The Big Apple Goes Dutch—on Vanmoof Bikes

Robert Moses loved the car, the bus, and the train.  As the city planner for New York City he personally transformed the Big Apple with new highways and train routes.  Brooklyn residents particularly dislike the legacy of Mr. Moses, many blame him for the loss of their beloved Dodgers to Los Angeles.  The Dodgers wanted a new stadium in the 1950s but the site team owner Walter O’Malley selected was favored by Moses as a location for future parking garage.   Moses told O’Malley to move to Queens.  O’Malley instead moved to LA and the rest is history.  Moses moved parts of New York’s five boroughs around like pieces on a kid’s board game.  He was trying to find better routes for the automobile at the expense of people, homes, businesses and the Dodgers (and the New York Giants).  Critics said Moses loved the car and hated people.  Moses’s highways are still there but New York’s boroughs are welcoming more and more bikes.  All the way back in 1994 the city created the Bicycle Network Development Plan with ridership and bike lanes in New York growing each year.  Switching from a car to a bike saves the motorist on average $1,100 each year in New York City.  Bikes shops and bike commuters are aplenty.      

Ride Brooklyn is a pretty funky bike shop with two locations in Brooklyn, on Bergen Street in Park Slope and on North 7^th Street in Williamsburg.  The shop offers 14 brands for sale in a variety of set-ups from kids to BMX to road to commuter.  They have all the usual suspects: Schwinn, Raleigh, Diamondbank and more.  One brand is relatively new and it really intrigues the SBT crew.  It is Vanmoof Bikes.  

Vanmoof was created in 2009 by Dutch brothers Taco and Teirs Carlier.  The company’s design team is led by Sjoerd Smit and Smit has experimented with a variety of unique bike accessories and styles.  One example is the self-locking bike.  Locks are hidden inside the frame, they slide out when you need them.  

Mr. Smit’s latest creation is a wild take on the “Oma” style of bike.  Oma, in Dutch, refers to bikes that would be ridden by a grandmother.  They are old lady bikes.  They are simple, sturdy, and leisurely.  Smit is only 31 but has been an industrial designer for over ten years.  The guy understands design and functionality.  He has completely re-imagined the Grandma Bike and they are selling well in New York City of all places, the city designed for the car.   For New Yorkers, Vanmoofs are hip.

Smit brought a study of Formula One racing to bicycle design.  He noticed how race teams are constantly refining their machines in order to be faster, more efficient, better.  Smit’s bike is noted for the perfect adherence to geometry.  The top tube is stretched and thick.  Headlights and brake lights are built right into the tube and they are pedal-powered. The bike is all aluminum, chosen because Smith likes the glistening quality of the metal.  The bikes are not painted--Smit doesn’t want to ruin the natural shine of aluminum.  The machine comes with a kickstand of all things (we love kickstands and have blogged about their usefulness).  The chain locks in place when not in use to combat theft.  The handlebars are angled back for comfort and the brakes are at the pedal.  Color-coded fenders keep the urban muck and grime at bay while protecting your dry cleaning bill.   The bike is a remarkable blend of innovation and simplicity.  It may just revolutionize the commuter bike industry.

The machines are made in Taiwan, the world’s foremost bike building country and each one sells for about $750.  Even Robert Moses would appreciate the ingenuity of Vanmoof Bikes.  

While we are on the subject of NYC, check out this cool event coming to the Big Apple, http://www.bikenewyork.org/ride/five-boro-bike-tour.  We have a fun video of a Vanmoof ride through New York City on our website at www.stickybottleteam.net.