Vanmoof bike vendors and/or similar bike vendors

conor_mc · 11-12-2020 11:46am

Clare_Culchie wrote: »

The nearest Vanmoof store is in London, so any warranty repairs mean sticking it back in its box and sending it back to the Netherlands (apparently that's free but you have to use the original box, which is very bulky, or you can order a replacement for €20.
For general maintenance you can bring it in to any bike-shop as you would any other bike. Tires, chain, saddle, pedals can all be replaced with after-market parts. The bike-shops are getting more familiar with repairing the non-electric parts of electric-bikes and they all take cash so there shouldn't be a problem bringing in an ebike that you didn't buy in the store.

I suspect/hope/am taking a punt that there’ll be a Dublin store before too long given their recent round of investment.

Also, they can and do send out replacement parts (e.g. entire e-shifter mechanism) and have even added YouTube vids recently on how to replace yourself (or ask a friendly bike mechanic). It’s obviously been a pain point for them.

Clare_Culchie · 11-12-2020 11:57am

conor_mc wrote: »

Also, they can and do send out replacement parts (e.g. entire e-shifter mechanism) and have even added YouTube vids recently on how to replace yourself (or ask a friendly bike mechanic). It’s obviously been a pain point for them.

This is true, but I've seen a number of posts on the VanMOOFING FB group by owners who were sent replacement parts but weren't able to do the repair themselves (a cable disappeared down a tube, for example). It'd be much more preferable for us to be able to drop it into a VM-certified (if not owned) repair shop. It seems though, from an interview with I think Taco in September with The Verge, that they will be leveraging the gig-economy to provide a network of "Bike Doctors". They wouldn't have to be bike-mechanics, just people who are trained specifically to repair issues specific to Vanmoof bikes. They'd come to you, like the AA for bikes.
https://www.theverge.com/2020/9/16/21437704/vanmoof-interview-s3-electric-bike-issues-delays-mobile-service-network

mailforkev · 11-12-2020 12:41pm

I think we’re much more likely to have the bike doctor solution here rather than a full store.

I’m always conscious that disgruntled owners make most noise too, and live in hope that most people (including myself!) will have incident free ownership.

Clare_Culchie · 11-12-2020 4:11pm

bilasy wrote: »

Congratulations that’s a good news, now just to be clear the invoice that you submitted to work was issued by travelhub.ie or Vanmoof, or in other word how
did you manage to involve travelhub? Thanks for clarifying same

@bilasy Did you get sorted? Sorry I didn't get back to you at the time. My finance dept processed the payment, I don't think they bothered setting VM as a "new supplier" as the cost was under €2k. I paid the rest directly online. As a result I've two receipts, the first for my office and the second for me. I put the order through in late September, the bike is due to be delivered next weekend.

bilasy · 12-12-2020 11:32am

Clare_Culchie wrote: »

@bilasy Did you get sorted? Sorry I didn't get back to you at the time. My finance dept processed the payment, I don't think they bothered setting VM as a "new supplier" as the cost was under €2k. I paid the rest directly online. As a result I've two receipts, the first for my office and the second for me. I put the order through in late September, the bike is due to be delivered next weekend.

@clare_Culchie
Hi, no it is not sorted yet the deadline for the scheme to apply was end of September ,work insists to add VM to the supplier list and VM to create Irish tax number ,VM are very reluctant to do same as if it’s not worth it. Make long story short I found out that I can get the bike through travel hub so I requested VM for a fresh quote, on first week of January will submit the order through travel hub and Take it from there.

