I agree it can be better. . .but even then many times the difference is minimal and unless on some critical or professional competition level it's typically not worth the price of admission. This is especially true to the average user who isn't concerned or impressed with branding
true. this is why companies like apple have been so successful - although the certainly are keenly aware how much some of the things they do “lock out” choice or competition, they typically do so in areas that create a better experience for the average user. lightning was better way back when because you could just plug it in in either direction, and it was smaller. now that usb-c is as good and a standard, they’re switching, more than a decade later. lots of similar examples and some less successful ones too.
vanmoof tried the same approach - identify the friction points for the average rider, and innovate around them. e.g. theft - built in kick or cafe lock plus loud alarm that unlocks automatically as long you have your phone with you, plus “find my” integrated and subscription service to retrieve the bike for you. that made a huge difference to me when i was thinking about a casual bike. it’s all built in, it works great.
the service model - had they ever completed the network - was SO much better than what most people experience at local bike shops. around here, especially during the pandemic, most of them would give you a “oh man we’re so busy, i dunno, i don’t think we sold you that bike, we don’t have parts for that drivetrain, have to order them, maybe get to it next week?!?” while with vanmoof i’d open the app, hit appointment, pick what i needed, drop the bike off at a precise predetermined time in the next 12-36 hours, get an identical loaner bike, and come back in a day or two. so, to make that work they had to minimize the number of models and options. that’s a fair trade.
similarly, the IGH plus e-shifter for a casual city utility bike solves a huge huge friction point for urban bikes. covered drivetrain, never getting caught after a sudden stop in the wrong gear, no learning curve, just get on and ride. the proprietary nature of the e-shifter was a necessary evil at that price point. do you use an expensive, heavy, “standardized” IGH like a rohloff that’s frankly overkill for a $2k commuter bike, or design a “proprietary” $25 widget that just shifts a cheap ($100 ish) sturmey archer 4 speed?
great idea - but they absolutely totally F’d up the engineering and quality control on that one critical interface. i would argue that if they had gotten that correct, they’d still be in business. take big risks, suffer big consequences.
if i was making a book about the rise and fall of vanmoof, i’d title it “the widget that sunk a company” or something like that.
electrek.co
