As an X2 owner, I can vouch big time for the Peace of Mind service - had my bike locked up in SF with a decent u-lock and alarm disarmed, but ended up away much longer than planned. Got a bit late, and apparently someone busted the lock with a large pole. Received a VanMoof call that bike was stolen before I'd even discovered myself, and one of their "Bike Hunters" had already recovered it and brought it back within 30 minutes (even more impressive is that bike hunter returned the bike pulling it along on his own S2 - through downtown SF!)
For me, what I love is the security system and how everything is integrated into the bike. No fiddly and lights, displays etc that can be easily ripped off. So streamlined. Combine this with a good lock (and some common sense), and it'll be more or less theft proof. Definitely getting one.
I have a S3 for 2000 km with no problems at all. Really love the bike! My wife has one for almost 500 km and also no problems. This is a really fun ebike with lots of smart tech. And that boost button is really making the difference compared to other bikes. Makes riding the VanMoof really fun!
Thank you for the review! I’ve been riding an S2 in Seattle since before the pandemic (so, about 15 years or so?) and I really like it. It’s been a lot of fun, and very functional. Contemplating getting an S5, but want to see the reviews / test ride it first.
The thing about Tesla's though is that they don't break and as a result you can drive a Tesla without any worries. Paid nearly $4,000 dollars for my S2 last Fall, and it's been nothing but a gigantic pain in the a**. It's been fixed, replaced, fixed again, fixed again, and now it's unrideable again and waiting for another replacement - and each time it needs to be fixed, I have to drive four hours to the nearest store, leave it for a few hours, and drive a few hours home again. I have a half-mile commute to work, honestly on one straight road. Not even any turns! The design of the bike is without question beautiful. It's stunning. That's what sold me. The technology is fantastic. The locking mechanism is also fantastic. And Vanmoof's customer service is also amazing in-store - the folks in the store when I have to go for repairs have been amazing. The online service is...not so great, but eventually someone will get back to you. But when your bike is broken so often, what's the point of it looking pretty? Mine collects dust in the garage now. They've offered a replacement - again - but not until August, three months from now. I with this bike operated flawlessly the way the cost indicates they should. The design is a thing of beauty.
Great video man! maybe film more in outside location for the next one. I felt kind of enclosed in this room. Some more nature and bike videos in the beginning might be worth a shot :D
I think it's a bit odd that you never talked about the most important part of the any E-Bike, the motor. Especially this one, as it's the more unusual front hub type.
@@emiel1976ep It's simple and combines well with the internal gear hub in the back. You can't understand the VanMoof without looking at the typical utility bikes in The Netherlands everyone rides there. They're meant to be simple, practical, no-fuss, still stylish everyday bikes and this is just the motorized version of this. It's not a MTB and not a road racer. It's something to hop on and ride with not a single thought wasted on maintaining or adjusting it. The enclosed chain will last forever, you'll never see any grease on your clothes, there's nothing to catch your clothing on, it's just there. It's certainly not the right thing for outright ebike enthusiasts. The motor is rather weak and you're sitting upright and comfortable on it, but you don't have to bother with anything. It's nearly impossible to understand without understanding bicycle culture in some parts of Europe. It's really meant to ride and then be forgotten until you hop on it again, and to do this with your normal clothing, even a suit if you happen to wear a suit. It's meant to be practical, not ideal.
@@uhuznaa I am Dutch and Van Moof is also Dutch. It isn't that, it is that the motor doesn't fit the thing they claim to be. What Apple is for phones, they claim to be for bikes. It is if Apple makes a phone with a cheap 640x480 screen. A rear motor isn't the solution. They could have went all out and send for a mid motor. And yes you can hide it in the frame. Especially when the price was way higher, it looked strange. It still does but the price went down. But I still think that the bike with the claims it does, would be better with an other motor. The power of the motor is an other story. That has to do with the rules out here. That is shy it comes with a 250w motor and no throttle.
The design of the bike hasn’t changed much over the years. Vanmoof is great at iteratively improving with each new release, resulting in the polished product that is the S3. Mine is on pre-order, can’t wait to test it out. I’m 6’5”, so very curious to see if the frame comfortably fits 5’8” to 6’8” riders.
I was considering S2 and now S3 is even better (at least lighter for the pocket) but... doing a review its worth to mention that this bike is designed for city riding. lack of any suspension is a deal breaker for anyone who consider to ride it in the forest or in a bit more rough terrain... in general its a great product coming from bike homeland :D
Yep, there is too much holding me back to. They look great, nice features etc. But they lack too much luxury like suspension, lower and higher frames for different persons etc. Also the lack of local support from a dealer or official servicpoint makes me not going to buy this bike, wanting is a different thing.
