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25 March 2020 - 6:56am
 

COVID-19

 

AlphaBENT is open for business with regular hours 10-5 Wed-Sun. We take off a couple days on Monday and Tuesday to recharge. Staff is vaccinated and boosted and generally not wearing a mask in the shop. Social distancing is observed! We're happy to wear a mask and work mainly in the open air. This and other COVID protocols are determined on a case-by-case basis.

At this moment, we have a pretty full selection of recumbent trikes by Catrike, ICE, and HP Velotechnik, and more on the way. With that said, some like HP Gekko models are only currently available as custom-builds, and some like ICE trikes in general, are only available as what is in stock or the limited configurations that ICE is currently offering. Almost all Catrike models are in stock in motorized and unmotorized configurations, but in limited colors until new stock arrives. All indications are that options and availability of almost everything is limited through the end of this year, but that things may be better near the end of the year.

We look forward to meeting you and helping you to find your new trike. See you soon... :-)

[Updated 1/18/22] With what we hope is the last big Covid surge, we are once again resuming an appointment-only system for meeting people, and trying to keep business outside if the weather is reasonable -- roughly through the end of January.

[Updated 7/24/21] We continue to monitor the situation in California and across the U.S. Thanks to increasing vaccination rates, we have resumed normal business hours Wed-Sun 10-5. We do not allow unrestricted access by the public -- which means, knock and we will meet you at the door. We request mask-wearing protocols indoors and require it of unvaccinated patrons. Every employee at AlphaBENT has been twice-vaccinated with either Moderna or Pfizer vaccine, and we are comfortable going maskless outdoors, but will put on masks outdoors when requested. We conduct as much business as possible in the open air in front of the shop.

With all that said, we appreciate the many customers who have worked with us through the variable winds of the last year-plus as we all tried to make sense of the pandemic. Since Spring 2020, we have worked quite diligently and gotten your trikes in and gotten you fitted and rolling. We have worked almost non-stop. Now, we see new, interesting, and disturbing trends. We have suppliers promising to deliver product in 2023 (not a typo). We have seen shortages and it looks like more are on the horizon. Shimano's plant in Malaysia has been put on hold for more than a month. We are now getting products that we ordered last year. Many newly-ordered trikes are expected next year. If you want something and it is available, you may need to act fast.

At AlphaBENT, we emphasize knowledgability. When you work with someone at AlphaBENT, that person is likely to be the person who does and knows, rather than a salesman. We emphasize efficiency. We do not have sales people waiting for you to come in. When a customer is not here, we are building, fixing, figuring out, and more. We are never idle. And, if too many people show up at once, we are easily overloaded. So, it never hurts to call and let us know you are on the way. If you get voicemail, just leave a message. If we are not in the shop for any extended or extraordinary time, we will leave a message to that effect on the voicemail. If you want a call back, just let us know some of the details and how to reach you.

THANK YOU!

[Updated 1/8/21] Due to statewide movement restrictions and the continuing wave of the COVID-19 outbreak, normal business hours remain suspended indefinitely. We are working on an appointment-only basis to help you find the best recumbent trike for your needs. Strict mask and social distancing guidelines are observed and entry to the shop is limited to as-needed only. This is not usually a problem as most people spend their visit outside the shop testing the many trikes we have on-hand.

[Updated 12/6/20] Due to statewide movement restrictions and a second wave of the COVID-19 outbreak, we have decided to suspend normal business hours. Until the end of 2020, we will work on an appointment-only basis to help you find the best recumbent trike for your needs.

[Updated 6/21/20] Beginning Wednesday, 24 June 2020, after three months of suspension of normal business hours, we will resume regular business hours. Customers will be restricted to enforce strict social distancing and priority will be given to honor appointments.

[As of 3/25/20] During the COVID-19 outbreak, we have decided to suspend normal business hours.

We are still answering the phone as usual, and we are happy to help you figure out the best trike for your needs.

