs. Step-through frame
The Alpha comes in two frame styles. A step-over and a step-through. The bike I received to review is the step-through. As far as I can tell, the two frames are the same size, with the only difference being that the step-over has a bar that would limit some shorter riders from being able to stand over the frame. I prefer the step-through as my legs are short.
The saddle is comfy
The seat (saddle) is well-padded and has a little bit of a shape to it for comfort. The seat post height is easily adjustable with a quick-release clamp. There are markings on the seat post to easily set the height back to where it was in case you need to remove the seat or adjust the height for multiple riders of different heights.
26×4 Fat-Tire
The Heybike Alpha sports spoked 26×4 fat tire wheels. That is to say, the wheels are 26” tall and the tires are knobby and 4” wide. This makes the bike ideal for off-road riding. Sort of like a mountain bike, but more comfortable. Other bikes from Heybike include shorter wheels that are also 4” wide.
Front fork Shock
Heybike has equipped the Alpha with a front fork “shock absorber”. This suspension style is typical on most e-bikes, especially those with fat tire wheels. This suspension can be locked out or turned off, and the amount of travel, or bounce, can be dialed in.
The Alpha is a hard-tail design, which means it does not have any kind of rear suspension. So, bumps and ruts in the riding surface will be felt in the seat.
Dual-piston Hydraulic Brakes with 180mm rotors
The Alpha’s brakes are dual-piston hydraulic brakes with 180mm rotors on each wheel. Given the mid-drive motor’s weight and power, these should be adequate for reliably stopping.
Shiman Altus Derailleur and Gear Selector
With a mid-drive motor, the Alpha sends power to the rear wheel via the chain, and not through the rear axle as a hub-motor e-bike would do. This makes the gears and Shimano Altus shifting system even more essential. Changing gears on a mid-drive motored e-bike will affect the efficiency of propelling the bike and power usage.
Mid-drive motor
The motor on the Alpha is a mid-drive motor labeled as “Galaxy Perform S eDrive”, from Mivice, a well-known manufacturer of mid-drive motors for e-bikes. The nominal output of power for the motor is 500 watts. This is to say that it will provide the added power of another human pedaling with you. A typical rider puts out about the equivalent of 300 watts of pedal power on a bike, so having a 500-watt motor is, in a sense, doubling your ability to pedal. The motor is capable of bursts of power over 500 watts when it is needed, but not for long periods.
The mid-drive motor provides 105 N·m (Newton-meters) of torque. In broad terms, a higher torque propels the bike forward harder. The higher number of the Alpha’s motor is seen in hill climbing and starting from a standstill.
The Heybike Alpha comes with a torque sensor that translates the effort the rider applies to the pedals to the amount of power added by the motor. The other type of sensor that many other e-bikes have is a cadence sensor. This simply senses that the pedals are moving, regardless of effort, and this movement tells the motor to engage. Torque sensors give the rider a more realistic feel of bike riding.
The Alpha has 5 levels (changeable to 9) of Pedal-Assist (PAS) levels. The higher level of the PAS setting gives the rider more assistance from the motor. Level 1 is the lowest amount of assistance and the least amount of battery usage. Level 5 (or 9, if 9 levels are selected) gives the most assistance and the most amount of battery usage.
99% of e-bikes come with a throttle to use the motor’s assistance without pedaling. The rider can use the throttle to immediately start rolling from a standstill. The Alpha’s throttle is a little different. Since the Alpha has a mid-drive motor that puts the power through the chain to the rear wheel, you can’t use the throttle to start from a standstill. This would put too much strain and wear and tear on the motor and chain/gears. You need to be pedaling and the bike already in motion before the throttle can be engaged. Heybike calls this the “Natural Pedaling Start”.
The top motor-assisted speed the Heybike Alpha can produce is 28 mph (45 kph). This is the maximum an e-bike in the United States can go under power. Pedaling hard or going downhill will take you beyond that limit, but the motor will not assist more than 28 mph.
