Anyone have a Vanmoof? I’m keen to get one

[BigDL]

Our new house has no way to approach it without climbing a massive hill, regardless of which direction you’re coming from, so I am considering an ebike for commuting and shopping trips etc as I am reluctant to have to take a step backwards and buy another car and want to be able to shoot out to the shops and not be a sweaty mess when I get home.

 

I came across vanmoof.com a few weeks ago and am really intrigued. I like the simplicity, the look and the cool tracking and anti theft features. The option to pay a bit more at purchase and get a team hunting down my bike if it’s stolen is pretty cool as well.

 

I can’t find anyone locally who has one and there are no shops in Ireland who stock them (they have concept stores in major cities), so I would have to buy blind, but am reassured by the fact that the likes of Apple have partnered with them to support tracking through the find my app.

 

Just wondering if anyone has experience of these bikes and could offer some real world feeedback.

 

https://www.vanmoof.com/en-GB

[rorydewet]

Our new house has no way to approach it without climbing a massive hill, regardless of which direction you’re coming from, so I am considering an ebike for commuting and shopping trips etc as I am reluctant to have to take a step backwards and buy another car and want to be able to shoot out to the shops and not be a sweaty mess when I get home.

 

I came across vanmoof.com a few weeks ago and am really intrigued. I like the simplicity, the look and the cool tracking and anti theft features. The option to pay a bit more at purchase and get a team hunting down my bike if it’s stolen is pretty cool as well.

 

I can’t find anyone locally who has one and there are no shops in Ireland who stock them (they have concept stores in major cities), so I would have to buy blind, but am reassured by the fact that the likes of Apple have partnered with them to support tracking through the find my app.

 

Just wondering if anyone has experience of these bikes and could offer some real world feeedback.

 

https://www.vanmoof.com/en-GB

e-bikes not yet big here

so options in terms of brands are limited

we get scott, spez, giant, meridia, santa cruz e-bikes silverback and thats about it

 

i dont think any RSA folk will have a e-bike from the uk

[BigDL]

e-bikes not yet big here

so options in terms of brands are limited

we get scott, spez, giant, meridia, santa cruz e-bikes silverback and thats about it

 

i dont think any RSA folk will have a e-bike from the uk

Thanks - it’s from Holland.

[TNT1]

 

we get scott, spez, giant, meridia, santa cruz e-bikes silverback and thats about it

 

 

And Bianchi, and KTM, and Moustache, and Liv, and Cannondale, and...

Edited April 29, 2021 by TNT1

[rorydewet]

And Bianchi, and KTM, and Moustache, and Liv, and Cannondale, and...

lol yes

 

but not a vanmoof

[Zebra]

Our new house has no way to approach it without climbing a massive hill, regardless of which direction you’re coming from, so I am considering an ebike for commuting and shopping trips etc as I am reluctant to have to take a step backwards and buy another car and want to be able to shoot out to the shops and not be a sweaty mess when I get home.

 

I came across vanmoof.com a few weeks ago and am really intrigued. I like the simplicity, the look and the cool tracking and anti theft features. The option to pay a bit more at purchase and get a team hunting down my bike if it’s stolen is pretty cool as well.

 

I can’t find anyone locally who has one and there are no shops in Ireland who stock them (they have concept stores in major cities), so I would have to buy blind, but am reassured by the fact that the likes of Apple have partnered with them to support tracking through the find my app.

 

Just wondering if anyone has experience of these bikes and could offer some real world feeedback.

 

https://www.vanmoof.com/en-GB

No experience with Vanmoof, I do own an e-bike though...

Surprised they went with 28" size tyres, given the plethora of 29" rubber available?

Battled to click on the tab that siad 'services', but COULD be a risk getting service/service parts in a non-supported country - dunno...

Hub-drive is generally less well regarded than a MID-drive (crank), but I have ridden one, and the do get the job done, for exploring further afield, a mid-drive would then come into it's own...

 

"Mid-drive motors are known for higher performance and torque when compared to a similarly powered traditional hub motor. One key reason why is that the mid-drive motor drives the crank, instead of the wheel itself, multiplying its power and allowing it to better take advantage of the bike's existing gears."