So, with no mobile phone, you are not going anywhere? Sorry but I am a bit old fashion and don't fully understand how good can that be. Thanks in advance for you comments/opinions.
2k is only intro models for a great bike so this price is actually cheap. Look up any quality road bike or gravel bike and the price is starting at 2400. My personal commuter bike is around the 2200 price range and its a man powered bike.
Pretty much like a normal city bike, it's just 19 kg and the motor is nearly frictionless. And the lights and automatic gears will still work for hours when the battery is down far enough the system will disable the motor. No comparison to a fat bike that feels like driving through sand without the motor. In fact quite a few people usually drive it with the motor off and only use the boost button now and then (which immediately gives you the full 500W on the front wheel no matter what as long as the pedals are moving).
1. What do you think about a non-removable battery? In the Netherlands, it could be painful to pick it up to the high floors (no elevator, low space spiral staircase). 2. You can't change gears on the go? 3. You can't change gears while the battery is empty and have to pedal it on 1 gear.
While I cannot disagree with your logic, the founders too say it like in "spoof" in English-languaged vids. Guess they decided to go international from the get-go =)
I have a 'Freego folder' excellent little bike. Unfortunatly the co went bust, but still a good and well supported product. You may want to think mainly about what you want it for and storage and security. The only reason I HAD to get a folder is space. It fits in the shed nicely. I was lucky enough to have an EBike shop in Shropshire where I live that let me test a few out (I don't think THEY new the co was gonna liquidate)
Wow. Out of all that you pick up on the pronunciation of the Dutch name? There are very few words the Americans say that closely matches English. If we were to pick up on them it would be a full time job. Just enjoy the ride.
It looks nice, and the integrated lights are a nice touch, but a bicycle that requires an app to use is close to useless for me. Very close. Thanks for the review. It lets me know I need to keep looking for something else.
Great no-nonsense review. Thanks. I’m 5’7” (in the morning!) do you think I could handle it? The other version is way to funky looking for me and a hard no.
im 5'6 and the bike looks really cool for my height it just looks more sleek maybe im bulky , dont worry the bike is easy to ride with a shorter height but do your own research tho
Pity you can’t detach the battery and you have to bring the bike indoors to charge it. I wonder how much it costs to replace the battery in a few years?
ne14makingart There are 4 levels of pedal assist. If you want to set it to manual you put the lowest level. The gears shift automatically and they are also 4. You can set in the app at what speeds you want the gears to shift.
Really great video! Very nicely made! I do have a question though: usually a battery cannot last forever, after a year or two, you may need to replace it with a new one. With battery already fixed inside the frame, what can you do if the battery starts having issues?
It says in the site that is removable for servicing. Probably, the bike owners will be asked to go to the nearest centers to change or service the battery.
Here is what they wrote on their FAQ page: “If you don't live close to one of our service cities, you can still enjoy full Peace of Mind coverage. When required, we’ll cover the costs of shipping your bike to and from the nearest service location. For simpler repairs we’ll send you any required parts and walk you through it step by step'.”
All in all this means the service is not optimal. They only have 1 selling/dealing/servicepoint in the Netherlands, at least not much more than this. I do not know for other country’s. But in case of a real problem you have to get your bike into Amsterdam transporting it by train or car and get it back when repaired. Van Moof can take a lot of time to make an appointment and repair and the buyer needs to take quite some time to get it there and back again. So although they try as hard as they can to provide you the needed service there is a delay that you wouldn’t have with bikestores closer at home. Small but annoying things cannot be dealt with in an easy way. For instance a broken light can take quite some days to get repaired under warranty while with other bikes you drive by your local dealer and they just switch the light mechanism. And yes, I do like this bike very much, it is a great bike to look at, nice features like the lock, the apps and the way they take care of stolen bikes. The price y good, most electric bikes start at €2000, more special ones even higher and this is quite a special one. But there are too many buts with this bike, together with some isues in earlier bikes I wouldn’t buy this unless the quality is really good with this newer Van Moof bike and they have more dealers and servicepoints. Then this would be a great not too expensive bike.
Can you use the throttle without pedaling? Can you ride the bike without pedaling at all or is it only pedal-assist? Seems like that "throttle" button just gives you max assist, but isn't a true throttle.