Color display
The Alpha has a beautifully colorful screen that provides all kinds of useful information while riding. First and foremost is the battery level is displayed. This is critical as you do not want to be pedaling a 26×4 fat tire e-bike without the assistance of the motor. Don’t ask me how I know. The screen also shows you information like your speed (mph or kph), distance traveled (miles or kilometers), the current PAS level, the motor’s assistance in watts, and a whole bunch of other information. It is bright and easily readable in sunlight.
The screen also has a USB-C power port on it that a phone or other device can be powered/charged from. This is a nice addition as having a phone that tracks rides (like Strava) consumes a lot of power, especially on longer rides.
Heybike Alpha Control Cluster
All of the electronic features of the Alpha are controlled through a cluster of buttons and switches located on the left side of the handlebars. This cluster includes buttons to select the PAS level, change display settings on the screen, activate the headlight and turn signals, honking the horn (I wish it were a train horn, but alas, it’s a polite little beep-beep), and power on/off.
Pretty lights
Heybike has provided a very bright LED headlight and taillights for the Alpha. Whenever the brakes are applied, the taillights illuminate. The Alpha even has turn signals.
Battery removal
The Alpha uses a 48-volt system. This is on the lower end of present-day e-bikes. It is adequate, but a higher voltage system would provide better performance. The battery on the Alpha is a removable, 680 watt-hour battery that can give the bike a reported 60-mile range. This is a best-case scenario, and will probably get more in the 40-50 mile range. See my testing results in the Performance section below.
The Alpha’s Battery and Charger details
The charger that is included with the Alpha is a 2-amp, 109W charger, which is a little underpowered in my opinion. From empty to full, the 680Wh battery would take about 6 hours to charge (680Wh ÷ 109W = 6.24 hours).
UL Certification
Heybike has put safety first and received a UL certification for its electrical system on the Alpha. It surprises me how many e-bikes do not have a UL certification for electrical fire.
Heybike has an all-encompassing mobile device app (iOS and Android compatible) that allows some limited configuration of the Alpha.
Assembly, Installation, Setup
Packaging done right
The Assembly of the Alpha was pretty straightforward. It arrived in a single large box from FedEx. The bike is about 75% assembled, and only required the front wheel and fender to be attached, the headlight mounted, the handlebars to be set in place and tightened, and the pedals to be attached. It took me about 30 minutes to get the Alpha assembled and ready to be charged.
Tools and Accessories
Heybike does not include a set of assembly instructions with the bike, I had to download the instructions from a QR code provided. There is a nice tutorial-style video on the Heybike YouTube channel that I followed for assembly. All the necessary tools, four Allen and two open-ended wrenches, are provided by Heybike.
The only issue in the assembly that I had was attaching the front fender. The mounting screw for attaching the metal arm for the fender needed to be removed from the frame. It was in the frame so tight, I ended up stripping the hole in the screw head. I had to use a set of bolt extractor bits to remove it and reinstall it with the fender. This was a headache, but a minor inconvenience.
Charging the battery the first time took about 4.5 hours. It came partially charged.
Performance
Overall, riding the Heybike Alpha is a very enjoyable experience. I put nearly 100 miles on it during my time of reviewing it. The bike operated very well and had a nice, smooth feel. The mid-drive motor’s power is very subtle, yet strong. All of the hub drive e-bikes I have reviewed tend to apply the motor’s power aggressively. The Alpha’s mid-drive motor and its more natural riding experience were, for lack of a better word, smoother.
The Alpha excels in climbing hills. The center of gravity of the Alpha is better suited for the mid-drive’s ability to pull the bike up elevation changes. Dropping to a lower gear (4 through 6) before climbing a hill helped tremendously in balancing the amount of effort from me and allowing the motor to do its thing. I was never overworked anytime a hill (which there are few of in Florida) or a pedestrian overpass came up on my rides.
Another aspect of the Alpha’s forte was its ability to go off-road. The big wheels and fat tires let the Alpha glide over grass, gravel, dirt, and sand. It very much felt like a mountain bike, and with the tires gripping the surface like a champ.