MJohnston · 19-12-2020 9:30pm

Got my X3 yesterday, and thankfully 99% of it was fully intact and working. Sadly, one tiny component was broken, the torx screw that tightens the seat post was sheared at the top:

At least it's a common Torx screw, so hopefully it will be very easy to replace. I took it out for a spin this evening anyway, and while it was a bit uncomfortable to not be at the correct seat height, it's a wonderful thing to ride on. The turbo boost button in particular really takes away any heavy effort.

conor_mc · 19-12-2020 10:12pm

MJohnston wrote: »

Got my X3 yesterday, and thankfully 99% of it was fully intact and working. Sadly, one tiny component was broken, the torx screw that tightens the seat post was sheared at the top:

At least it's a common Torx screw, so hopefully it will be very easy to replace. I took it out for a spin this evening anyway, and while it was a bit uncomfortable to not be at the correct seat height, it's a wonderful thing to ride on. The turbo boost button in particular really takes away any heavy effort.

Well wear!!! That’s a nuisance but VM seem to be pretty good at sending out replacement parts now by most accounts.

MJohnston · 19-12-2020 10:26pm

conor_mc wrote: »

Well wear!!! That’s a nuisance but VM seem to be pretty good at sending out replacement parts now by most accounts.

Yeah, hopefully it won't be too much of a problem, although I'd imagine responses will be slow at the minute. I could maybe even replace it with a generic 6mm bolt, I dunno if the threads would be standard.

Anyway, thankfully it's still very usable even with the awkward seating position - it's not like I really need to pump the legs!

mailforkev · 23-12-2020 5:47pm

Another delay in mine today thanks to the Boris related carnage next door. Now says February but they hope it will improve!

conor_mc · 23-12-2020 8:02pm

mailforkev wrote: »

Another delay in mine today thanks to the Boris related carnage next door. Now says February but they hope it will improve!

Still original delivery date of Jan 6th for me... but wouldn’t be surprised at a further delay after hearing your news.

MJohnston · 23-12-2020 8:44pm

Weirdly mine (X3 light blue) was a lot faster than expected - order confirmed Nov 10th, and the confirmation said “delivery is expected between the 12th of January and the 5th of February 2021”

Then suddenly on 15th December I got the shipping notification and it arrived on the 18th!

MJohnston · 23-12-2020 8:45pm

Still don’t have my front basket or rear pannier mind you. Plus the broken seat post bolt.

conor_mc · 23-12-2020 8:46pm

MJohnston wrote: »

Weirdly mine (X3 light blue) was a lot faster than expected - order confirmed Nov 10th, and the confirmation said “delivery is expected between the 12th of January and the 5th of February 2021”

Then suddenly on 15th December I got the shipping notification and it arrived on the 18th!

Who do you know up in North Pole operations, eh?? ðŸ˜‰

mailforkev · 23-12-2020 9:06pm

MJohnston wrote: »

Weirdly mine (X3 light blue) was a lot faster than expected

I think it’s a total lottery. They probably do a Tesla and make them in batches of model and colour, so if you happen to order what’s there then you get lucky.

I’m waiting for a blue S3, I’m sure that’s less common than the black.

Mind you, I did order in September. Fingers crossed it’s sooner than Feb, was meant to be here next week.

johndbee66 · 30-12-2020 6:52pm

I see recently vanmoof have now re stricted all eu bikes, Can these be reset to usa settings as top speed is 25kmh. Anybody know?

conor_mc · 30-12-2020 7:46pm

johndbee66 wrote: »

I see recently vanmoof have now re stricted all eu bikes, Can these be reset to usa settings as top speed is 25kmh. Anybody know?

I’ve read you can reset it to US by using a VPN when you register the bike on the app.

mailforkev · 30-12-2020 8:07pm

Doesn’t seem to be too difficult to change it.

Not that I would of course, what with it being illegal etc. Mr Garda.

johndbee66 · 30-12-2020 8:15pm

Of course not, i would not expect anything less. But if anyone does do it, can ye private message me how not to do it, just in case i accidentally do

conor_mc · 04-01-2021 12:10pm

Contacted VM support today as expected delivery date of Jan 6th and still no shipping notification, only to be told all Ireland shipping is via UK and best guess was late February! They’re waiting for UPS to find a better solution, maybe the new ferry route via Dunkirk will help.

