Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'm using a bike that I bought new for less than 100 euro from a big box shop. I've been using it for more than a decade with zero maintenance (apart from fixing occasional flat). It still works. It's just little stiff which is a feature because I can prop the handlebars against the wall and it stays like that because the weight of the bicycle is not enough to turn the handlebars. It's also heavy because it has suspe…
This is a commuter bike. That's hardly related to "exercise", it's about getting from A to B efficiently, cheaply and comfortably.
VanMoof encryption key exporter
181–190 of 224 posts
Re: VanMoof encryption key exporter
#182Earlier quoted context omitted.
I mean there are the big brands incl. KTM, Decathlon (elops), Fischer, Bergamont, Cube, Haibike, Stevens... But the comparability requires you first to pick a type of bike.
Well, I guess I want a robust EV, from what I see with a Bosch electric motor, probably a belt drive. Commuter bike, low frame, disk brakes. Transmission, dunno, Bosch or from what I see, maybe Pinion? I think Shimano doesn't make belt drives.
Re: VanMoof encryption key exporter
#183Earlier quoted context omitted.
In the Netherlands at least most of the established brands (Gazelle, Sparta, Batavus) have been selling e-bikes for 15-20 years now with sales really taking off in the last 5-10. Most are comfortable city bikes that use standard bike parts. Battery performance has improved a lot over the years and most models allow you to remove (and replace) the battery. Depending on where you live they may be sold under different b…
Those are all 2k+ from what I see, so closer to Mercedes S Class than to Golf. Golf would be a 1k bike as the original comment mentioned :-(
Re: VanMoof encryption key exporter
#184Earlier quoted context omitted.
Just look at their homepage, it is clear where the VC money went. Instead of making really good quality bikes they spent all the money on web design. They thought they can do what Canyon can do, but Canyon is a much, much bigger company.
Is there some place where I could check out the "big" bike companies? Especially electric commuter bikes that deliver to Europe?
Re: VanMoof encryption key exporter
#185Earlier quoted context omitted.
Having a non-removable battery is a big mistake IMHO, because that's a not insignificant chunk of the value of the bike. Also, it's just a normal e-bike, limited to 25kmh, I wouldn't call that "quick" :) If you want a real quick commuter then get one with a 45kmh limit, that is the point when it kind of stops being a bike and turns into a vehicle. But I think the target market is different in this case, I wouldn't le…
45 km/h S-Pedelecs can't legally be used on most bike lanes, at least in Germany, even at lower speeds. You always have to share the roadway with cars etc. For many that defeats the purpose of cycling. The actual cut off for the assistance is typically set to 27.5 km/h, because regulations allow for 10% of tolerance... Then, depending on transmission ratios, it can be quite comfortable to ride at ~30 km/h. The accele…
Re: VanMoof encryption key exporter
#186Don’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.
Re: VanMoof encryption key exporter
#187Earlier quoted context omitted.
I mean there are the big brands incl. KTM, Decathlon (elops), Fischer, Bergamont, Cube, Haibike, Stevens... But the comparability requires you first to pick a type of bike.
Well, I guess I want a robust EV, from what I see with a Bosch electric motor, probably a belt drive. Commuter bike, low frame, disk brakes. Transmission, dunno, Bosch or from what I see, maybe Pinion? I think Shimano doesn't make belt drives.
The listed price (€3699) is about the same as what I paid for it back then. I made one upgrade to it, by replacing the standard display with a Nyon (which includes satnav among other things) which added €400 to the price.
Awesome bike, absolutely the best bike I’ve ever owned. Rock solid, nothing rattles even on rough terrain or going over speed bumps. I highly recommend the satnav if you plan on touring around. You can pre-plan routes on your PC and upload them to the display (it has wifi). And with the belt drive it’s completely silent, which is nice if you like to tour through nature like me.
Re: VanMoof encryption key exporter
#188Earlier quoted context omitted.
I mean, you can also easily spend >2k on a bike. In terms of e-bikes the prices for Vanmoof and their competitor Cowboy aren’t particularly cheap, but they aren’t incredibly out of line either.
> I mean, you can also easily spend >2k on a bike. And what you would have is an expensive bike. $2k is an expensive bike. The fact the market offers a $3,000,000 car doesn't mean a $100,000 car isn't an expensive car.
We can stop going in circles. You think it's expensive, but it's not an order of magnitude more expensive, like your example cites. Others don't think it's that expensive, and I agree with them. Researching e-bikes 1-2k seems like market price, and they were within that range.
Re: VanMoof encryption key exporter
#189Earlier quoted context omitted.
And where they could use standard pieces, they don’t. It took me ages to replace a bottom bracket because the cheap one they had installed was bent and replacement was nowhere to be found easily, except at their shop for an outrageous price.
That's pretty much par for the course for all bike manufacturers. There's a million different bottom brackets, headsets, axles standards, etc. Eg. if your through axle breaks, good luck finding a store that stocks one in the correct length with the correct thread and the correct thread length, and even if you do, you'll probably end up paying 40€ for a small piece of metal.
The big exception right now are thru-axles, yes, but the vast majority of bikes don't use thru-axles (and there's no reason a vanmoof commuter bike would need to use those), they use quick release axles, and those are completely standard.
Re: VanMoof encryption key exporter
#190Earlier quoted context omitted.
Note that when they first came out, they were actually pretty affordable; since then, competition and mass production spun up and you can get an e-bike for <€1K now, and they'll be less custom made, more generally available parts too. The brand's USP then became that they look and are pretty unique, which is cool on one hand, but they weren't able to make it financially viable. Probably because they relied on VC mone…
My problem, especially with electric bikes is: What are the decent, mass market brands??? I'm in Europe, I don't want to buy a Mercedes S Class. Who sells the Volkswagen Golf of electric bikes? I just want decent build quality, decent comfort, decent features, good repairability and easy maintenance. The electric bike market seems immature to me. I want 20-30 big bike brands that I can compare, just like the car bran…
Decathlon own brands like B'Twin