Sir Chris Hoy, one of the most decorated track cyclists of all time, may not seem like an obvious candidate to support the burgeoning e-bike movement. After all, the common saying is that electric bikes aren't real bikes.
But the six-time Olympic gold medalist has done just that, creating a click-on device that allows a push bike to be easily converted to electric and back again with minimal fuss. Invested in a new startup company.
The company, called Scalper, has raised £12.8 million ($16.3 million) since its founding in 2020, with Hui contributing to the initial seed tranche. The system was originally slated for release in 2023, but first production began last week for a few hundred people, with remaining pre-orders expected in the coming months.
TechCrunch chatted with Hoy upon receiving Skarper's first official delivery (a perk for investors, of course) and found out why this could be the next big thing in the e-bike world. Even so, I asked for his opinion. A person of Hoi's height definitely needs the strength to press the pedals.
“I'm probably not the person you would imagine to be an e-bike advocate, but after I tried one for the first time years ago, I got it,” Hui told TechCrunch. “When I'm still cycling, I realize that I'm still using my body, but there's an 'invisible hand' pushing me forward. And in some situations, it's better than a bike without pedal assist. I find myself wanting to ride a bike with pedal assist.”
Sir Chris Hoy unpacks the first Skarper system delivered in Manchester. Image credit: Skarper
The benefits of electric bikes are well understood. Commuters may not want to arrive at the office drenched in sweat, making electric uphill support an attractive proposition. While their zero emissions compared to other electric transportation also reduce their environmental impact, e-bikes can weave through lines of cars, parks and other areas normally off-limits to electric vehicles. You can also wind your way through spaces and calmly avoid busy roads.
Also, some people, due to age or health conditions, are unable to go out on a fully self-propelled bicycle.
But not everyone wants to buy a dedicated electric bike, especially those who already have a bike. And this is where scalpers come into play.
“Too good to be true”
Shortly before retiring from competitive cycling in 2013, Hoy actually launched his own bike range in partnership with British retailer Evans. That project was put on hold, but Huy said he was already thinking about electric bikes before Scalper came along.
“I'm a big fan of electric bikes, so I was thinking of building one myself,” Hui said. “But when I saw this, I thought, why would you want to build an electric bike if this is the solution you need?”
Hoy first learned of the concept during a Zoom chat with Skarper CEO Ean Brown and COO Uri Meirovich during the height of the pandemic. He was presented with the idea of attaching a unit to a bike's rear disc brake to electrify it, but with the added kicker of being able to remove it quickly.
“I was there from the beginning. At the time, I was given pictures and ideas and it seemed too good to be true,” Hoy said. “We wondered how it would work, how it would deal with the heat and vibrations, and how it would generate enough power to propel the bike.”
This was one of Hui's initial big questions. How does this work from a physical and structural standpoint? Standard bicycles are not built the same way as motorcycles. Also, most other e-bike conversion kits on the market require fiddling with cables and wiring, and are often front-wheel drive, which completely changes the feel and balance of the bike.
The Skarper is designed for disc brake bikes with 160mm disc rotors, but can be adapted to other types of bikes if you have a little technical know-how. This kit consists of a DiskDrive rotor with an integrated gearbox that replaces the existing disc brake rotor on the rear wheel of your bike. This also serves as a mounting system for clip-on electric motors.
Anyone can install the Skarper electric bike drive system themselves, but the company partners with a network of installers to do the work for free.
Skarper on a gravel bike Image credit: Skarper
Electric bike conversion kits have been around for a few years, but Scalper's pitch is all about ease, with minimal impact on the bike itself as well as click-on and click-off. In fact, co-founder and chief operating officer Uli Mailovic insists that Scalper's goal is not to “modify” or “modify” bikes.
“We're here to enhance it,” Meirovich told TechCrunch. “Traditional conversion kits permanently change the bike, changing critical components like the bike's wheels, running wires, adding batteries to things like the handlebars, and changing the bike's balance and appearance. often to the detriment of the original design and ride quality.”
So in a way, it's two bikes in one. This means those who love road, mountain, hybrid or gravel bikes don't have to compromise the integrity of their original design and quality.
“Like all great ideas, it’s very simple when it’s already part of the bike. Disc brakes already handle a lot of force, a lot of torque. [rotational force]And a huge amount of heat,” Hoy continued. “Using the structural stiffness and integrity of the frame to drive the rear wheels is a great starting point. From an engineering perspective, I think this is a great solution.”
Skarper kit image credit: Skarper
Once installed, the Skarper unit can be removed in seconds, but if the rider does not need it, the e-bike can be powered off or backpedaled three times to put it in “pause mode.” You can also disable the feature. Electric assist for a while. This also saves battery power.
The Skarper system takes 2.5 hours to fully charge from empty and provides a range of up to 50 km (31 miles) at a top speed of 25 km/h (15 miles/h).
grand design
Unclipping Scalper Image credit: Skarper
Skarper has approximately 22 employees, including more than a dozen engineers across industrial, mechanical, electronic, software and test disciplines. In addition, the company worked closely with Red Bull's Advanced Technologies organization, which supports the Red Bull F1 Racing Team.
However, Hoy himself was involved in the design process from the beginning.
“My opinion was from a cyclist's point of view, which is obviously my area of expertise,” Hoy said. “It was all about how it rides and how it feels. Does the scalper affect handling? What can be avoided in terms of size, weight and shape? I became a test pilot of sorts and tested the unit I would take it home, use it properly, test it, and apply it to different scenarios and situations.”
However, high prices are inevitable. At £1,500 ($1,900), the Skarper doesn't come cheap. But this isn't pitched as a budget route to buying an electric bike, nor is it intended to be a once-out-of-the-blue device.
“Let's say you have a 1,000-pound e-bike. The quality of the components, the brakes, the gears, the tires, the materials used in the frameset, the saddle, etc. are all 'budget,'” Hoy says. . “We keep it as low as possible to keep the price down. At Skarper, this is basically the highest quality motor you can get, and you'll be installing it as your pride and joy. Number of uses per year It's a great deal if you think about it.”
There are also security issues. Expensive standalone e-bikes are an attractive proposition for thieves, and some startups are cashing in on the trend to help victims recover stolen bikes. The Skarper lets you attach it to your $5,000 road bike, of course, but it also lets you attach it to your junk pile to add some extra flair and take it off when you get to your destination.
“I imagine someone with an old, beat-up bike that they’ve had for years, or that they just bought on eBay, that they would happily leave locked outside their office. ,” Hui said. “No one is going to steal it or even look at it twice. But then you can clip it on and turn it into a very high-quality electric bike.”
For now, Scalper is only shipping to customers in the UK, but Meirovich confirmed that orders to mainland Europe will begin in mid-2025, with the US to follow. In particular, the U.S. has a 20 mph speed limit for these types of vehicles, so the top speed of the model that eventually goes on sale in the U.S. will be higher than that of the U.K. or European Union models.
“Scalper has received well over 100 sales requests from all over the world, including major retailers in the United States and major companies in most European markets,” Meirovich said, adding that Scalper is unable to fulfill international orders. added that little change is needed. “Slight changes are required to comply with EU and US regulations and we are currently in the process of obtaining these certifications.”