A new Kickstarter wants to make your road bike electric without the bulk

CYPLORE is trying to solve one of the biggest problems with e-bike conversion kits. It adds electric assist to existing road and gravel bikes while keeping the weight down.

The project has just launched on Kickstarter with prices starting around $599 for the FLEX version and $779 for the ready-to-ride ONE wheel setup. The pitch is simple enough. Give riders extra help on climbs and long rides without turning a lightweight carbon bike into something that suddenly feels heavy and awkward.

A very different kind of e-bike conversion

Most conversion kits end up changing the personality of the bike. You usually get a bulky mid-drive motor, a large external battery and extra weight that changes handling even when the system is switched off.

CYPLORE is clearly trying to avoid that. The motor sits inside the rear hub while the battery disguises itself as a bottle mounted in the standard cage position. There is also a small wireless remote that docks neatly onto the setup. From a distance, the bike still looks mostly normal.

That low profile approach is probably the most interesting thing here. Plenty of cyclists still resist full e-bikes because they either dislike the added mass or simply do not want their expensive road bike turning into something visually cluttered. CYPLORE seems aimed directly at those riders.

The quoted 1.7kg total system weight is also unusually low for this category. That includes both the motor and battery. The battery itself weighs roughly 800g and delivers a claimed 50km assisted range from its 111Wh capacity. USB-C charging is supported and the company says a full recharge takes around an hour.

The ride feel will decide whether this works

CYPLORE says the system uses a torque sensor that adjusts assistance based on pedalling effort in real time. Push harder and the support increases. Ease off and the motor backs away. The company also says the built-in clutch fully disengages the motor when assistance is not active, removing drag resistance from the wheel.

That last part is important because some lightweight hub systems still feel slightly sticky when riding without power. Road cyclists tend to notice those things immediately. If CYPLORE has genuinely managed a near invisible ride feel, that could end up being the real selling point rather than outright speed or power.

The system is rated at 250W and targets modern road and gravel bikes using 142x12mm thru-axles. Compatibility includes most Shimano and SRAM drivetrains.

Two versions depending on how much flexibility you want

The ONE version is the simpler option. It arrives as a complete rear wheel with the motor already built in. Riders swap out their existing rear wheel, attach the bottle battery and ride away within a few minutes.

FLEX takes a different approach. Instead of a complete wheel, buyers receive the hub motor and build it into their own preferred wheel setup. That will probably appeal more to experienced cyclists who already have favourite rims or very specific wheel configurations.

CYPLORE also splits its setups into road and gravel variants. The road rims support 25 to 32c tyres while the gravel option stretches from 32 to 55c.

There is app connectivity too. The system connects to cycling computers over ANT+ and syncs activities to Strava through the CYPLORE app. Riders can monitor battery levels, switch assist modes and view ride history from the app itself.

A familiar Kickstarter balancing act

Like many cycling hardware projects, CYPLORE sits somewhere between exciting concept and wait-and-see territory.

The company says it already has working prototypes and has completed performance testing. It also claims the founding team includes engineers and former staff from Samsung, Xiaomi, Alibaba and e-bike system companies.

Still, Kickstarter hardware campaigns always carry some uncertainty. Manufacturing delays, supply chain problems and shifting timelines remain common across the category. CYPLORE currently estimates deliveries for November 2026.

Price: $599 and up

Raised: $333,474 of $10,000 goal

Estimated delivery: November 2026
33 days to go before campaign closes

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