That would be illegal in most of the EU, the main market, but as with most Chinese crap quality motor systems, you can hack the hell out of it with software tweaks. I have a Bosch engine, which is totally locked up, even with a region lock so prevent buyers from switching it to US regulations. First I thought bummer, but I have to say 27km/h is more than enough in the city. At least my boost is better at 85nm and because of mid-train motor that fully incorporates leg power into the mix. Also I will win on a 40km run, as the VanMoof will be empty at 30km and be a horrible bike after that. I can push my bike 27 without battery support if I like to sweat some more. Not to talk about 100km rides, which I can still do on full assist. There is a huge difference between Chinese batteries in the S3 and genuine Samsung (Korean) or Panasonic (Japanese) cells in the Bosch power packs.
I saw somewhere online that at max speed you couldn't use manpower to go faster than the limit of the bike because of the transmission, but I can't find info anywhere else. What if you want to go fast downhill ? Can someone confirm ? Thank you
I've heard from other reviewers the S3 does not have GPS. It uses Bluetooth with the phone and something like cellular triangulation to find a stolen bike.
NO GPS!!!! Why every review talks about GPS?? It' Cellphone technology inside and they use UMTS/LTE to track the bike with triangulation. Bike Hunters have special Bluetooth receiver to track down the last 100m.
To me it is important to know if I am in a hurry how fast can I push it using my own legs, not just pedal assist mode. Does it freewheel? In other words, can you ride it also in a normal (non electric) bicycle mode? Or, can you push it to top electric speed and then add your own? I know it reaches 20mph electronically, but how fast can it really go if you are in a hurry?
I have the S2 (same frame size) and I think if you are 5'8" you'd be better off with the X3 as the top tube on the S2/S3 is pretty high up. I'm 5'11" and barely have enough clearance to stand with one foot flat on the road off the saddle! Great bike but definitely built with tall Dutch people in mind....
Not sure you can buy it there. Just go on VanMoof website, and you will see if you can order one. It's all online and you have a list of country where they can ship.
sleek design. at the cost of a battery which may be unattainable in 6-7 years. I guess you could have a bag battery and hang it off the frame. Batteries are still the “weak link” in e-bikes...so having a battery that is easy to replace is important to me, moreso than cosmetics. Cool looking ride, tho. Cheers!
- Price?...not bad, really .... but better values out there... - Looks/Style ?....OK, just not my groove.....I'm gonna say it: Too "Euro" - Peace of Mind service?...GREATEST Feature !! - worth every penny.....Other companies need to get on board with this.... - Power? - a little underpowered for a rider my size (6-1, 240lbs) - Features and Hardware?....Nicely done and very integrated... hence too much proprietary equipment....no removable battery....limited upgrade path....dealer/service network access...? - Availability? .... Ships to North America (world-wide?) but closest location for test ride is NYC - 900 miles away from me.... Overall: Nice Bike with some room for future models to offer more power, battery options etc in a similar frame style...... However, this company does not seem to be US market-focused so.......
Yes, but only as long as the pedals are moving and of course it straight goes to 100% throttle. You'll need to at least ghost-pedal. A real throttle is illegal for electric bicycles in Europe.
@jesuguru That could work. I'm 163cm and could somehow ride the S3 even though it wasn't that comfortable but getting down was somehow painful. At the end I chose the X3 and finally got used to the X design and now love it...
So doing a rough math here. You rode 16 miles and had 30% left. So 16 miles used 70% of battery -> 8 miles uses 35% -> 4 miles use 17% -> 2 miles use 8.5% -> 1 mile uses 4.25%
This bike was really easy to assemble ruclips.net/user/postUgkxMesz3KOGEmwmvyKQfLfrRSUXLFzfVHZA and required very few adjustments out of the box. The wheels did not require any truing/adjustments. The frame had some small scratches, but nothing major.I did replace the seat though - the seat it came with was very uncomfortable. The tires need to be re-inflated every 4-5 days, but this appears to be quite common for the narrow 700x25 tires.Overall, in my opinion, this bike looks and rides like a much more expensive bike.
What if I want to go trailering or just to a park. Does this at all breakdown to fit into my vehicle? The park is a long drive from me in general. Can't seem to find the answer online. Thank you!
The bike does not have GPS. The Anti theft features use GSM and Bluetooth. The location in the app is based on your phone's location while it is (or was for the last time) connected to the bike.
