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 flawed. 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 rationale I put so many miles on the S3 over the previous couple of weeks was to check out the bells and whistles (figuratively, and actually), but in addition as a result of I made a decision to start out exercising extra. And although eBikes function a motorized pedal-assist to do some or all the give you the results you want, I’ve but to return house drenched in sweat after a protracted journey on the S3. 

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

Do not dwell close to a VanMoof retailer? No downside

VanMoof solely has a handful of showrooms all through the US. It is at these shops the place you may e book a check journey in locations like Seattle, San Francisco or Brooklyn. In case you do not dwell in a type of areas, it isn’t ideally suited, however that does not exclude you from ordering a VanMoof bike. 

I dwell in the course 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 have to 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 when you run into hassle whereas proudly owning the bike and wish to go the DIY route, you may 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 instances 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 utilize the app to regulate settings, view stats resembling your present velocity, journey historical past, lock and unlock the bike and examine 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, you need to have a good suggestion of its present location at any time. The bike will connect with random Apple gadgets 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 just a few additional seconds and was dealt with by means of the VanMoof app. 

In case you 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 package deal that features both upkeep, theft safety or each. It is expensive, with the upkeep plan costing $348, theft safety priced at $398, or a mix package deal 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 substitute the bike. VanMoof has a collection on its YouTube channel displaying how its bike hunters journey by means of totally different cities and find misplaced bikes.

Design and specs

The S3 has a front-wheel motor with a prime velocity 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, based mostly on how a lot you employ 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. Your entire 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 just a few instances and it is helped. 

On the rear wheel you will discover a kick lock that forestalls the wheel from shifting. If somebody begins to roll off along with your bike, a visible alert performs on the matrix display 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 flawed. On the other of the bar with the show, which additionally reveals your present velocity throughout rides, and different info at varied instances, is a really loud speaker and an influence button. Whenever you press the horn button, an audio file is performed by means of 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 try to be in a particular 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 grievance I’ve learn in regards to the S3 and skilled myself is that when the e-shifter adjustments gears, the chain makes a clunk sound. The one approach I can work out to get round this sound is to attempt to guess when the shifter goes to make a change (it is executed at particular MPH measurements) and cease pedaling for a short second. After just a few rides, timing this modification turned virtually second nature. Nevertheless, the handbook shifting function will certainly remove any points for many who need it. 

On both aspect 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 velocity. There are LED lights on the back and front of the bike to assist with late afternoon or evening using. 

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

What it is wish to journey

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 journey. I used to be so flawed. 

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 allow you to so long as the pedals are shifting. When you cease pedaling, the motor stops. And whereas that does imply you may pedal slower than regular to achieve a velocity of, say, 15MPH, you are still bodily lively. 

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 by means of 4 supply assist as much as a particular velocity. Degree one will allow you to get to 10MPH whereas pedaling, and degree 4 will hold you at 20MPH so long as your ft are shifting. 

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

Whenever you’re at the next pedal help degree or utilizing the enhance button lots, battery life will naturally lower. The much less you employ pedal help, the longer the battery will final. 

In case you’ve ever pushed or rode in an electrical automobile, you already know that there is prompt torque every time the pedal is pushed. The primary time I pressed the enhance button on the S3, I used to be a bit of hesitant. I did not know if the identical torque could be current, and if I needs to be holding on for pricey life. As an alternative, there is a gradual enhance to the motor’s energy till you attain prime velocity. By no means did I really feel like I used to be susceptible to shedding management. 

My using over the practically 100 miles of testing was combined, as a number of the time I used to be using with my household who’ve common bikes, and different instances on my own. I did not monitor specifics, however I imagine 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 may 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 assume I’ve a necessity or use for the PowerBank. The bike is straightforward sufficient to park subsequent to an outlet once I have to 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. 

Exterior of the squeaky entrance brake disc, the one challenge I skilled whereas using the S3 was flat tires. I am undecided if I stored operating over stickers that have been robust sufficient to poke holes by means of 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 is not the fault of VanMoof’s, and certain a byproduct of the world I dwell in, however hopefully it is one thing I can work out ought to I resolve to purchase an S3 of my very own. I have to look into whether or not or not you need to use slime within the tubes on eBikes, or the most effective method to maintain random flats to a minimal. 

See additionally: Greatest eBikes for commuting

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