Be smart, stay dumb.

Back to the sheet Sports & Outdoors Bicycle · B3
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B3 · Hall of smart-shame Oh no, you didn’t?

VanMoof S5

By VanMoof.

$3,000–4,000
Estimate. Prices change.

A beautiful e-bike that unlocks through an app and the maker’s servers. When VanMoof went bankrupt in 2023, owners rushed to back up their digital keys before the lights went out.

Local
Bluetooth, RF or NFC. An attacker has to be nearby.
Online
Wi-Fi, Ethernet or cellular. An attacker can be anywhere, and it can collect data.
Cloud-dependent
Needs the maker's servers or app to work, so the maker can switch it off.

Buy the dumb one instead

We do not link to the smart one. You can find it.

Survival checklist

What it survives, next to the dumb one.
1
=SURVIVES(threat)Survives…
ThisVanMoof S5
The dumb oneDumb oneSurly Long Haul Trucker
2
Power cut
FALSE
TRUE
3
Wi-Fi goes down
FALSE
TRUE
4
The company switches off its servers
FALSE
TRUE
5
Someone tries to hack it
FALSE
TRUE
6
A firmware update goes wrong
FALSE
TRUE
7
Twenty years from now
FALSE
TRUE
8
=COUNTIF(TRUE)Total
0 of 60/6
6 of 66/6

The dumb one is the Surly Long Haul Trucker.

Row 3

See it in the sheetIn the sheet
Photo You are here

When the maker went bust, owners scrambled for their unlock keys.

VanMoof S5

$3,000–4,000
Local · Online · Cloud-dependent A bike that needs its maker alive.