There’s a lot that the Alpha gets right with its experience, and a few areas where it could improve.
Let’s start with the good. I think HeyBike did a nice job with the frame. It feels sturdy and not overly flexy (the plague of many affordable fat tires), and the narrower handlebar, paired with the fat tires, works for middle-of-the-road handling that’s not too twitchy or too wide. The geometry comfortably positions your body in an upright and relaxed stance, too.
It’s available in either a high-step or step-thru option, but whichever frame you pick, it comes in only one color — white for the ST and black for the high-step. HeyBike doesn’t publish height expectations, but I’d peg the high-step as good for riders up to about 6’2” (ideally with a 32” inseam) and suitable for riders as short as 5’6”.
The suspension fork is entry-level, but it effectively soaks up road imperfections and takes the sting out of chatter when cutting across gravel or mild off-road terrain. The tires, with their tread pattern, can help you ride to the beach and back and handle some dirt. Still, the overall profile of the bike is comfortable and balanced for road riding, with potential for occasional, light off-road exploring on hardpack areas or beach cruising.
The drivetrain worked reliably and can push the bike upwards of 30 miles per hour. There’s nothing worse than a torque sensor that ghost pedals, so kudos are due for nailing the gear range.
The Alpha can handle heavier loads up to 400 lbs, and even when we loaded up the rear rack with 50 lbs, the handling stayed pretty solid.
The Alpha doesn’t overlook the little things either — it includes a headlight with automatic high and low beam functions, a taillight that serves as a brake light and has turn signals, and even an electric horn on board.
Areas for improvement include the display and the app. The color LCD display is easy to see, but as previously mentioned, the battery readout is unreliable.
HeyBike’s app has potential but feels underutilized. The interface is nicely laid out, but there’s not much you can actually do with it. You can toggle between three or five PAS modes, access manuals, or find a nearby dealer — and that’s about it.
It’s also still showing a Christmas theme despite the season having come and gone months ago, which makes it feel like it’s not getting a lot of attention. It’s not a major selling point of the bike; I don’t find it problematic, but the foundation seems solid. Showing it some love would enhance the bike’s overall experience and value — bikes at this price rarely have an app, so it would be great to see the Alpha get expanded use within it.
