“We at VanMoof believe riders have shouldered the burden of bike theft for long enough,” said Taco Carlier, who co-founded VanMoof along with his brother Ties. “It’s great that there are thousands of engineers around the world working day and night to improve racing bikes and mountain bikes, but we found there’s been little focus on improving city bikes. That’s why we’re committed to solving major problems like bike theft – and to encouraging more urban commuters to swap four wheels for two.”
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VanMoof will be unveiling the new Smartbike tonight at their Cobble Hill, Brooklyn store.
The bike’s scratch-resistant, anodized frame weighs less than 30 pounds, and all of the on-board electronics are pedal-powered.
Like VanMoof’s Electrified S, the Smartbike will come equipped with many advanced features such as an internal keyless lock that recognizes your hand using Bluetooth technology, automatic lights controlled via an integrated smartphone app, anti-theft nuts and bolts, and built-in tracking.
The VanMoof team is so confident in the Smartbike‘s anti-theft features that each one comes with a “Peace of Mind Guarantee”. If the bike is ever stolen, VanMoof will activate a bike recovery team to find it, and if it’s not recovered within two weeks, VanMoof will send you a new bike (for a one-time payment of $98). The guarantee will be free for two years after purchase, but will be available for a monthly fee after that.
The VanMoof SmartBike will be available (in choice of grey or black and three- or eight-speed) at special preorder prices starting from $1,098 and $1,298 beginning on May 31, 2016 at https://smartbike.vanmoof.com/. Shipping will begin in October 2016.
