31–40 of 224 posts
Earlier quoted context omitted.
> And everyone knows this You mean they know the vendor is an infinite supplier of free bikes to steal, deSaaSify, and sell to a different market? Either way, the message doesn't spread itself; I wouldn't overestimate how much small-scale semi-pro thiefs know or care about bullshit tech startups.
Vanmoof's whole thing is recovering the bikes
Don’t buy products made by VC funded firms! Especially not if it’s a real product and you value repairability and service. VanMoof made losses the size of their revenue. They made bikes… where’s the natural monopoly to be chased there?
What did Van Moof make, exactly? Do you think they were normal bikes? They made expensive e-bikes with theft recovery features. They have features that make it possible to trace and locate them, and Van Moof would actually do this. For people who spend €3-4k on an easily stolen object that the police won't care about, that's a unique selling point.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
What did Van Moof make, exactly? Do you think they were normal bikes? They made expensive e-bikes with theft recovery features. They have features that make it possible to trace and locate them, and Van Moof would actually do this. For people who spend €3-4k on an easily stolen object that the police won't care about, that's a unique selling point.
Waiting 6 weeks for any kind of repair was also their unique selling point?
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I've got an X3 that is rock solid even after me and the bike flying apart in an attempt to avoid collision with a truck. And its design is the primary reason why I decided to start biking again to begin with - I just find it so pleasantly satisfying I just want to ride it. So IDK, but I haven't seen a viable alternative yet.
What about it makes it so satisfying? If you're not into bikes, try a few of them. I find any properly tuned bike to be an absolute joy to use, although I never tried a Van Moof.
Don’t buy products made by VC funded firms! Especially not if it’s a real product and you value repairability and service. VanMoof made losses the size of their revenue. They made bikes… where’s the natural monopoly to be chased there?
It was supposed to be delivered in December 2022. But it was eventually pushed back to end of this year (2023).
Contemplating canceling my pre-order ($20-30?) now.
Wow - I was really looking forward to the VanMoof V. Shame to see them struggling financially. It was supposed to be delivered in December 2022. But it was eventually pushed back to end of this year (2023). Contemplating canceling my pre-order ($20-30?) now.
Don’t buy products made by VC funded firms! Especially not if it’s a real product and you value repairability and service. VanMoof made losses the size of their revenue. They made bikes… where’s the natural monopoly to be chased there?
What did Van Moof make, exactly? Do you think they were normal bikes? They made expensive e-bikes with theft recovery features. They have features that make it possible to trace and locate them, and Van Moof would actually do this. For people who spend €3-4k on an easily stolen object that the police won't care about, that's a unique selling point.
Note that a competitor to VanMoof, Cowboy Bikes, have also created an iOS app - with a beta on the App Store - that supposedly does the same (saving the encryption keys locally). I say supposedly because the source is not available to inspect. However, the linked FAQ states that no data is stored outside the app. Here it is: https://bikey-app.cowboy.bike/ (Note this is not en endorsement for Cowboy - whom I know noth…
Going from Vanmoof to Cowboy Bikes is like switching from the plague to cholera. Same modus operandi: excessively VC funded, lots of hype, proprietary parts, mounting losses, loosing money with every sale, ... and it's getting worse every year. Cowboy Bikes is just another bankruptcy waiting to happen.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
> And everyone knows this You mean they know the vendor is an infinite supplier of free bikes to steal, deSaaSify, and sell to a different market? Either way, the message doesn't spread itself; I wouldn't overestimate how much small-scale semi-pro thiefs know or care about bullshit tech startups.
Vanmoof's whole thing is recovering the bikes
EDIT: the only real advantage VanMoof could have here is if they're selling shitty bikes and overpricing customers for the brand name. That would indeed deter most thieves successfully - by making stealing those bikes not worth the effort. Well, until the metal prices spike or something, and it's profitable to steal them and sell as raw material...
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[0] - See e.g. cheaply available conversion kits for Bird scooters; IIRC they were being sold for something like $30. Though those had a plausibly legal use case: converting decommissioned or seized scooters. There were plenty of the latter, as following the example set by Uber, Bird also pretended law and society don't exist.