"There’s an integrated motion detector combined with an alarm, a GPS chip and cellular connectivity. If you declare your bike as stolen, the GPS and cellular chips go live and you can track your bike in the VanMoof app."
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
As an X2 owner, I can vouch big time for the Peace of Mind service - had my bike locked up in SF with a decent u-lock and alarm disarmed, but ended up away much longer than planned. Got a bit late, and apparently someone busted the lock with a large pole. Received a VanMoof call that bike was stolen before I'd even discovered myself, and one of their "Bike Hunters" had already recovered it and brought it back within 30 minutes (even more impressive is that bike hunter returned the bike pulling it along on his own S2 - through downtown SF!)
Wow, thats great, did they charge you something?
Do they beat up the thief? I'd pay a tip for every broken finger
m_si2r first time is free
It's free the first time
vanmoof inception
For me, what I love is the security system and how everything is integrated into the bike. No fiddly and lights, displays etc that can be easily ripped off. So streamlined.
Combine this with a good lock (and some common sense), and it'll be more or less theft proof. Definitely getting one.
Got the bell and boost confused. Cyclist 1 : Pedestrian 0
I have a S3 for 2000 km with no problems at all. Really love the bike! My wife has one for almost 500 km and also no problems. This is a really fun ebike with lots of smart tech. And that boost button is really making the difference compared to other bikes. Makes riding the VanMoof really fun!
Let me catch you with my Bafang BBS02B and 48V 17.5Ah battery ;)
I live in Portland and I just ordered the S3! I’m very excited.
Thank you for the review! I’ve been riding an S2 in Seattle since before the pandemic (so, about 15 years or so?) and I really like it. It’s been a lot of fun, and very functional. Contemplating getting an S5, but want to see the reviews / test ride it first.
Looks comparable to the Cowboy3 that I was considering. Nice to see e-bikes making a huge impact on the bicycle community. Great review.
Savage Viking Cowboy is not reliable, i had one. It was bad. Even the service was bad. Now I got the Vanmoof! Way better
I really appreciate your review!
It calls out ride quality and how it handles hills better than other reviews I have watched
A strobe light on bicycles is illegal in the Netherlands, which is why I suspect it's not an available setting.
Interesting, didn't know that.
That could be added as a location-based setting.
@@flapcats The hardware may not be able to facilitate that function.
Goed zo!
@@aleksandarbrzic8351 idd
Great review, definitely solidified my decision to grab one
The thing about Tesla's though is that they don't break and as a result you can drive a Tesla without any worries.
Paid nearly $4,000 dollars for my S2 last Fall, and it's been nothing but a gigantic pain in the a**. It's been fixed, replaced, fixed again, fixed again, and now it's unrideable again and waiting for another replacement - and each time it needs to be fixed, I have to drive four hours to the nearest store, leave it for a few hours, and drive a few hours home again. I have a half-mile commute to work, honestly on one straight road. Not even any turns!
The design of the bike is without question beautiful. It's stunning. That's what sold me. The technology is fantastic. The locking mechanism is also fantastic. And Vanmoof's customer service is also amazing in-store - the folks in the store when I have to go for repairs have been amazing. The online service is...not so great, but eventually someone will get back to you. But when your bike is broken so often, what's the point of it looking pretty? Mine collects dust in the garage now. They've offered a replacement - again - but not until August, three months from now.
I with this bike operated flawlessly the way the cost indicates they should. The design is a thing of beauty.
I think they're good for $2k. It's only meant for urban commuting, not a mountain bike.
Get an Haibike, Riese & Mueller or even a Stromer (if you like hub motors) next time. Those are the true teslas of e-bikes. Vanmoof is renault Twizy.
I’ve got the X2 and I love it. Not going to upgrade. But I highly recommend people buy this brand.
Paul Mina Storm No its dutch, and its made in Taiwan, and Taiwan is known for the good quality control!
This looks like literally the best electric bike ever!
Marcus H or cowboy?
Gorkem Gulan Cowboy is ugly af
Great video man! maybe film more in outside location for the next one. I felt kind of enclosed in this room. Some more nature and bike videos in the beginning might be worth a shot :D
Mine will be here in 2 weeks!
How is it?
Cortez Phenix Outstanding. 9/10, just because nothing is perfect. I don’t even drive my S2 anymore, never touch it. You can really fly on this S3.
Ryan W 3 months later, how is it?