Very tempted now to cancel my order though, it’s getting ridiculous at this stage that they aren’t even communicating a further two-month delay - I had to email them myself to find out!

mailforkev · 04-01-2021 1:56pm

I got a fairly generic response from them last week asking me to follow up with them this week if I haven't heard anything more.

You seem to have got some additional info there. I'll get back on to them this week.

My delivery date still says 16 Feb, was meant to be early Dec originally, then 28 Dec.

MJohnston · 04-01-2021 2:05pm

Must be shortages with particular models if I managed to get my X3 faster than expected!

johndbee66 · 04-01-2021 6:04pm

I put ordering one on hold due to trustpilot reviews. Seems they cant deal with all the orders/ Quality control also seems to be a problem at the moment. Im waiting on a babymaker that i bought in may 2019 with october delivery. Wont be here now before June 2020. Sucks big time

conor_mc · 04-01-2021 8:39pm

I decided to cancel my order today after that news earlier re further delivery delays. Heart wanted this bike to work out, but head said it’s time to call it quits and look elsewhere. Disappointing.

MJohnston · 05-01-2021 12:32am

To be fair to them, it’s an awful time for shipping. That ban at the end of December totally ****ed things up, then Brexit has added a bunch of nonsense. Add in Covid restrictions and it’s a wonder anything is shipping at the minute.

mailforkev · 07-01-2021 5:10pm

Got the shipping email earlier, excitement levels raised.

bilasy · 10-01-2021 3:46pm

mailforkev wrote: »

Got the shipping email earlier, excitement levels raised.

Congratulations! When did you submit the order?
Thanks

mailforkev · 10-01-2021 5:00pm

bilasy wrote: »

Congratulations! When did you submit the order?
Thanks

End of September. So it’s been a bit of a wait.

Dunder2000 · 13-01-2021 12:02pm

Does anyone know of a e-bike repair company in Dublin who will carry out Van Moof repairs? So far I haven't found anyone willing to do the simplest task.
Got my S3 bike early November 2020. After about 1 week the sound stopped working - no horn/bell. About 2 weeks after that the boost button started acting up - either always on or always off. Van Moof were helpful, I have to say, but they can only do so much over the phone. Ended up having a new cartridge couriered out to me from Amsterdam, and a new boost button (The boost button was sent with soldering instructions!). Changed the cartridge successfully but I'm not about to learn to solder, so asked around Dublin City, but everyone I approached (Greenaer, Donnybrook Bikes) all said they wouldn't touch it. So I've asked Van Moof to take the bike back, as I really cant be in a situation where every time there's a problem I have to ship the bike to Amsterdam!

So Id love to know if any other Van Mood users have found anyone who can fix their bikes?

And to warn those about to buy I hope yours is less glitchy than mine.

That said, the bike, when it works, is absolutely the best.

conor_mc · 13-01-2021 12:28pm

Dunder2000 wrote: »

Does anyone know of a e-bike repair company in Dublin who will carry out Van Moof repairs? So far I haven't found anyone willing to do the simplest task.
Got my S3 bike early November 2020. After about 1 week the sound stopped working - no horn/bell. About 2 weeks after that the boost button started acting up - either always on or always off. Van Moof were helpful, I have to say, but they can only do so much over the phone. Ended up having a new cartridge couriered out to me from Amsterdam, and a new boost button (The boost button was sent with soldering instructions!). Changed the cartridge successfully but I'm not about to learn to solder, so asked around Dublin City, but everyone I approached (Greenaer, Donnybrook Bikes) all said they wouldn't touch it. So I've asked Van Moof to take the bike back, as I really cant be in a situation where every time there's a problem I have to ship the bike to Amsterdam!

So Id love to know if any other Van Mood users have found anyone who can fix their bikes?

And to warn those about to buy I hope yours is less glitchy than mine.

That said, the bike, when it works, is absolutely the best.