Suspension
The front suspension is very comparable to most other e-bikes. Its ability to absorb the rough terrain was adequate. However, the lack of any kind of rear suspension is noticeable. Unless you notice any upcoming ruts or holes and raise your behind off the seat, you will feel it, and it is not pleasant. If most of your riding is on paved streets or sidewalks, this is less of a concern.
Braking
The Alpha’s brakes are perfect for the size and weight of the bike. Its 180mm rotors and dual-piston hydraulic brakes stop the bike very well. The calipers are smooth to the touch and firm. Testing emergency stopping from 20 mph to 0 performed well and stopped within 10-15 feet.
Throttle
On a hub-drive e-bike, because of the motor’s location on the back wheel, regardless of what gear you are in, it can be propelled from a dead stop or up most inclines with ease. However, the amount of battery power to do so is considerable. With the Alpha’s mid-drive motor in tandem with my pedaling and the correct gearing, those same inclines are tackled with ease and using much less battery power. And, propelling the Alpha from a stop using only the throttle is prevented by the Alpha’s controller. This is to prevent damage to the motor, as well as the chain and gears. Having said that, the throttle on the Alpha was rarely used during my testing. It was just not needed as much as on hub-drive e-bikes I’ve reviewed. Pedaling just seemed easier on the Alpha than on other e-bikes, even from a stop.
Battery Usage
Another great aspect of the Heybike Alpha was the battery usage. To illustrate this, I went on a 25-mile ride one morning. Just a little over 12 miles out and back. There are two pedestrian bridges to cross. So that’s four, fairly steep inclines of at least 20%. I went off-road on a path in the woods that was about 3 miles long. The rest of the ride was paved. I started the ride at 100% battery, and when I got home, the battery level was at 95%. That same ride with another 26×4 fat tire e-bike I have, which has a hub-drive motor, would use about 30% of the battery. That’s quite a difference. I’m all for it.
Gear Shifting
One thing to consider for any mid-drive motor e-bike is that the use of the gears has a bigger impact on the ride. Like a regular bike, using the gears properly can make or break a bike ride. Using the gears is also a mental exercise. Dropping gears before stopping makes starting off again easier. Not shifting while pushing hard on the pedals makes for smooth gear shifting and less wear on the overall system. It took me a few rides to get used to this. The hub-drive e-bikes I have also have gears, but they just make your pedaling faster or slower. They do not affect the power delivery to the rear wheel. All this to say that shifting gears will be a more frequent activity on rides with the Alpha, and that effort will pay off.
Heybike makes a point to tell you in their literature not to shift while pedaling hard. I had to train myself to follow that recommendation. While testing the Alpha, occasionally the Alpha would jump gears, on its own, after I shifted to a lower gear. I thought maybe I was not following Heybike’s gear-shifting instructions, so I paid very close attention to what I was doing. I was doing it properly, however, the Alpha seemed to have a mind of its own. I searched online for what might be causing this, and found the issue was that the gear-shifting cable needed adjusting. A quick twist of the cable tensioner, and all was back to normal.
Final thoughts
The Heybike Alpha is a very good e-bike overall. Smooth operation, great feel over various types of terrain, and just plain fun to ride. Getting used to the limitations of the mid-drive motor had a bit of a learning curve, but the benefits of such a system were apparent with natural-feeling bike rides, hill climbing, and excellent battery efficiency. The best I’ve ever seen. If getting some exercise from an e-bike is something you’re after, consider the Heybike Alpha. I’ve gotten more of a workout from the Alpha than any other e-bike I’ve ridden.
What I like about Heybike Alpha e-bike
The mid-drive motor makes this bike feel like a regular bike
Can get more of a workout – if you want to
Excellent battery efficiency
What needs to be improved?
Gears occasionally would skip and jump under load
Lack of rear suspension makes rides a little rough
Price: $1499.00 Where to buy: Heybike, Use code BFG100 for $100 until June 14, 2025 Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by Heybike. Heybike did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.
