Because an electric bike should be just that, a familiar pair of wheels that provides the power when it's needed but doesn't hinder you when it's not. We've kept the gears, the disk brakes and even a cheeky little bell. That's not to say we didn't make a few adjustments; how about a powerful motor and whopping battery for conquering those hills or arriving to work without breaking a sweat? 

And all of this for... >>>>>>

That's us, that's the PaperBoy, simply uncompromising. 

Inspired by others, we too set out to deliver a stealthy electric bike. Having searched the globe, studied countless candidates, we’ve finally found it ... the PAPERBOY®. One of the sleekest and best concealed eBikes we’ve seen yet. What we wanted was the feel of a traditional hybrid road bike, infused with 21st-century tech. We too hid the bulky powerpack and the messy wires right inside the downtube. Then we went further, increasing the battery capacity by 50% and adding 21-speed gears. the PAPERBOY®’s a lightweight eBike that rides just like a traditional hybrid road bike. This is our interpretation of 21st-century active transport. Simple and sustainable. the PAPERBOY® is set for manufacture. Pledge for yours now. With your support and our know-how, the PAPERBOY® will deliver.

In US factory-specification the PAPERBOY® has 500W max, power output, a 20mph top speed and is Class 1 eBike compliant. In UK factory-specification the PAPERBOY® has 250W max. power output, a 25kph top speed and is EAPC compliant. See "Outline Technical Specification" at the foot of this listing further details.

Production units of the PAPERBOY® are the subject of ongoing road tests. The alpha unit, 'Ada' reached 800km, without a significant issue, on 21st Nov '20 and reached 2,000km in early Jan '21.  The beta unit, 'Brian' had a controller failure shortly after assembly but nothing since. One of a number of solutions agreed with the manufacturer, arising from frailties uncovered during the road tests, is relocation of the controller to the seat tube.

The ‘2,000km Teardown’ is the name we’ve given to the feature-length interview we’ve transcribed about the 2,000km road test of the PAPERBOY® which we conducted in the British winter of 2020-21.

In the interview we,

• explain what caused a veteran video game company to decide to offer an eBike
• describe how the PAPERBOY® was selected
• introduce you to Dave Neale, an eBike designer and builder and co-creator of the PAPERBOY®
• discuss what we learned about the PAPERBOY® during the 2,000km road test
• reveal how what we learned is being used by the manufacturer to improve the eBike, that’s already in production, to ensure that the PAPERBOY® delivers

The “2,000km Teardown” interview can be read (and downloaded) by clicking on the image below.

Consequently and uniquely, the manufacturer of the PAPERBOY® has enabled two key components, the display / meter and the controller, to be treated as user-serviceable parts (just like a worn-tyre). In so doing the manufacturer has, we believe, minimised the costs and mitigated the need for the PAPERBOY® to spend days, weeks or longer in the hands of an eBike engineer who would otherwise be required to repair or replace these notoriously frail components of all eBikes.

Note 1: In early Mar ’21 a preview of the “2,000km Teardown” was record by one of the PAPERBOY®’s creators. In the preview it’s claimed that “the "2,000km Teardown" is the name we’ve given to the short film we’re creating about the 2,000km road test and that the “2,000km Teardown” will be published on the day the Indiegogo campaign for the PAPERBOY® goes live”. Whilst Covid-19 restrictions mean that’s not yet been possible, for completeness the preview is available to view here.

The alpha unit, 'Ada' reached 800km, without a significant issue, on 21st Nov '20 and reached 2,000km in early Jan '21.

You might ask, "What Experience Do You Have In Running A Crowd Funding Campaign?"

In 2013/4 Elite EV’s sister company ran a crowd funding campaign to pay for the tooling for and production of 1,000 units of a system known as the Recreated ZX Spectrum; a 21st century recreation of a popular 1980s’ home computer. The campaign was successful and 10,000 units of the Recreated ZX Spectrum were manufactured. Today they typically resell on auction sites at a premium to their original £49.99 SRP.

