| Make: | Alenax |
| Model: | TRB-5000 |
| Year: | 1985 |
| Size: | 17 in. (larger frame due to 15 in. high BB) |
| Color: | gray |
| Serial Number: | none |
| Frame: | lugged steel - double butted |
| Fork: | lugged steel |
| Front Derailler: | none |
| Rear Derailler: | none |
| Hubs: | Alenax (rear) / Jou Yu (front) |
| Rims: | Sumo |
| Brakes: | Chang-Star |
| Levers: | Chang-Star |
| Shifters: | Long Yih |
| Cranks: | Alenax Transbar Power |
| Pedals: | Wellgo |
| Bar: | Bull Moose bar/stem combo |
| Seat Post: | SR Laprade (original?) |
| Saddle: | Viscount Terra |
Bike Oddity
I'm not sure of the exact age of this bike; the only clue is the seat post, which is dated 1985. However, the seat post may not be original to the bike - it's the only thing on the bike that seems "normal." The SR seat post seems out of place compared to the otherwise Taiwanese-made components. Alenax made bicycles from 1983 until 1993.
The Alenax bike is best described as an oddity. In an attempt to change the entire concept of how a bike was ridden, the Alenax designer (Byung Yim) removed the pedaling motion from the bike and replaced it with an up-and-down pedal stroke. There is a single cog on each side of the rear hub, and two chains drive the bike forward as the pedals are pumped. The drive train is most similar to a stair-step machine found at many gyms.
Getting used to the motion of the "pedals" takes a bit of thought, and starting from a dead stop requires a large amount of thought. Who said, that once you learn to ride a bike you'll never forget? This bike makes you question that.
I'm not sure I'd want to do long rides on this bike, however once you're rolling, the bike is kind of fun to ride. The muscles used are not the same as riding a "normal" bike, and I can feel it working my muscles fairly quickly. The bike is not built for speed, as the pumping motion does not encourage a high cadence, but rather a slow mashing pedaling motion. The bike does have several gearing options, which are controlled by a traditional thumb-shifter that varies the position of the connection point of the chain to the crank arms.
Besides the obvious oddity of the pedaling motion, the noise that the rear hub makes is also sure to draw attention. Instead of the silence associated with a rear hub while pedaling, the Alenax rear hub sounds like someone rattling a moracha (regardless of if the pedals are in motion or not). This bike is not quiet!
This bike is definitely a bike to make people say, "huh?" However, there's a good reason that the Alenax Transbar Power drive train never caught on. Riding around at bike events, and drawing stares is the best use for the bike.
If you're further interested in reading about the Alenax bikes, an SEC filing with additional company history is available on-line.
- el