This is so cool that your bike has technology.
im looking forward to the new bike theyre coming out with should be fun
I think it's a bit odd that you never talked about the most important part of the any E-Bike, the motor. Especially this one, as it's the more unusual front hub type.
Wel here the cheap e-bikes have the motor in the front hub. That is in my opinion a big fail.
@@emiel1976ep It's simple and combines well with the internal gear hub in the back. You can't understand the VanMoof without looking at the typical utility bikes in The Netherlands everyone rides there. They're meant to be simple, practical, no-fuss, still stylish everyday bikes and this is just the motorized version of this. It's not a MTB and not a road racer. It's something to hop on and ride with not a single thought wasted on maintaining or adjusting it. The enclosed chain will last forever, you'll never see any grease on your clothes, there's nothing to catch your clothing on, it's just there.
It's certainly not the right thing for outright ebike enthusiasts. The motor is rather weak and you're sitting upright and comfortable on it, but you don't have to bother with anything. It's nearly impossible to understand without understanding bicycle culture in some parts of Europe. It's really meant to ride and then be forgotten until you hop on it again, and to do this with your normal clothing, even a suit if you happen to wear a suit. It's meant to be practical, not ideal.
@@uhuznaa I am Dutch and Van Moof is also Dutch.
It isn't that, it is that the motor doesn't fit the thing they claim to be. What Apple is for phones, they claim to be for bikes. It is if Apple makes a phone with a cheap 640x480 screen.
A rear motor isn't the solution. They could have went all out and send for a mid motor. And yes you can hide it in the frame.
Especially when the price was way higher, it looked strange. It still does but the price went down. But I still think that the bike with the claims it does, would be better with an other motor.
The power of the motor is an other story. That has to do with the rules out here. That is shy it comes with a 250w motor and no throttle.
The design of the bike hasn’t changed much over the years. Vanmoof is great at iteratively improving with each new release, resulting in the polished product that is the S3. Mine is on pre-order, can’t wait to test it out. I’m 6’5”, so very curious to see if the frame comfortably fits 5’8” to 6’8” riders.
Great minimalist look.
I have a cowboy e bike from Belgium and I pretty impressed with it too. E-bikes have come a long way
I am too heavy for Cowboy, that's how I came to Van Moof...
yes cowboy ftw, love mine
I was considering S2 and now S3 is even better (at least lighter for the pocket) but... doing a review its worth to mention that this bike is designed for city riding. lack of any suspension is a deal breaker for anyone who consider to ride it in the forest or in a bit more rough terrain... in general its a great product coming from bike homeland :D
Yep, there is too much holding me back to. They look great, nice features etc. But they lack too much luxury like suspension, lower and higher frames for different persons etc. Also the lack of local support from a dealer or official servicpoint makes me not going to buy this bike, wanting is a different thing.
So, with no mobile phone, you are not going anywhere? Sorry but I am a bit old fashion and don't fully understand how good can that be. Thanks in advance for you comments/opinions.
2k price tag and the app wouldn't work properly? That's a bit letdown because this bike depends heavily on the app.
2k is only intro models for a great bike so this price is actually cheap. Look up any quality road bike or gravel bike and the price is starting at 2400. My personal commuter bike is around the 2200 price range and its a man powered bike.
My dude. I live in Portland. I want one so bad.
How's Chaz?
Good video but surprised no mention of what the bike is like to pedal when battery is dead.
Pretty much like a normal city bike, it's just 19 kg and the motor is nearly frictionless. And the lights and automatic gears will still work for hours when the battery is down far enough the system will disable the motor. No comparison to a fat bike that feels like driving through sand without the motor.
In fact quite a few people usually drive it with the motor off and only use the boost button now and then (which immediately gives you the full 500W on the front wheel no matter what as long as the pedals are moving).
@@uhuznaa thx!
1. What do you think about a non-removable battery?
In the Netherlands, it could be painful to pick it up to the high floors (no elevator, low space spiral staircase).
2. You can't change gears on the go?
3. You can't change gears while the battery is empty and have to pedal it on 1 gear.
No: you can't change the power assist level on the go; the gears change automatically.
Greetings from The Netherlands! Great review. Btw, its Vanmoof, like loaf.
While I cannot disagree with your logic, the founders too say it like in "spoof" in English-languaged vids. Guess they decided to go international from the get-go =)
English is 'oo' is like hoof so we are all gonna say that unfortunately for je Nederlander!
@@johso87 Extremely disrespectful.
Thanks from the UK
I am looking to buy my first eBike and this looks good (however, due to lockdown, delivery could be 12 weeks!!!).