You might also ask, "What Did You Learn From Your Previous Crowd Funding Campaign?"

We learned that however careful you are in choosing your manufacturing partner, unforeseeable issues and unexpected consequences can arise. In the case of the Recreated ZX Spectrum, we’ve documented those issues and consequences and how we successfully addressed them. (A copy of the document is available by request to: paperboy@elite-systsems.co.uk) We’re applying what we learned to the production of the PAPERBOY® by using a variety of techniques, including scheduling delivery.

If justified by demand (which we won't be able to guage until after this campaign is launched), we'll make the PAPERBOY® available for test rides - whist this campaign is running - by bringing 'Ada' (and or 'Brian') to railway stations around the United Kingdom. Look out for an announcement of the "Station To Station - Tour".

The service we offer to you is important to us. the PAPERBOY® is our interpretation of 21st century active transport, simple and sustainable. Our commitment to service and sustainability requires we that we are local and that, in the unlikely event of you wishing to return the PAPERBOY® for repair or another reason, you can do so in the UK (where we are located) or the US (where our activities are lead by the former head of our North American video games publishing unit). 

Getting the PAPERBOY® / Saving An ADDITIONAL £500

the PAPERBOY® Delivers, However You Get It: As it’s available in the UK / US exclusively from Elite EV there are no intermediaries to pay and so the PAPERBOY®’s arguably the best value stealthy lightweight hybrid eBike currently on offer.

Better, if you have the good fortune to be eligible for a £500 Travel Better voucher (you can read more about that here) then you can order one of the perks and you may get upto an ADDITIONAL £500 discount. If so, you may need to deliver your £500 Travel Better voucher to us before your perk is despatched. 

Bettter yet, on 25th Jan '21 the UK's Department of Transport confirmed to us "“We will establish a national eBike support programme, which could include loans, subsidies, or other financial incentives, using the learning from other schemes in the UK and abroad for eBikes, adapted eBikes and other eVehicles”. The eBike support programme is still being developed and decisions have yet to be made on options detailed above. Further details will be announced in due course."  You can read more about that here. So, in the event the £500 Travel Better voucher programme, or a comparable voucher programme, is extended across the UK and if you are eligible, then you too can order one of the perks and you may get upto an ADDITIONAL £500 discount. If so, you may need to deliver your UK national eBike support programme voucher to us before your perk is despatched.

In the event of comparable schemes being launched in the USA we'll reference them here.

Production capacity is limited. Order the PAPERBOY® here, now to get priority delivery.

Note 2: if there's sufficient demand, we'll add a perk or perks which include 2 or more units of the PAPERBOY®. If you'd like us to do this then do please let us know by sending an email to paperboy@elite-systems.co.uk 

The people who, in 1986, published the home computer versions of Paperboy®, a coin-op from American arcade game legends Atari® Games. The home computer versions of Paperboy® topped the UK game charts for a then record breaking 3 months. Tap on "Elite EV" above to read our full profile.

the PAPERBOY® is already being manufactured.  Nonetheless, manufacturers and their suppliers change their products and components from time to time. So, there may be some modest differences between the version of the PAPERBOY® described in the Technical Overview and the final product(s). The nature and position of the decals on the frame of the PAPERBOY® is for illustration and may vary. Also, demand for the premium components used in the PAPERBOY® is at an all time high. Shortages of these components and other issues could adversely affect production schedules and therefore deliveries.

A 2019 study published in the journal Injury Prevention found that crashes involving the power-assisted, potentially higher-speed cycles (eBikes) were more likely to result in hospitalization and internal injuries for riders compared to traditional bikes. It goes without saying that we want you to enjoy the PAPERBOY® safely. The UK government has published Cycle Safety information, with helpful tips and advice for cyclists and drivers. Consequently, we urge every reader, whether they back the campaign or not to devote 60 seconds of their time to this helpful read.

Some people just can't contribute, but that doesn't mean they can't help. If that's you, use the Indiegogo share tools and make some noise about our campaign.