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You don't need an internet connection or the app, but that's the most convenient way - you can enter a PIN on the bike itself to unlock it. I think the appeal
by Rebelgecko 3y ago
You don't need an internet connection or the app, but that's the most convenient way - you can enter a PIN on the bike itself to unlock it.
I think the appeal (at least for me, I considered one but never got one) is that it makes the bike harder to steal. Someone can't just ride off on it after they cut your lock. I worry about leaving my $600 bike out in public, so I'd be super paranoid about a $2000+ bike.
- herrherrmann 3y agoSimilar appeal for me! I have a neighbor with a VanMoof and they are one of the few bikes that can just be parked in a corner with a kickstand and doesn’t need to be locked to a metal bar or other static thing. And this VanMoof has been around in our backyard for quite a few years, so I suppose the “don’t steal me, I’ll be tracked” tactic works. That being said, once I tried riding a (older non-electric) VanMoof, I was shocked how terrible it felt to ride – So, I never considered getting one in the end.
- tjoff 3y agoThought they just throwed them at the back of a van rather than biked away. Either way you most likely won't recover it.
- mschuster91 3y ago> Thought they just throwed them at the back of a van rather than biked away. The point of Van Moof was to associate their brand with "don't steal our bikes because they will lead the police to your dump location".
- Rebelgecko 3y agoMost of the bike thieves around me are opportunists who live within a mile or two of the bikes they steal. Afterwards, they often just leave the bikes out on the street in semi-organized chop shops. Even for bikes without GPS, people have decent luck just cruising around freeway underpasses until the see their bike. Regardless, part of the allure was the Van Moof has (had?) a program where if they couldn't recover your bike you'd get a new one for just $100
- jansan 3y agoI once overheard a conversation at a bike shop where a customer complained that he could not switch on the light without using the app. On that day I knew I had made a good decision bying a steel frame non-battery bike.
- Gasp0de 3y agoHow does it prevent the thief from riding away? Does it block the pedals using the motor or something?
- madeofpalk 3y agoKind of. There's a pin in the rear hub that physically engages when locked, preventing the wheel from turning.