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Note that a competitor to VanMoof, Cowboy Bikes, have also created an iOS app - with a beta on the App Store - that supposedly does the same (saving the encrypt
by gregdoesit 3y ago
Note that a competitor to VanMoof, Cowboy Bikes, have also created an iOS app - with a beta on the App Store - that supposedly does the same (saving the encryption keys locally).
I say supposedly because the source is not available to inspect. However, the linked FAQ states that no data is stored outside the app.
Here it is: https://bikey-app.cowboy.bike/ https://bikey-app.cowboy.bike/
(Note this is not en endorsement for Cowboy - whom I know nothing about - just pointing to the currently only iOS app I know of to save these same encryption keys for VanMoof owners).
- yabatopia 3y agoGoing from Vanmoof to Cowboy Bikes is like switching from the plague to cholera. Same modus operandi: excessively VC funded, lots of hype, proprietary parts, mounting losses, loosing money with every sale, ... and it's getting worse every year. Cowboy Bikes is just another bankruptcy waiting to happen.
- wraptile 3y agoHow on earth are they losing money selling a 3000-5000$ _bicycles_ lol. I'm flabbergasted.
- arp242 3y agoThey spent a lot of money on expansion, opening stores in places like NYC and Tokyo. I'm also betting that since all the parts in their bikes are custom-produced for them, the production cost of their bikes is quite high as well (that is, they're not making that much money per bike).
- Gasp0de 3y agoThen why do they do it? What is the supposed gain from producing your own parts, when mass produced parts like Shimano are available all over the world? Is it to increase sales of their repair services after the warranty ends?
- arp242 3y agoThey want to "re-invent the bike". They do (or did) produce some pretty new/innovative designs; I haven't really followed them since they went electric because I'm not that keen on electric bikes, but the original (non-electric) had the lock roll up inside the frame for example, which is pretty nifty. Lots of people also like the design from an aesthetic point of view. "Use standard stuff" has a lot of value, obviously, but it also limits you. This is true for everything: from bike parts to the POSIX API or POSIX shell.
- jbverschoor 3y agoThey said because of repairs
- Cthulhu_ 3y agoIt's not about how expensive it is, it's about how much you sell.
- fleischhauf 3y agohow can you lose money with every sale then tho
- madeofpalk 3y agoMaybe they have other expenses?
- tnolet 3y agoYou make up for that in volume!
- patd 3y agoThe team behind Cowboy also has a history of going bankrupt and not doing the right thing. Their previous venture was a Uber Eats competitor and they took the end user’s money until the end but never paid the restaurants nor the deliverers. That’s the main reason why I can’t get myself to buy one their bike. But it seems Van Moof wasn’t any better.
- jtwaleson 3y agoI'm riding a Cowboy right now, and I chose it because they didn't have the service and quality issues that Vanmoof had. I've been very happy with it and hope they will not go under. I was annoyed with the app but I created a bluetooth key fob so I don't have to use the app to unlock it. Now I'm even happier with my daily rides. That being said: if I were in the market today I think I'd go for the Veloretti Ace. Less proprietary parts, great design and owned by a stable company.
- madeofpalk 3y agoI have a Vanmoof in for repair which I may or may not get back, and I'm foolishly tempted by Cowboy. I would like to get the Veloretti Ace, but they only sell it in three countries :/
- mimischi 3y agoCare to share more details on that bluetooth fob? Thanks!
- jtwaleson 3y agoSure: https://blog.waleson.com/2022/03/the-worlds-first-cowboy-key-fob.html https://blog.waleson.com/2022/03/the-worlds-first-cowboy-key...
- vayan 3y agoYeah I would go the Ampler Bikes way if I were in Europe. More grounded company.