Disappointing to hear this, surely VanMoof could have set up a repair agent in Dublin at this stage, someone they could recommend to Irish customers.

The fear of having to ship parts back and forth to Amsterdam in the current difficulties is the main reason I cancelled my order.

johndbee66 · 13-01-2021 12:35pm

I think the Dutch bycyle shop in lucan will repair vanmoof bikes. Worth a shot. Also ring cork bycyle solutions. Let me know how you get on.

MJohnston · 13-01-2021 12:54pm

It's maybe not what you want to hear, but soldering is pretty easy, and a soldering kit is pretty cheap, and useful for a bunch of DIY tasks around the house!

Dunder2000 · 13-01-2021 1:18pm

johndbee66 wrote: »

I think the Dutch bycyle shop in lucan will repair vanmoof bikes. Worth a shot. Also ring cork bycyle solutions. Let me know how you get on.

Called the Dutchbike shop in Lucan - and yes, they will carry out repairs. Thanks a million for putting me onto them.

conor_mc · 13-01-2021 8:14pm

Dunder2000 wrote: »

Called the Dutchbike shop in Lucan - and yes, they will carry out repairs. Thanks a million for putting me onto them.

This is good news for sure!

MJohnston · 13-01-2021 9:41pm

Hopefully they could become part of that Bike Doctor Network eventually

mailforkev · 15-01-2021 12:52pm

Got mine yesterday (finally). I haven’t done much of a cycle yet but it's all assembled and working. Need to make a minor adjustment to the front brake, think one pad is slightly rubbing, but everything else seems good.

conor_mc · 15-01-2021 4:24pm

mailforkev wrote: »

Got mine yesterday (finally). I haven’t done much of a cycle yet but it's all assembled and working. Need to make a minor adjustment to the front brake, think one pad is slightly rubbing, but everything else seems good.

Well wear!!! Do please let us know how it’s going over the next few weeks.

Square Hammer · 15-01-2021 4:48pm

Ordered a Van Moof S3 in October.I received it on 1 December.I really like the bike but it clearly has a few issues that are worth noting if you want to buy one. The assembly is easy except the step where you have to cover the power connector on the front axle. I can do DIY and this took me hours as it was so fiddly and the parts dont fit well or screw in easily.The online video of this step is massively misleading.I also had to reset it after the first ride but since then it rides fantastically. The automatic gearing is great. It is not 100% smooth but no gearing is. I customised the gear shifts in the app so that it only went to gear 4 if got over 28 and made sure it shifted down to 3 at 24.Gear 4 is hard going as the bike is pretty hefty. I also bought a front carrier for the bike. The adapter cable connecting the front light to the front of the carrier broke when I installed using very little force. When I tried to install the front light back without the carrier it wouldnt work. Now I have a carrier and no front light. The electric connectors inside the bike looked pretty flimsy. Contacts on light cable clearly failed from being disconnected once.Emailed VanMoof on this and no reply after 25 days.Also nobody will fix this in Ireland and I've no intention of learning how to solder. In terms of riding the bike it really is great and the kicklock etc work really well.The alarm would put most people off. I still use a normal lock and would never leave somewhere dodgy for very long. While the lock would stop somebody riding it Dutch people may not realise the joy some people here could experience chucking such a nice looking bike in a canal. The app is fine. The bike works fine for now but with no front light. I dont think however that the bike will last and if the electronics on it fail would just be a dublin bike with an anvil attached.I cycled up Howth head on it without breaking a sweat which was very enjoyable. The bike is also really easy to manouver and it feels very well balanced. Another downside is being stuck with a genuinely massive box in my attic as if I need to send it back Netherlands have to use the box they gave me.

MJohnston · 16-01-2021 1:41am

I threw out the box, no way I was keeping that.

