Van poof! Dutch e-bike maker VanMoof goes bankrupt, leaving riders stranded
Van poof! Dutch e-bike maker VanMoof goes bankrupt, leaving riders stranded
The sophisticated bicycle has attracted fans in Europe and the U.S., but repairs under warranty have bled the company of money.
Well there we go, nothing to add that.
Yep, this was a well known scheme. They tried to be this hip and overpriced designer brand that people flock to for the name, with a bunch of proprietary parts that requires their own service centers to maintain them. Complete garbage tier imo. One of the nice things about bicycles is that they're so piss easy to maintain by yourself even. The majority of it doesn't even require special tools and it is a fun experience to learn too. Imagine if brands like this became the norm and suddenly you could barely find bikes where you could do that? You'd always have to pay up to some corporate entity instead. Definitely good riddance.
I seem to remember needing several special tools for changing my bottom bracket, not sure how common that is though.
Bikes are mostly easy to maintain but there are some things like adjusting the spokes or the derailleur that a shop will get done much faster.
I don't agree that much about the tools, unless you consider Allen keys to be a normal tool and you exclude the drivetrain or the headset, which need all kinds of specialized ones. Brakes can also need some less common stuff.
And the most fashionable style where I'm from is the fixie, whose fans specifically value the mechanical simplicity (no derailleur!).
Granted, there's a big untapped market of people who have absolutely no interest in maintaining or understanding their mode of transport, and have a consumerist/maximalist philosophy. There are also lots of people who treat bikes as disposable, as evidenced by the huge number of abandoned and rusted bikes you can see in any college town. So I see why someone might think that's a path to success.
For me personally, I do not want a computer in my bike. I want every bit of technology — electronic or mechanical — to earn its place. Because complexity comes at a cost. It means more time, energy, and money spent maintaining it. My derailleurs easily add enough value (for me personally) to justify the added complexity. Disc brakes, honestly, don't. A built-in computer? Helllllll no.
Good riddance
IToddlers btfod