 

Finally, whilst 250W may well be adequate, even the higher 500W 'standard' is now being superseded; you may not need/ever use that power, just saying that where thing have been heading for a while.

 

that said, many e-bike motors - for Europe - CAN only be 250W (legislation) , but their actual output is way higher...https://www.ebikeschool.com/myth-ebike-wattage/

 

I think you could retro-fit an MTB, with a kit, and have way more fun, for equal or less money, more power, and then 'standard components' and 'standard' tire sizes would fit.

 

But an interesting concept, for sure!

Chris

Edited April 29, 2021 by Zebra

[IceCreamMan]

I hit the link now getting spammed with ads for Vanmoof. 

 

I have not seen one but they look intriguing. Holland being flat might not be the best place to source an ebike from to climb hills. I like that they are out of the ordinary and a great concept. 

 

If it will do the job you need it to, go for it. 

[b-rad]

Our new house has no way to approach it without climbing a massive hill, regardless of which direction you’re coming from, so I am considering an ebike for commuting and shopping trips etc as I am reluctant to have to take a step backwards and buy another car and want to be able to shoot out to the shops and not be a sweaty mess when I get home.

I came across vanmoof.com a few weeks ago and am really intrigued. I like the simplicity, the look and the cool tracking and anti theft features. The option to pay a bit more at purchase and get a team hunting down my bike if it’s stolen is pretty cool as well.

I can’t find anyone locally who has one and there are no shops in Ireland who stock them (they have concept stores in major cities), so I would have to buy blind, but am reassured by the fact that the likes of Apple have partnered with them to support tracking through the find my app.

Just wondering if anyone has experience of these bikes and could offer some real world feeedback. https://www.vanmoof.com/en-GB

See them all over the place here in NL. A very popular trendy brand designed for city town commuting. But there are also many other popular brands of ebikes for commuting (Stella, Gazelle, Cortina, Batavus etc).

[BigDL]

I hit the link now getting spammed with ads for Vanmoof. 

 

I have not seen one but they look intriguing. Holland being flat might not be the best place to source an ebike from to climb hills. I like that they are out of the ordinary and a great concept. 

 

If it will do the job you need it to, go for it.

Thanks - they appear to be very popular in Silicon Valley as well, which is pretty hilly. I like the simple look, but maybe I am just channeling my inner hipster 

[IceCreamMan]

Thanks - they appear to be very popular in Silicon Valley as well, which is pretty hilly. I like the simple look, but maybe I am just channeling my inner hipster 

 

I would not say no to one.... trying to grow a man bun as i type. 

 

If its a substitute for a car or motorcycle then i think its a great buy.

[shaper]

lol yes

 

but not a vanmoof

Perhaps you should have looked and seen that he lives in Ireland, so brands in SA are not relevant and being Europe based, can get anything including a vanmoof.

[ChrisF]

BigDL when I started on this journey I watched EMBN non stop ....

 

You have access to SO many more brands on that side of the pond ....

 

As you know by now, not many in SA can comment on this brand.

 

 

A friend has a place in Portugal. They brought back two European spec commuter ebikes before lockdown.

 

Some random thoughts from talking to him about the SA vs Euro perceptions and use of ebikes....

 

. Mid drive vs hub drive ... hub drive is widely used for commuter bikes, but the mid drive is significantly better for the hills.

 

. Europe seems more serious about the 250W motor, and 25km/h speed, limits .... worth checking law enforcement in your area before buying....

 

. Europe has some interesting tire combinations .... smaller front tires for bigger carriers are common

 

 

 

 

I regularly commute by ebike. With work clothes on, on the way to work, I crank up the assist 2 levels more than I do over the weekend. Gently workout, hardly any sweat. In the afternoon I use less assist .... This is the main benefit, you get to exercise, and can choose when you want to sweat ....

 

 

ENJOY

[J∆kk∆ls]

I used one in the Netherlands. They are amazing bikes. The only drawback is that the battery can't be removed for charging. So if you don't have to carry it upstairs then you're good to go.