Van Moof S3
Editor’s Note: Lee Quinones is best known for his work as a contemporary artist and pioneer of subway graffiti art. Quinones made headlines when he rode a bike from New York to Miami in 2005 to raise money for the Boys and Girls Club of America, a 1500-mile ride. As a seasoned cyclist, Quinones has been zipping around New York City on the Van Moof S3 fOR SOME TIME and keeping an audio visual diary of his adventures. here he waxes on the electric miles he’s covered on the new York city streets.
APRIL 2023: Any item dressed in black — especially in different hues of metallic black — is sure to gather attention and approval in New York City. It's just that kind of city where cars and fashion statements are best suited in black when navigating the gritty, shadowy and dirty streets of this great metropolis. Now when it comes to traffic….don't get me started as to my opinions of the various inefficient policies that have basically brought this great city to a halt. With that said, there's no better way now to zip in and around the classical mess than with a bike, but not just any bike. I have become one with this machine.
Lee Quinones tests out Van Moof S3 bike. photo: Benicio Quinones
SEPTEMBER 2022 Enter the new VanMoof Series of pedal/motor assist E-bikes.
Before we dive into the sauce, let me reflect on one word and its meaning that I believe is more important than the product itself: Service.
Keep this one word in your back pocket for the moment.
When I first took delivery of what looked to be VanMoof's base signature model, a blackened plain Jane S3, I was very much impressed by the friendly, calm, and well informed services from their Williamsburg, Brooklyn staff. They enthusiastically explained all of the bike's features along with the onboard anti theft and tracking devices.
Furthermore, I was awed by the design and slickness of the lightweight frame along with the simplicity of the electronic functions and controls. Being an old schooler that still loves turning knobs and holsters a flip phone, (yes, a flip phone in 2021!) this honest and uncomplicated two wheeler was relieving to say the least.
After taking in all the bike's features, I took hold of the bike and hit the unrelentingly mean streets, or so I thought. Whenever there’s been an issue, Van Moof has helped me get back on track with in-person service at the Williamsburg shop. Anyone who knows me know that an in-real-like touch goes along way. I hope everyone has access to this treatment, because the app is a bit befuddling for me.
MAY 2021
At first, I almost felt like a child again not knowing what to expect from the speed and torque, so I took baby steps and manually pedaled around the block, while getting reacquainted with a tall frame again. After finally braving a few hits of the throttle, I came back to the shop again to have the functions reiterated to me for complete clarity. They were happy to do so again and from there on I was off to the rat races.
As you pedal, the 4-speed gearbox electronically engages through the gears and self synchronizes with the motor when its on. No bulging motor to be seen because it is cleverly integrated into the front wheel hub assembly, so much so, that you would never know that it is there thus adding to the bikes lean and stealthy presence. The motor, which tops out at 21 mph, is activated with a modestly placed push button on the right hand side handlebar grip. A simple press and hold kicks it to life only when you are pedaling though release the button and the bike retreats back to a regular pedal powered bike.
Just as a note for all those speed demons out there, 21 mph is quick enough to keep you on the good side of trouble while navigating around the concerto of horn honking stranded drivers.
The motor for its size is surprisingly torque happy, flawlessly smooth in operation and quiet like a ninja. What I love about this concept is that though it is an E-bike, it won't feed you what seems like miles of free giddy up and go unless you pedal along to keep the motor engaged. In other words, use the motor for long stretches against a headwind, subtle or steep inclines such as the infamous Williamsburg Bridge ramps and lay off the throttle on the down hills or while coasting. It will lessen the battery drainage, lay furnace to the calories while keeping you in shape.
On the topic of batteries, there's an option for a power bank pack that conveniently attaches to the inner mid frame and gives you a power boost for an additional 40 miles of trek. All together, you and this S3 could cover anywhere from 67 to 90 miles before it needs to be juiced up at the nearest wall outlet. A full juice up from empty takes about 3 hours or so.
The hydraulic disc braking system is up to task when it comes to those oh sh!t! moments that rear their ugly heads on a Tuesday morning. There's no brake fade at all with the stainless steel discs sandwiched between dual piston calipers at each wheel. As far as being able to see at night and be seen in daylight, the lumens of the frame mounted LED headlight and taillight are nuclear enough to rival the sun itself.
For those stop and go express runs to the espresso counter, there's a quick smart kick locking feature on the rear wheel hub that disables and alarms the bike. Any attempt to move it or carry it sets off a nasty shout out ring and a flashing skull icon on the display board that reminds the would-be thief to go to confession. The Van Moof app enables you to do several things. You can reconfigure everything from gear change modes to the digital horn tones as well as unlocking it from its anti-theft park mode using your i-phone. If you choose to, you can just manually program a ping code like I did to unlock it using the small button on the left hand side of the handlebar. It works flawlessly. This very same button acts as the on/off mode as well as a horn ping when in motion to wake up those distracted New Yorkerz in your way. LOL.
“21 mph is quick enough to keep you on the good side of trouble.”
Now to the hard knocks of the minuses. Unfortunately the moon-like surfaces of NYC streets don't lend a hand of comfort to any moving vehicle, especially a bike, but this unit's hardtail frame, as sturdy as it is, begs for a soft tail suspension of some kind. A simple spring loaded seat would help or perhaps a softail upgrade option on the order form?
At $2,300 US Dollars, it's not so much a sticker price shocker as how much it rewards you back the precious time lost in aggravating gridlock. Just think of how much free, stressless motion forward is worth, it's a no brainer.
Now let's backstroke to that one word I had mentioned earlier: Service.
There are service/dealers out there for other products that operate on the assumption that "the customer is always ripe" for a sales pitch and a wool, but not for the team at VanMoof, here they know "the customer is right" simply by their choice of Van Moof as the mode of mobility. Van Moof staff were patient and courteous individuals happy to walk classics like myself through the whole process. Thumbs up to them.
Don't let this old schooler try and school you in on all the great hi-tech options this pup has in store. After all, I'm just a guy who pushes buttons, turns knobs and turns heads.