Until further notice, we have split our work force into two halves that will not come into contact with each other.

Customer interactions will be through a single sales person and by appointment only.

We thank you for your understanding, and we are grateful to have so much work that we have plenty to do in the interim, and we look forward to continuing to serve your recumbent triking needs.

-- The AlphaBENT Team

Information

Catrike has discontinued the venerable Road recumbent trike model.

This event has taken place and the notice is simply part of our articles archive

Face-time with ICE. Ask all of your questions. Find out what happens behind the scenes. And, try trikes, trikes, trikes... including the fully automatic ICE Adventure electric trikes.

An inexpensive hitch-mount rack for folded recumbent trikes. For example, the ICE Full Fat big-tired adventure tricycle.

Azub trikes are adventure ready

Azub will be at AlphaBENT on Wednesday, October 23 to show the latest Czech recumbent technology. Come to for test-rides, and bent-talk.

Catrike has made wider hubs with through-axles standard equipment on all large-wheel models. This change affects the following recumbent trike models: Expedition, 559, Dumont, and 700. The change promotes laterally stronger wheels and prevents movement within the dropouts under load at the expense of compatibility with equipment such as electric hub moters that are designed to the older 135mm dropout widths.

Catrike Eola lead banner image

Catrike announces the Eola, a new recumbent trike model for 2019.

Pinking handlebar mechanism has serrated edges that mate with serrated clamp to remember previous position and angle

"Memory" is designed into handlebars on ICE recumbent trikes with sawtooth edges like those produced with pinking shears.

Classifieds

PBW

Come out and learn about chains.

When to lube and how. Lube options. How to measure the wear on your chain. How to open quick-links (power links). How to use a chain tool.

We'll show you how to do all this and more concentrating on conventional multi-speed bike chains.

Caffeine and morning snacks provided. Bring a chain conundrum for our version of Stump the Chumps. Go for a ride on the beautiful American River Trail afterwards.

Where: 1114 C Street, Sac'to.
Cost: FREE

Come out and learn about adjusting your own shifting.

Enjoy beautiful, crisp shifting. Eliminate pesky trips to a bike shop to get rid of that clunking. Take charge of your handlebars. We'll show you how to do all this and more. Covering twist shifters, bar-ends, internally geared hubs, as needed.

Caffeine and morning snacks provided. Bring a shifting conundrum for our version of Stump the Chumps. Go for a ride on the beautiful American River Trail afterwards.

Where: 1114 C Street, Sac'to.
Cost: FREE

Azub, Bionx, Catrike, GoSwiss, ICE, HP Velotechnik, Greenspeed

Join AlphaBENT in welcoming HP Velotechnik during their 2017 West Coast Tour.

PBW

Explore the elements of a tricycle drivetrain from the pedals through the cranks, chain, rear cog or cassette, and into the wheel.

Recumbent trikes (and quads), unlike two-wheelers, need to be properly aligned. Without proper alignment, your tires will wear out too fast, and there can be serious safety penalties.

In this free workshop, we'll show you:

PBW

Never fear going out again. Have confidence in your patch kit and your patching technique! Meet a goathead / puncture-vine and know your enemy. Morning snacks and caffeine provided. Workshop begins when the caffeine kicks in. Bring a flat tube to fix and tire conundrums and puzzles. Go for a ride on nearby American River Trail afterwards

brakes

FSA, Patterson, Pinion, Schlumpf, Rohloff

Find out about options to standard drive systems: planetary gears, continuously variable transmission (CVT's), Capreo cassettes, Schlumpf drives, Rohloff Speedhub, and Patterson Metropolis 2-speed bottom-bracket / spider.

When are the different options appropriate? When are they on the edge? What works with what? How do you install?

We'll cover the highlights. There will be Show and Tell. Focus this week will be on the Patterson Drive. We'll put one on a test boom for a trike and see what it takes to do it.

Cost: FREE

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