The DiskDrive, by British startup Skarper, is a 6.6-pound object that snaps onto your bike, then powers it electrically by driving the rear brake rotor. Pop it off to recharge it (or prevent it from being stolen).

Using the system does require you to swap out your existing rotor, with this one of Skarper's design:

I'm sure it may vary bike to bike, but it's incredible how quickly and easily the unit snaps on and off in the demo video:

It takes 2.5 hours to charge the device from empty to full. The 250W motor has a maximum range of 60km (37 miles) and can propel you to a top speed of 32kph (20mph).

The DiskDrive is intended to ship next year, and Bike Radar says the target price is £1,000 (USD $1,239).

I’m a lapsed industrial designer. I was born in NYC and figured I’d die there, but a few years ago I abandoned New York to live on a farm in the countryside with my wife. We have six dogs.

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