By Steve Schaefer

VanMoof, the Dutch builder of sleek, high-tech e-bikes, boasts more than 150,000 riders worldwide. Taco Carlier, co-founder and CEO, has just announced at SXSW 2021 the company’s plans to provide top-level service for their riders. VanMoof will expand its worldwide presence from eight to 50 cities, including American cities Los Angeles, CA, Portland, OR, and Washington. D.C.

The new network is not just a blossoming of modern, angular showrooms. The plan is to build out a network of state-of-the-art service hubs and certified partner workshops over the next six months. Along with a more intuitive app support and remote diagnostic solutions, this enables the brand to provide excellent service for their bikes around the world.

“The goal is to provide the best possible experience to our riders—no matter where they’re located,” explains Taco Carlier.

I got to test a VanMoof e-bike myself back in July of 2020, from the showroom in San Francisco. Wearing my mask, I received a touchless store demo and then got to see for myself how helpful the pedal assist was when riding up San Francisco’s steep hills.

The upscale but understated bike is a valuable and highline item, so keeping it in perfect running condition is important to its owners. When you’re spending a couple of thousand dollars on something, you want to be well taken care of. VanMoof has experienced “hypergrowth” as a result of a global boom in e-bikes, tripling sales over this last pandemic year.

Cities with brand stores will include Amsterdam, London, Berlin, Paris, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, and Tokyo.  The 14 service hubs will offer test rides, check-ups, and repairs. The more than 60 carefully selected certified partner workshops will receive special training to work on VanMoof’s S3 and X3 bikes.

Cofounder Ties Carlier, Taco’s brother, reminds us of the bottom line:

“Reducing our reliance on cars and instilling the confidence to change-up your commute habits requires a robust service fallback for your new ride. Only then will we reach a critical mass turning point that transforms our cities.” 

See VanMoof’s website for more details.