Hacker News Reader

Comment by gregdoesit | Hacker News Reader

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/

(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).

View on HN

Going 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.

How on earth are they losing money selling a 3000-5000$ _bicycles_ lol. I'm flabbergasted.

They 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).

Then 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?

They 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.

They said because of repairs

It's not about how expensive it is, it's about how much you sell.

how can you lose money with every sale then tho

Maybe they have other expenses?

You make up for that in volume!

The 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.

I'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.

Care to share more details on that bluetooth fob? Thanks!

Sure: https://blog.waleson.com/2022/03/the-worlds-first-cowboy-key...

I 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 :/

Yeah I would go the Ampler Bikes way if I were in Europe. More grounded company.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com