British start-up Skarper has begun rolling out its e-bike conversion kit across premium bike retailers nationwide.
Backed with nearly £13 million in funding, Skarper’s patented DiskDrive system can turn any bike electric in seconds by clicking on and off to its disc brake and delivering powered assistance to the rider.
As first deliveries begin making their way to retailers this month, Skarper aims to not only give consumers flexibility with choosing when they want to ride manual or electric, but to simplify the stocking process for retailers too.
“Retailers were a key consideration from day one. We worked closely with them throughout the design process to understand their needs and the challenges of stocking e-bikes,” Skarper CEO and Co-Founder Ean Brown told Zag Daily.
“One consistent concern was the difficulty of holding a large e-bike inventory as each unit typically takes up at least 3m x 1.5m of floor space. From the outset, we designed Skarper to be bike-agnostic, not just to benefit cyclists but also to provide retailers with a practical way to offer e-bike performance without the commitment of stocking full e-bikes.”
Ean highlighted that frequent model updates can create challenges for retailers, with “new e-bike versions released every six months”. Skarper is therefore designed to eliminate the issue by being compatible with any bike and giving retailers a long-term, flexible solution that works with their existing stock.
“Another major advantage of Skarper is that it allows retailers to reconnect with customers after a bike sale, offering an upgrade that enhances their riding experience without replacing their existing bike.”
Neil Watts is the owner of Fit to Ride in Poole – one of the premium retailers that will offer Skarper in-store. On how stocking Skarper has unique benefits compared with stocking e-bikes, Neil said: “With Skarper, any bike in my shop can become an e-bike, so I don’t need to ‘double up’ on my bike stock, having non-assisted and assisted bikes. This takes up valuable space and cash flow with expensive e-bikes in a range of sizes to suit my customers.
“Also, to stock a brand you have to commit to an amount of stock and forecast for the year ahead. This means scheduling drops of bikes that may or may not sell before the end of the season. These bikes could go out of date quickly and be reduced at any time, again affecting cash flow or even creating complete loss of margin.”
Skarper has begun delivery of its first production batch which will continue throughout March. It will be available nationwide at a select group of independent retailers including Sigma Sports, Lifecycle UK, Pedal Heaven, and Billy Bilsland Cycles.
Last year, the tech company announced its partnership with F1 team Oracle Red Bull Racing’s Advanced Technologies division. Months later, Skarper won Eurobike’s ‘Component’ award.