I have a 'Freego folder' excellent little bike. Unfortunatly the co went bust, but still a good and well supported product.
You may want to think mainly about what you want it for and storage and security. The only reason I HAD to get a folder is space. It fits in the shed nicely.
I was lucky enough to have an EBike shop in Shropshire where I live that let me test a few out (I don't think THEY new the co was gonna liquidate)
how about waterproog? thank you!
Amazing bike.Just a note from The Telegraph paper - VanMoof (it rhymes with loaf, not hoof) :-)
Wow. Out of all that you pick up on the pronunciation of the Dutch name? There are very few words the Americans say that closely matches English. If we were to pick up on them it would be a full time job. Just enjoy the ride.
And the bike is just not that amazing to be honest. Certainly not some equivalent with a Tesla car, whoever came up with the stupid comparison.
@@booshallmighty It is annoying though, like people who mispronounce Moog (as in the synthesiser).
It looks nice, and the integrated lights are a nice touch, but a bicycle that requires an app to use is close to useless for me. Very close. Thanks for the review. It lets me know I need to keep looking for something else.
Great no-nonsense review. Thanks.
I’m 5’7” (in the morning!) do you think I could handle it? The other version is way to funky looking for me and a hard no.
im 5'6 and the bike looks really cool for my height it just looks more sleek maybe im bulky , dont worry the bike is easy to ride with a shorter height but do your own research tho
OctanePlays Mc thanks man 😀
@@brucekennedy5274 I'm 5' 11" and when I get off the seat the crossbar has about an inch or 2 of clearance.
Can you tune this bike?? Can someone answer me pls
What happens when the battery runs out? Can I still shift it?
Yes, It will shutdown before draining all the battery so you can shift
Good review dude👍
Pity you can’t detach the battery and you have to bring the bike indoors to charge it. I wonder how much it costs to replace the battery in a few years?
Dreaming about this bike from Russia) Thanks
dumb question but can you ride the bike manually without the help of the electric? thanks for the review
Yes you can.
If you ride manually what gear is it in. Can you control the gear or....?
ne14makingart There are 4 levels of pedal assist. If you want to set it to manual you put the lowest level. The gears shift automatically and they are also 4. You can set in the app at what speeds you want the gears to shift.
Looks slick and fun. Lots of cool features. However, I don't want my phone to have to play a major role in my riding experience.
Really great video! Very nicely made! I do have a question though: usually a battery cannot last forever, after a year or two, you may need to replace it with a new one. With battery already fixed inside the frame, what can you do if the battery starts having issues?
It says in the site that is removable for servicing. Probably, the bike owners will be asked to go to the nearest centers to change or service the battery.
Chris Veerabadran No, you can slide it out the bottom. You can do this yourself.
Thanks
Do you know if it's possible to charge the vanmoof and use it at the same time? plugged into a powerbank or on training wheels in the garage?
Loved this review. 🙌🏼
Imma need me about 10 of these
why?
From zero to empty 🧐 lol, nice video!
hi! Nice review. What about the service if you are not living in a city with the shop?
Here is what they wrote on their FAQ page: “If you don't live close to one of our service cities, you can still enjoy full Peace of Mind coverage. When required, we’ll cover the costs of shipping your bike to and from the nearest service location. For simpler repairs we’ll send you any required parts and walk you through it step by step'.”
All in all this means the service is not optimal. They only have 1 selling/dealing/servicepoint in the Netherlands, at least not much more than this. I do not know for other country’s. But in case of a real problem you have to get your bike into Amsterdam transporting it by train or car and get it back when repaired. Van Moof can take a lot of time to make an appointment and repair and the buyer needs to take quite some time to get it there and back again. So although they try as hard as they can to provide you the needed service there is a delay that you wouldn’t have with bikestores closer at home. Small but annoying things cannot be dealt with in an easy way. For instance a broken light can take quite some days to get repaired under warranty while with other bikes you drive by your local dealer and they just switch the light mechanism. And yes, I do like this bike very much, it is a great bike to look at, nice features like the lock, the apps and the way they take care of stolen bikes. The price y good, most electric bikes start at €2000, more special ones even higher and this is quite a special one. But there are too many buts with this bike, together with some isues in earlier bikes I wouldn’t buy this unless the quality is really good with this newer Van Moof bike and they have more dealers and servicepoints. Then this would be a great not too expensive bike.
