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“If you break a bike anywhere, it’s probably in Scotland. All our testing is done here, and the GD8 has proved itself. We start production of our new integrated powertrain in Q4 2026,” Mark Ravilious says proudly. The Scottish Highlands are famous for their relentless trails, rough weather and rocks, making them a natural product torture chamber. For Ravilious and his co-founder Peter Slotwinski, this unforgiving landscape became the perfect proving ground for Intradrive’s mission: to eliminate one of mountain biking’s greatest pain points, the fragile rear derailleur, and replace it with a new generation of robust, serviceable e-bike gearbox technology.
What began in 2016 as an ambitious one-man project driven by frustration has grown into a focused technology team engineering a fully integrated e-bike motor and gearbox system: the GD8.
From broken derailleurs to big ambition
Ravilious’ motivation is deeply personal. A mechanical engineer and passionate EWS enduro and downhill rider, he spent years pushing bikes to their limits and breaking rear derailleurs with painful regularity. “There were too many rides and races where I ended up walking to the finish,” he recalls. “From Scottish EWS enduro races to the Mega Avalanche in France, where a single rock strike in qualifying twisted my derailleur into the wheel and ruined my race.”
Each failure added fuel to a growing conviction: there had to be a better solution. Early pioneers like Rohloff and Pinion proved that gearbox technology could work. Ravilious wanted to take the concept into the e-bike era.
After university, he felt boxed in by traditional engineering roles. “I was always working on small parts of big projects. I wanted to create something complete.” With little savings in hand, he took the leap. His first venture into hand-built steel full-suspension frames showed promise, until a prototype was stolen. Not once, but twice. The second theft became a turning point. “My business mentor challenged me to think bigger, to do something not everyone else was doing. That’s when the gearbox idea really took hold.”
Intradrive founders Mark Ravilious and Peter Slotwinski.
Building the Intradrive technology and team
The development path was anything but smooth. Starting with the gearbox alone, then adding motors, it took years of trial, error and relentless iteration. By 2020, the concept had stabilised and the team grew. In 2022, Ravilious met Peter Slotwinski, an electronics engineer with extensive experience in electric vehicles.
Slotwinski had spent years in London working on a premium electric superbike project. But, like Ravilious, he wanted change and purpose. A countryside upbringing, a deep connection to nature and his own share of broken-derailleur rides made Intradrive’s mission instantly relatable. Slotwinski invested, joined the company and brought critical electronics and system-integration expertise.
Slotwinski: “Our approach starts with designing products that last and can be repaired.”
Engineering with purpose
Intradrive is more than a powertrain project. From the outset, a circular economy model encompassing long product life, repairability and low embodied carbon has been a fundamental design principle. “We’re not just about calculating CO₂ footprints for marketing,” says Slotwinski. “Our approach starts with designing products that last and can be repaired.”
This philosophy is embedded in the GD8 system. Unlike many sealed e-bike motors that require full replacement, Intradrive’s design prioritises modularity and serviceability. Long-term reliability also means resisting fast product cycles. “We don’t plan to release new models every year,” Slotwinski explains.
Unlike many sealed e-bike motors that require full replacement, Intradrive’s design prioritises modularity and serviceability.
A full-system solution for OEMs
For bike brands, Intradrive positions itself as a true technology partner. The GD8 system includes motor, gearbox, high-capacity batteries, controller and electronics: a complete, integrated solution aimed at differentiation. “OEMs who want to stand out with next-generation technology now have a genuine alternative,” says Slotwinski.
Smart engineering choices ease adoption. The system uses the existing Shimano bolt pattern, enabling faster integration into current frame platforms. No retrofit is currently planned for existing Shimano bikes. The primary focus is high-performance e-MTBs, particularly 160mm enduro platforms around the €6,000 price segment. But the system is equally suitable for cargo, commuter, trekking and urban bikes – anywhere durability and low maintenance matter.
The GD8 system includes motor, gearbox, high-capacity batteries, controller and electronics: a complete, integrated solution aimed at differentiation.
Forged in Scotland, serviced in the UK
“Product managers and bike brands are welcome to visit our outdoor test lab in Scotland for a test ride. If it survives here, it survives anywhere,” Slotwinski says. Final assembly will take place in Edinburgh, with the majority of the supply chain based in the UK and Europe. Service is central to Intradrive’s customer promise. The company has partnered with UK-based E Bike Motor Centre as its global service hub, offering fast unit replacement and minimising downtime for customers, alongside full system repairs.
Several brands are already developing production models around the GD8, with the first bikes planned for shops in Q1 2027. “We will start production of the GD8 in Q4 2026 for our first OEM customers,” Ravilious says. “And next year, I think I need to go back to the Mega Avalanche – this time without worrying about my derailleur.”
This article is sponsored by Intradrive.