Also, did nobody else here learn to solder in secondary school? It’s a piece of piss!

mailforkev · 16-01-2021 7:32pm

Gave mine a 45 min spin earlier, all working perfectly now.
I took off the front brake assembly this morning as if I was going to be changing the pads. Reattached, pumped the brakes a few times and the slight rubbing that was there was gone, all fairly painless.
Next step will probably be to customise the gear shifting points to best suit my locality.

bilasy · 17-01-2021 12:25pm

mailforkev wrote: »

End of September. So it’s been a bit of a wait.

Did you decide which lock you are getting for the bike ? or you already have one?
Thanks

mailforkev · 17-01-2021 1:29pm

bilasy wrote: »

Did you decide which lock you are getting for the bike ? or you already have one?
Thanks

Folding lock is tidiest solution. I didn’t get it from them but I think VM actually sell this one themselves too - ABUS Bordo Granit X Plus 6500.

conor_mc · 17-01-2021 2:53pm

mailforkev wrote: »

Folding lock is tidiest solution. I didn’t get it from them but I think VM actually sell this one themselves too - ABUS Bordo Granit X Plus 6500.

For what it’s worth, before I cancelled my VM, I was considering using it for cycling to work which would mean locking it in a public space at Dublin Airport. I plumped for a granit x-plus 540 as a better lock for that high-risk situation, but I’d probably have left it in situ and added a 6500 to carry on the bike. Heard the 540 bracket didn’t fit on a VM frame very well. From reading around, I would have been nervous about the 6500 as a sole means of securing the bike in that situation, but would be cool with it for running into a supermarket, etc.

mailforkev · 17-01-2021 4:41pm

The problem with locks is that there’s good and bad reviews somewhere of every one, so it’s always just a case of buying a reasonably expensive one and living in hope.
Besides, a proper crim will manage to take your bike if they really want it.
My work, if I ever go back to the office, has secure bike parking.

conor_mc · 17-01-2021 5:38pm

mailforkev wrote: »

The problem with locks is that there’s good and bad reviews somewhere of every one, so it’s always just a case of buying a reasonably expensive one and living in hope.
Besides, a proper crim will manage to take your bike if they really want it.
My work, if I ever go back to the office, has secure bike parking.

You’re right of course, you’re only ever trying to move a bike thief along to an easier option unfortunately. If I had secure parking at work, I’d go with the bordo 6500 too.

Dunder2000 · 19-01-2021 12:24pm

Update - Dutch Bike company wont solder the boost button.... Cant find anyone to do it.

I know people are saying just do it yourself, and I probably will, its more the point that I dropped 2k on a new bike that I now have to solder repair within 2 months of buying!

MJohnston · 19-01-2021 12:28pm

I mean, it's something that an electrician might do for you, if you know one — but the costs might be disproportionate.

conor_mc · 19-01-2021 2:58pm

MJohnston wrote: »

I mean, it's something that an electrician might do for you, if you know one — but the costs might be disproportionate.

If you had to pay someone to fix this, I’d be making a case to VM to refund this cost on production of an invoice before I spent a cent. It’s crazy to expect a customer to solder a repair on your behalf! At the very least, it might wake them up to partnering with a repair shop here in Ireland.

Dunder2000 · 19-01-2021 3:07pm

Yes they've said they'd cover cost to repair. All the more reason for me not to go buying a soldering iron.

To be honest, if Id known at the beginning how hard it is to get repairs done, the minute Id had any glitches Id have boxed it up and sent it back within the first 14 days and asked for a replacement.

MJohnston · 19-01-2021 3:08pm

Well they're already planning on doing such a thing in various countries, and given the popup here I'd imagine Ireland is one of them, but I'm cutting them some slack at the minute given the state of the world. It's frustrating, I'm still waiting for my seat post bolt for a month now and haven't been able to use my new X3, but it's just a rough, rough time to try to implement something like the Bike Doctor Network.

Thargor · 19-01-2021 3:13pm

You cant bodge some kind of bolt in there?

Vanmoof bike vendors and/or similar bike vendors

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