Can you use the throttle without pedaling? Can you ride the bike without pedaling at all or is it only pedal-assist? Seems like that "throttle" button just gives you max assist, but isn't a true throttle.
That would be illegal in most of the EU, the main market, but as with most Chinese crap quality motor systems, you can hack the hell out of it with software tweaks. I have a Bosch engine, which is totally locked up, even with a region lock so prevent buyers from switching it to US regulations. First I thought bummer, but I have to say 27km/h is more than enough in the city. At least my boost is better at 85nm and because of mid-train motor that fully incorporates leg power into the mix. Also I will win on a 40km run, as the VanMoof will be empty at 30km and be a horrible bike after that. I can push my bike 27 without battery support if I like to sweat some more. Not to talk about 100km rides, which I can still do on full assist. There is a huge difference between Chinese batteries in the S3 and genuine Samsung (Korean) or Panasonic (Japanese) cells in the Bosch power packs.
Is it cheaper because there’s no Bosch battery?
Solid review! How much did this bike set you back? What is the top speed?
In the Netherlands it is €2000, in the USA or UK maybe a few 100 over $|£2000. Not too much for such a nice bike.
It would be cool if you could change the bell sound
There are three bell sounds to chose from, but that's all. The other two are rather whimsical.
I saw somewhere online that at max speed you couldn't use manpower to go faster than the limit of the bike because of the transmission, but I can't find info anywhere else. What if you want to go fast downhill ? Can someone confirm ? Thank you
it will go up to around 34km/h the only limitation are the gears and thicker tires.
@@Mr_Sentoo so you can pedal without using the engine ? Like a normal bike ?
How would this fair in rain?
This bike is really cool!
Very nice review, thank you so much!
I've heard from other reviewers the S3 does not have GPS. It uses Bluetooth with the phone and something like cellular triangulation to find a stolen bike.
This is all about to change with apple find my features announced today
NO GPS!!!! Why every review talks about GPS?? It' Cellphone technology inside and they use UMTS/LTE to track the bike with triangulation. Bike Hunters have special Bluetooth receiver to track down the last 100m.
is bike hunter a thing? a profession?
@@skdkskdk At VanMoof it is. check their youtube channel, they have actually bike hunter vlogs. Pretty exciting to watch them getting bikes back.
Warum nicht im Park den Lautsprecher des Van Moof S3 als Bluetooth Box benutzen um Spotify anhören? Update? Ja, Bitte!
Nice review! Does it also come with a footpump?
ja!
Great video, thanks! How tall are you?
I would like to know this too
Me too
What’s your body height? The bike is quite high.
If I buy the bike without the PoM can I buy the Peach of Mind if IO want it after?
To me it is important to know if I am in a hurry how fast can I push it using my own legs, not just pedal assist mode.
Does it freewheel?
In other words, can you ride it also in a normal (non electric) bicycle mode?
Or, can you push it to top electric speed and then add your own?
I know it reaches 20mph electronically, but how fast can it really go if you are in a hurry?
Wow, that is a sleek and sexy bike!
Is there a watch app in the works?
How many miles?
Can you change the battery? Is is serviceable?
You can change it if you get advice from the Bike Doctors to maintain it. But you can´t take it out in order to charge.
What is the top speed?
Is the battery replaceable, because I'm thinking it will get weaker over the years.
Not for charging but you can replace it on your own.
Curious how tall you are so we can judge the size of the bike for us shorter riders. I'm 5'8" but feel pretty borderline on the bike size
I have the S2 (same frame size) and I think if you are 5'8" you'd be better off with the X3 as the top tube on the S2/S3 is pretty high up. I'm 5'11" and barely have enough clearance to stand with one foot flat on the road off the saddle! Great bike but definitely built with tall Dutch people in mind....
Is it available in eu?
when they're shipping this bike to you .Do you need to install the bike or you can ride it like the way ?
Go straight to vanmoof. Is better for you
where can we buy this bike, philippines here and how much?
Not sure you can buy it there. Just go on VanMoof website, and you will see if you can order one. It's all online and you have a list of country where they can ship.
im planning to transfer mine to PH by Odd size
Shock absorption!?
Oh shit, also live in S.W. Portland
How does it ride in speeds above the e-assist cutoff? Is it a drag to accelerate above the e-assist cutoff speed?
It stops support completely. So it's heavy
Everything on the bike is going for perfection, but they failed one one thing. The motor in the front wheel. Such a bike needs a mid motor.
hello, where do I live, there is a 2 km climb with slopes even higher than 15%, do you think it can be a good purchase for daily use?
