VanMoof X3
The VanMoof X3 is an excellent all-around / starter e-bike, with many great/unique features:
- "Boost" button: extra pedal assist, makes starting+stopping easy+fast
- Automatic shifting: very convenient in urban settings with frequent starts/stops
- "Peace of Mind" plan: theft protection/replacement, insurance, maintenance
- Internal lock + alarm: nice first line of defense; coupled with a "Peace of Mind" plan, makes it easier to take+leave places
An $83/mo payment plan includes theft replacement, insurance, and maintenance, though you may want to be within range of a VanMoof shop (I recommend booking a test ride if you are!)
The battery is not removable, so you need to be able to keep the bike somewhere where you also charge it.
"Boost button"
When you press or hold this button on the handlebar, the pedal assist is amplified for a few seconds. It's great for accelerating from a stop, or holding a line in traffic.
It's one of my favorite features on all my ebikes; I've noticed I am an extra curteous rider on my VanMoof because stopping and starting again is no sweat, thanks to the boost button.
Automatic Shifting
VanMoofs automatically shift gears for you, based on your speed, which makes for a simpler/carefree riding experience. I really appreciate it when city riding; on my other bikes I shift down and then up again, sometimes by multiple gears (usually 6 on my Creo!), every time I stop and start again. Less experienced riders can also be intimidated by gear-shifting, so it's a nice accessibility feature as well.
It took a bit of getting used to; I first tried it in a very hilly place, and it was especially confusing. Some tips:
- Use the "boost" button liberally on uphills, and when starting from a stop.
- The gears shift based on your speed (not cadence, or torque).
- Sometimes you'll have started slowing down on an uphill, pressing hard on the pedals and making little progress turning them, and it won't have down-shifted yet, which can be frustrating.
- Eventually, you will slow down enough, and it will shift down
- Also, reiterating: I recommend just laying on the boost button when climbing.
- I spent some time in the app micro-managing the speeds at which it would shift into each gear. After a bunch of thrashing, I think I ended up back at almost exactly the factory defaults 😂 (having also learned the glory of the turbo button).
"Peace of Mind" plan: theft protection, insurance, maintenance
VanMoof's "Peace of Mind" plan gives you 3 years of theft protection, insurance, and maintenance for $690. It's not the cheapest, but knowing that I have backup if anything goes wrong is very reassuring, and it's the kind of offering I expect other brands to move toward as well.
If your bike gets stolen, VanMoof's "bike hunters" will try to recover it in 2wks, or replace it for you.
Internal Locking
VanMoofs have a lock inside the bike. You engage it by pushing a button on the frame, and disengage it from the app on your phone.
It doesn't stop someone from picking the bike up and throwing it in the back of a truck, but the bike does make an alarm sound if moved while locked, and VanMoofs have a few other forms of DRM (including a tracking chip and "bike hunters" team) that hopefully make them less attractive to thieves.
Reliability / Shop Proximity
A common refrain on r/vanmoof is that you should be prepared to take it to the shop for tune-ups or troubleshooting.
I've had to go in once because we transferred ownership of the bike between VanMoof accounts, and it ended up stuck in "EU mode" (with a top speed of 20kph, instead of the US's 20mph). It was easy enough to fix in the shop. I've popped in a few times when I was in the neighborhood to have them try to make my brakes less squeaky (with mixed results), or just to top up my charge a bit.
Shipping
I've observed them to quote a 2-3mo timeframe for shipping, only to have the bike show up in a couple weeks!
Range
- I get ≈30mi to a charge, using the "boost button" liberally.
- I'll receive a "PowerBank" extra battery in the next few weeks which I expect will increase my range to ≈50-60mi.
- A full recharge takes a few hours.
Reviews
- TechCrunch: "Transportation revelation"
- PC Mag: "A smart commuter bike with a boost"
- Wired: "A great electric bike, all around"
- r/vanmoof: lots of more grassroots reviews/discussion here
Gallery
I stayed in a friend's apt for 2wks via VanMoof:
It worked well through the winter:
I take it to Central Park pretty regularly, with picnic/Aerobie gear:
I also occasionally do grocery runs with it:
