VanMoof S3 assessment: An electrical bike for Apple and Tesla followers

I’ve to be sincere. My concept of what an eBike is for and does was completely fallacious. I do know this as a result of I’ve spent the final month or so using the VanMoof S3, a $2,300 electrical bike, placing practically 100 miles on it throughout that point. For some, that distance could sound trivial, however I can promise you the I have not ridden 100 miles on a motorcycle within the final 10 years mixed. 

Certainly, a part of the explanation I put so many miles on the S3 over the previous few weeks was to check out the bells and whistles (figuratively, and actually), but additionally as a result of I made a decision to start out exercising extra. And despite the fact that eBikes characteristic a motorized pedal-assist to do some or the entire give you the results you want, I’ve but to return residence drenched in sweat after a protracted experience on the S3. 

Simply what makes the S3 and value $2,300? I will try and reply that query beneath — however let me inform you, after utilizing one for some time, do not be stunned if you happen to see me cruising on certainly one of my very own within the close to future. 

Do not stay close to a VanMoof retailer? No drawback

VanMoof solely has a handful of showrooms all through the US. It is at these shops the place you possibly can ebook a take a look at experience in locations like Seattle, San Francisco or Brooklyn. For those who do not stay in a kind of areas, it is not ultimate, however that does not exclude you from ordering a VanMoof bike. 

I stay in the midst of Colorado, so VanMoof needed to ship a motorcycle to me. The bike arrives partly assembled, requiring solely the set up of the entrance wheel and pedals upon arrival. 

Included within the field together with the bike itself is a toolkit with many of the instruments you will must do any repairs by yourself, a foot pump for airing up your tires and a kazoo — for celebrating your buy. 

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VanMoof’s YouTube channel is stuffed with tutorial movies that stroll you thru the preliminary meeting, and if you happen to run into bother whereas proudly owning the bike and wish to go the DIY route, you possibly can watch the movies to finish any upkeep or repairs by yourself. 

It took me about 30 minutes to get the bike put collectively, splitting my time between testing what all was included within the field, and watching the meeting video a few occasions earlier than tackling the duty at hand. 

The bike arrived absolutely charged, and VanMoof included the exterior battery pack for prolonged vary testing. 

Along with attaching the entrance wheel, the remainder of the setup course of required my iPhone. Truly, it requires an iPhone or Android cellphone and the VanMoof app. You employ the app to regulate settings, view stats similar to your present pace, experience historical past, lock and unlock the bike and look at its present location. 

Talking of monitoring location — by including the flexibility to attach the bike to Apple’s Discover My community, even when somebody steals your bike, it is best to have a good suggestion of its present location at any time. The bike will connect with random Apple units and anonymously ship its location again to your Apple account, permitting you to trace it. It is the identical know-how that is constructed into Apple’s AirTags, solely it is in a motorcycle. Setting that performance up took a couple of additional seconds and was dealt with via the VanMoof app. 

For those who use Android or do not wish to belief Apple’s Discover My community with discovering a misplaced bike, VanMoof does supply a  Peace of Thoughts bundle that features both upkeep, theft safety or each. It is expensive, with the upkeep plan costing $348, theft safety priced at $398, or a mixture bundle for $690. 

Nevertheless, in case your bike is stolen and VanMoof cannot get better it utilizing the built-in GSM connectivity inside two weeks, the corporate will exchange the bike. VanMoof has a sequence on its YouTube channel displaying how its bike hunters journey via totally different cities and find misplaced bikes.

Design and specs

The S3 has a front-wheel motor with a high pace of 20 miles per hour and energy starting from 250W to 350W. There is a 504Wh LG battery that lasts wherever from 37 to 93 miles, primarily based on how a lot you utilize enhance or pedal help throughout your rides. Charging the battery takes about Four hours for a full cost, or you will get to 50% in roughly 80 minutes. 

The S3 is the most important mannequin VanMoof makes. It has 28-inch wheels, weighs 46.three kilos, and is made for riders 5-foot 8-inches to 6-foot 8-inches. The X3 has 24-inch wheels and is made for these between 5-feet and 6-foot 5-inches for a similar worth because the S3.

Every wheel has its personal hydraulic disc brake. All the time I rode the bike the entrance brake had a little bit of a squeak to it, but it surely’s apparently regular for disc brakes to have a break-in interval. I’ve adjusted the brake a couple of occasions and it is helped. 

On the rear wheel you will discover a kick lock that forestalls the wheel from transferring. If somebody begins to roll off along with your bike, a visible alert performs on the matrix display screen that is on the bar close to the handlebars. The cranium and crossbones icon is accompanied by a loud siren, alerting anybody close by that one thing is fallacious. On the other of the bar with the show, which additionally reveals your present pace throughout rides, and different info at varied occasions, is a really loud speaker and an influence button. Whenever you press the horn button, an audio file is performed via the speaker to alert close by riders or individuals.

The rear wheel additionally has an digital automated shifting 4-gear hub that takes the guesswork out of when you ought to be in a selected gear. A software program replace for the bike and the app was launched throughout my time with the S3 that enabled manually shifting for extra management. One widespread criticism I’ve learn concerning the S3 and skilled myself is that when the e-shifter adjustments gears, the chain makes a clunk sound. The one method I can determine to get round this sound is to attempt to guess when the shifter goes to make a change (it is completed at particular MPH measurements) and cease pedaling for a quick second. After a couple of rides, timing this modification turned virtually second nature. Nevertheless, the handbook shifting characteristic will certainly eradicate any points for individuals who need it. 

On both facet of the handlebars is a brake lever, together with a single button. The left button triggers your assigned horn or bell sound, whereas the suitable button prompts enhance mode to maximise your cruising pace. There are LED lights on the back and front of the bike to assist with late afternoon or evening using. 

The type of the S3 may be very minimal and seems like each bit and half has a objective. It is available in an all-black end, or sky-blue. 

What it is prefer to experience

Up till using the S3, I assumed that eBikes required no pedaling. You both pushed a button or throttle and simply went alongside for the experience. I used to be so fallacious. 

There are some eBikes which might be like that, however the majority of eBikes I’ve since researched supply pedal help. Which means, the motor will activate and show you how to so long as the pedals are transferring. When you cease pedaling, the motor stops. And whereas that does imply you possibly can pedal slower than traditional to succeed in a pace of, say, 15MPH, you are still bodily energetic. 

With the S3, there are technically 5 totally different pedal help ranges. Setting the bike to zero turns off all pedal help, reverting it to a extra conventional bike, missing any assist from the motor. Ranges one via 4 supply assist as much as a selected pace. Degree one will show you how to get to 10MPH whereas pedaling, and degree 4 will maintain you at 20MPH so long as your ft are transferring. 

The enhance button on the suitable facet of the handlebars will crank the motor to full pace, no matter your present pedal help degree, and maintain you on the full 20MPH — once more, so long as the pedals are transferring. 

Whenever you’re at a better pedal help degree or utilizing the enhance button quite a bit, battery life will naturally lower. The much less you utilize pedal help, the longer the battery will final. 

For those who’ve ever pushed or rode in an electrical car, you recognize that there is on the spot torque at any time when the pedal is pushed. The primary time I pressed the enhance button on the S3, I used to be somewhat hesitant. I did not know if the identical torque can be current, and if I needs to be holding on for expensive life. As a substitute, there is a gradual improve to the motor’s energy till you attain high pace. By no means did I really feel like I used to be liable to dropping management. 

My using over the practically 100 miles of testing was blended, as among the time I used to be using with my household who’ve common bikes, and different occasions on my own. I did not observe specifics, however I consider the bottom the battery reached was round 30% of a cost, however with the extra PowerBank, all I needed to do was press the ability button and the bike was charging — both whereas I used to be using, or whereas the bike was parked. The PowerBank attaches the bike through a locking mechanism and might add wherever from 28 to 62 extra miles of vary. It is heavy, including 6.2 kilos to the full weight of the bike. 

I do not suppose I’ve a necessity or use for the PowerBank. The bike is straightforward sufficient to park subsequent to an outlet once I must cost it, however for somebody who has to hold the S3 up a number of flights of stairs simply to cost it, I can see the PowerBank being a handy accent. 

Outdoors of the squeaky entrance brake disc, the one problem I skilled whereas using the S3 was flat tires. I am unsure if I stored working over stickers that had been sturdy sufficient to poke holes via the wheels and the tubes, or if I used to be hitting one thing else on my rides, however throughout my time with the S3 I had a complete of 4 flats. The primary time round, I changed the tubes as a result of I wished to get a really feel for what all is concerned with taking each wheels off and doing upkeep myself. The second time round, I resorted to patching the tube. 

It isn’t the fault of VanMoof’s, and certain a byproduct of the world I stay in, however hopefully it is one thing I can determine ought to I determine to purchase an S3 of my very own. I must look into whether or not or not you should use slime within the tubes on eBikes, or the very best strategy to maintain random flats to a minimal. 

See additionally: Finest eBikes for commuting

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