First impressions were good. We were convinced by this sublime VAE. Here is our opinion following several months of use.
A beautiful object! In town, during these months of testing, this VanMoof S3 electric bike often caught the eye of passers-by. Several told us that it was beautiful. This is indeed the first impression we had when attending, at the very beginning of our first confinement in 2020, the online presentation of the bike from the Dutch manufacturer VanMoof. The concern for both the presentation and the design of the bike itself reminded us of Apple, a reference in the field. We will come back to it.
The VanMoof S3, available in gray or black, has a very clean line, as few electric bikes can be in general. The black version, in particular, looks like a sedan. There are no frills. The (disc) brake cables quickly disappear into the frame. On the handlebar are only two buttons, serving mainly as a horn or throttle (named Turbo Boost by VanMoof). And on the top tube of the frame is integrated a grid of tiny LEDs, a kind of screen capable of displaying different states of the bike and in particular the speed of movement.
The wheel size of the VanMoof S3 is 28”, the bike is intended for users between 1.7m and 2.1m tall. And we can tell you that, within a centimeter or two, a shorter person will find it difficult to hold the bike upright between their legs, given the height of the frame’s top tube! For people measuring between 1.55 m and 2.1 m there is the X3 version released at the same time by VanMoof: instead of a V, the frame is in X and the wheel size is 24”. Both bikes have a rear wheel locking system: a side button that just has to be pushed (for example with your foot) and which simultaneously activates the anti-theft monitoring.
Under control
The VanMoof S3’s anti-theft system is a success. Accompanied by an audible warning, a skull and crossbones is displayed by the LEDs when the bike is slightly shaken or moved on its wheels. In general, it is enough that small vibrations run through its frame, like when you force the padlock. The sound may then stop or resume if the bike continues to be handled. After several brief signals, the sound is greatly amplified: the alarm is only interrupted by deactivating it via the app installed in the owner’s smartphone. Or by entering a combination of pressure on the two handlebar buttons: the operation is simple and allows the rear wheel to be unlocked to use the bike if its owner loses his smartphone.
If it is stolen or lost despite everything, the VanMoof S3 bike can possibly be located by Apple’s Find My system. We have had confirmation from Apple: the VanMoof S3 and X3 are the first bikes in the world to benefit from their tracking system. The principle: once declared lost, the bike can be spotted by any Apple mobile device (including the iPhone and iPad) located nearby: the location of the machine is then indicated on a map. Thanks to its many mobiles used in the world, Apple has without doubt the largest system for finding lost or stolen objects. Obviously, if the bike ends up in the hands of professionals knowledgeable regarding these technologies, the chance of finding it is less. However, VanMoof offers an optional special insurance that replaces the bike that has not been found following a certain period of time.
The flip side of design
You remember, a few years ago, our smartphones had removable batteries. Then came the iPhone and its design. Which pushed other manufacturers to make the batteries of their smartphones… irremovable! The design of the VanMoof S3 seems to have taken the same path: its design does not allow its battery (504 Wh) to be removed to recharge it, and this is one of its faults. It makes you wonder how the inhabitants of a city how do Paris manage to recharge the VanMoof S3 and X3. Many of them live in a building, upstairs, and without a lift. Do they mount the approximately 21 kg of the machine? Or do they take the power pack down to the yard or bike room to perk it up?
Fortunately, VanMoof launched several months following the bikes were released an external battery, which we quickly wanted to test. This battery (378 Wh) attaches rather harmoniously to the frame. In testing, we found that it recharges the internal battery between 65% and 70%. Not bad. Although we would have preferred an external battery of the same capacity. Admittedly, it would have been more voluminous but, at least, it would avoid two cycles to reach a full recharge.
Comfort
Reading of battery levels, type of assistance activated according to the type of terrain (flat, steep, etc.), selection of ringtones, unlock code, many settings are made by the VanMoof app, which is particularly good designed. You will also find a summary of the distances traveled during the day or week.
Driving on the VanMoof S3 is very pleasant, the traction (front) being particularly smooth. We have completed over 200 rides on this e-bike. Updates or learning the system, we noticed an improvement in the quality of traction throughout these more than five months of testing. The manufacturer announces a maximum speed of 25 km/h, therefore in accordance with the law. In fact, on flat ground, the speed easily reaches 27 km/h, by pedaling quickly or by keeping your finger pressed on the boost button. One of the strengths of the VanMoof S3 is its speed on the climbs. The bike then progresses easily at 25 km/h! It’s amazingly efficient, even when the climb is long.
A note: be careful when taking a bend not to make the pedal rub once morest the ground on the inside of the bend! Because, even if the saddle is high, the pedals are not. We must also tell you that out of the 205 outings made, we had four times a problem with the motor stopping or blocking. In three cases, it happened right following starting. It was then necessary to wait a few seconds or tens of seconds before things returned to normal.
On the list of defects to be removed, we would put the vibrations of the handlebars which arise during braking. However the disc braking itself is very effective. To make this bike even more comfortable it would have been good to add a suspension. Riding on the cobblestones in some neighborhoods was not a pleasant experience for the back.
Welcoming
We repaired a flat tire ourselves, the front one. It’s a little more complicated than with a classic bike, due to the presence of the electrical cord connected to the motor, which makes removing the inner tube less easy. This was an opportunity to go to the dedicated VanMoof store in Paris, because the brake disc was rubbing between the plates. Without having planned an appointment, however, we were quickly taken care of by the manager, to whom we had not told that we were testing the bike. The technician quickly fixed the problem. And another college even kindly offered us a solution to keep our lock in place on the bike when it’s rolling. In short, a welcome in the store that is somewhat reminiscent of that of a famous smartphone manufacturer…
Autonomy
This is one of the first things we measured. Built-in battery life. Or more exactly the distance it allows to travel with a full charge. Obviously this depends on the intensity of the electric assistance requested. The more you pedal and the less you press the boost button, the lower the consumption. As a general rule, according to our tests on many rides, a full charge allows in one day to cover a total of regarding 52-55 km, even 60 km. Once we exceeded 70 km but over several days, always with a load. The additional battery is also useful here if you want to drive 90 km, or approach 100 km. What almost consider a small road-trip.
Moctar KANE.
Prix
2350 €.
We like
- Le sublime design.
- The fluidity of traction.
- Acceleration efficiency.
- The alarm system.
- Apple’s Find My location integration.
- The mechanical lock.
- unlocking systems.
- The relatively good autonomy.
- The quality of the associated application.
- The quality of the secondary battery (optional).
- Sharing between multiple authorized users.
- The quality of following-sales service.
We love less
- The lack of suspension.
- The non-removable battery.
- Handlebar vibrations when braking.
