VanMoof gone bust

AndyBike

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 8, 2020
1,392
593
What a shame, they were really cool city bikes. Great design styling, and some pretty novel features.
I nearly bought one.
 
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Woosh

Trade Member
May 19, 2012
20,370
16,871
Southend on Sea
wooshbikes.co.uk
I nearly bought one.
why? you've got already a very good bike.
It's well presented like a plate of food at MoMa but it does not do anymore than my Faro that sells for a fraction of their S3.
 

soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
16,899
6,507
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Woosh

Trade Member
May 19, 2012
20,370
16,871
Southend on Sea
wooshbikes.co.uk
They have a lot of assets, somebody will buy them out.
 

Woosh

Trade Member
May 19, 2012
20,370
16,871
Southend on Sea
wooshbikes.co.uk
Is it true you need an app to be able to use the bike?
Yes. And you must have your phone + not lose the controller's digital ID.
It's a daft feature on a bike. What happens if someone runs away with your phone or you left the phone back at the office?
It's a case that the engineers do what the marketing people tell them because 'they sell'
 
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guerney

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 7, 2021
11,396
3,237
Yes. And you must have your phone + not lose the controller's digital ID.
It's a daft feature on a bike. What happens if someone runs away with your phone or you left the phone back at the office?
It's a case that the engineers do what the marketing people tell them because 'they sell'
That's very "Xiaomi the money" - their devices for the entire home and beyond all work like that. I'll never buy one of their security cams ever again. The last one refused to start without a firmware update, but after updating committed Harakiri after becoming aware it was being used in strange foreign lands outside China. Buying anything which requires an app to function is plain stupid.
 

WheezyRider

Esteemed Pedelecer
Apr 20, 2020
1,690
938
Yes. And you must have your phone + not lose the controller's digital ID.
It's a daft feature on a bike. What happens if someone runs away with your phone or you left the phone back at the office?
It's a case that the engineers do what the marketing people tell them because 'they sell'
People are so daft to buy into this kind of crap.
 
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StuartsProjects

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 9, 2021
1,786
1,009
Buying anything which requires an app to function is plain stupid.
Absolutly, but there are lots and lots and lots people out there that do no appreciate where this so called 'tech' is going.

There are those naive persons who do not percieve the approaching armagedon when you may need an 'up to date, secure, verified and paid for app' and Elon Musks approval, to get out your secure front door.
 
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WheezyRider

Esteemed Pedelecer
Apr 20, 2020
1,690
938
Absolutly, but there are lots and lots and lots people out there that do no appreciate where this so called 'tech' is going.

There are those naive persons who do not percieve the approaching armagedon when you may need an 'up to date, secure, verified and paid for app' and Elon Musks approval, to get out your secure front door.
Like when Facebook crashed and Facebook employees couldn't get into the building to solve the problem as their log in was through Facebook...People locked out of their Teslas...etc etc. I can't understand why so many people are so blind.
 

guerney

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 7, 2021
11,396
3,237
Looks like there might be some info here for people who have these bikes, regarding the app and so on:

Viewing that requires signup.

Spying on users to sell their data to third parties requires servers and staff be paid, and if their apps require connection to those servers in order to switch bikes on, those bikes could end up like my Kobo eReader, which got murdered by Kobo recently - I paid good money! And Kobo decided it was time to switch off the servers which the eReader needs, in order to start up. Kobo murdered my perfectly functioning gorgeous IPS Full HD screened eReader, to force me to buy a new Kobo. NO WAY IN HELL AM I EVER BUYING ANOTHER KOBO.

Part of my long chat with Kobo "support":


52852



My Sony eReader will work while it's battery survives (Sony use knackerware to prevent battery replacement). Sony can't delete eBooks remotely. Might buy a BOOX, and real books.

 

snafu

Pedelecer
Dec 15, 2020
212
255
68
Hall End, North |Warks
The way everything is going (App, Siri, Alexa, smart TV voice control etc). The youth of today will never understand the pain of having to trudge through 12 feet of shag pile carpet in the 70's to change the TV channel.

TTFN
John.
 

soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
16,899
6,507

i can pay to lock my kiox display to my bikes sn of its motor so if i removed it to go in a shop no one with another kiox display can power the bike on.

but what happens if i crash and destroy my display as a new one then wont work lbs said dont know and there a fkn bosch dealer :rolleyes:

they push all this smart crap on ppl and they have no idea what a$hit show there getting in to and the same with electric cars and macs even if you can replace the batt they own the server and the cars os so can turn it off and thats it.

id just rip all that crap out and replace it with my own controller and tablet display and a turbo amp button :p
 

guerney

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 7, 2021
11,396
3,237

Az.

Esteemed Pedelecer
Apr 27, 2022
2,045
903
Plymouth
Ordinary mechanic can't even straighten up a wheel on those bikes, so app won't help for long.
 
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