Skarper: The Revolutionary E-Bike System That Fits in Your Hand

What if you could transform any standard bicycle into an e-bike in seconds, then switch back just as easily? That's the concept behind Skarper, a company based in Camden, North London, who have developed a groundbreaking clip-on disc drive system that is changing everything we know about e-bikes.Skarper co-founder Dr. Alastair Darwood wanted the power of an e-bike without the bulk and expense. But when Skarper was founded in 2020, there were literally no components on the market small enough to fit their vision. The team spent years designing and developing their own ultra-compact speed controller to create some of the smallest, most powerful components in the e-bike industry. The device is small enough to fit in a shoebox, rather than the massive boxes traditional e-bikes require, making the Skarper system much more sustainable than other solutions. Every Skarper sold means one less heavy e-bike manufactured. Plus, Skarper extends the lifespan of bicycles for years, embracing the circular economy by reusing what's already built, and adding only what's needed.We travel to Skarper’s headquarters in Camden to meet Alastair and COO Uri Meirovich, who show us their sophisticated bike testing rigs, and tell us about how their development partnership with Red Bull Advanced Technologies brought Formula One-grade engineering rigor to consumer cycling. Alastair also takes us on a short bike ride around North London to demonstrate how riders can switch seamlessly between eco, cruise, and turbo modes using the Skarper app.Find out more about Skarper here.Find out more about Arena here.Your host is Paul Haimes from industrial software company PTC.Episodes are released bi-weekly. Follow us on LinkedIn and X for updates.This is an 18Sixty production for PTC. Executive Producer is Jacqui Cook. Location recording by Geoff Marsh. Sound design and editing by Clarissa Maycock. Music by Rowan Bishop.