The sophisticated bicycle has attracted fans in Europe and the U.S., but repairs under warranty have bled the company of money.

  • Showroom7561@lemmy.ca
    1·
    11 months ago

    A few canals away at a bike repair shop, Joram Hartogs says he refuses to repair VanMoofs, “because they’re impossible to repair.”

    “They’re so sealed off with their own equipment that nobody else except them can fix it,” he says.

    “All bike brands have a certain standard,” says Hartogs about VanMoof, “and they went around every standard that was available because they didn’t want to do anything with regular bike parts. So now they created everything themselves, and it keeps breaking because they wanted to over-design it.”

    Sounds like it’s good that they went under. Nobody should support a manufacturer that does that.

  • Elise@beehaw.org
    0·
    11 months ago

    OK I’m totally out of my depth here but isn’t it an induction motor with a battery attached to it?

    • lenathaw@lemmy.ml
      2·
      10 months ago

      afaik, tyres and brakes are proprietary too

      edit: nonstandard would be a better term