No, holland is a flat country and this E-bike doesn't have the most torque nor the greatest gearing.
No.
May I ask what is your height ?
sleek design. at the cost of a battery which may be unattainable in 6-7 years. I guess you could have a bag battery and hang it off the frame. Batteries are still the “weak link” in e-bikes...so having a battery that is easy to replace is important to me, moreso than cosmetics. Cool looking ride, tho. Cheers!
Great review
- Price?...not bad, really .... but better values out there...
- Looks/Style ?....OK, just not my groove.....I'm gonna say it: Too "Euro"
- Peace of Mind service?...GREATEST Feature !! - worth every penny.....Other companies need to get on board with this....
- Power? - a little underpowered for a rider my size (6-1, 240lbs)
- Features and Hardware?....Nicely done and very integrated... hence too much proprietary equipment....no removable battery....limited upgrade
path....dealer/service network access...?
- Availability? .... Ships to North America (world-wide?) but closest location for test ride is NYC - 900 miles away from me....
Overall: Nice Bike with some room for future models to offer more power, battery options etc in a similar frame style...... However, this company does not seem to be US market-focused so.......
does the boost act as a throttle?
Yes, but only as long as the pedals are moving and of course it straight goes to 100% throttle. You'll need to at least ghost-pedal. A real throttle is illegal for electric bicycles in Europe.
your young and your heart can ride any bike
Does it change stop light intensity when breaking?
I'm sure they don't want you to break it
What about suspension...
RUclips recommendation always a things I can't afford. Im poor!
In the words of Reg Prescott, DIY in order to get by.
Work harder and it will be yours
That just means you are looking at things you can't afford, RUclips algorithms see you ;-)
Man... I'm 5'7", one inch below spec, but much prefer the S3 style to the X3. Maybe I'll just have to wear platform shoes or something lol
Just lower the saddle
@jesuguru That could work. I'm 163cm and could somehow ride the S3 even though it wasn't that comfortable but getting down was somehow painful. At the end I chose the X3 and finally got used to the X design and now love it...
Price is appealing...
Is it though?
MrFenkins they reduced to match cowboy it seems
For rich folk maybe 🤔
So doing a rough math here. You rode 16 miles and had 30% left. So 16 miles used 70% of battery -> 8 miles uses 35% -> 4 miles use 17% -> 2 miles use 8.5% -> 1 mile uses 4.25%
It has no gps in the bike. It works with triangulation via gsm.
so how can you find it yourself?
Johann Sedivy you cant find it yourself. You need vanmoof supporter.
M Merdeux damn that sucks
I understant the Uk class the S3 as a motor vehicle that has to be taxed and insured. It this correct?
This bike was really easy to assemble ruclips.net/user/postUgkxMesz3KOGEmwmvyKQfLfrRSUXLFzfVHZA and required very few adjustments out of the box. The wheels did not require any truing/adjustments. The frame had some small scratches, but nothing major.I did replace the seat though - the seat it came with was very uncomfortable. The tires need to be re-inflated every 4-5 days, but this appears to be quite common for the narrow 700x25 tires.Overall, in my opinion, this bike looks and rides like a much more expensive bike.
Hey man I am in Tampa and have been looking at VanMoof for a while.. Would love to know a bit more about your experience as time goes on.
The Watchman aye represents
garbage. hands off it is garbage. ..
cool video dude...mite invest in 1
What if I want to go trailering or just to a park. Does this at all breakdown to fit into my vehicle? The park is a long drive from me in general. Can't seem to find the answer online. Thank you!
The bike does not have GPS. The Anti theft features use GSM and Bluetooth. The location in the app is based on your phone's location while it is (or was for the last time) connected to the bike.
"There’s an integrated motion detector combined with an alarm, a GPS chip and cellular connectivity. If you declare your bike as stolen, the GPS and cellular chips go live and you can track your bike in the VanMoof app."
Great Video....thanks
there should be 'helmet detection' system in the bike, to warn riders that they are not wearing a helmet
People in Netherlands generally don't wear a helmet when riding the bike.
Nice bike but I read to many bad reviews about it
Expensive but interesting 🧐 is that OP8 in your hand ??
Yup, OP8 Pro!
Beau HD I’m sorry i forgot the bike and focused on the phone 😜😜😜😜
@@Mlleyasmine2023 Haha, understandable. This is PhoneDog after all 😂