Dutch bike maker VanMoof has gone bust and the curators are looking into a potential restart, the company confirmed in a statement on Tuesday morning.

The company, known for its sleek bikes with inbuilt tracking systems, was given court protection from creditors last week after failing to find new money. VanMoof posted a loss of almost €80 million in 2021 and has never made a profit.

Founders Taco and Ties Carlier, who started the company in 2009, said in an internal mail to staff that they are “very sorry we have not been able to complete this mission together”, the Financieele Dagblad reported.

In total, the company has sold almost 200,000 bikes since it was founded and has outlets in 50 cities worldwide.

The curators are now looking into finding a buyer for parts of the company, so that at least repairs on bikes can be carried out. VanMoof bikes can only be mended by certified firms and are covered by a company warranty. The new e-bikes in particular have been beset by problems.

Three Kwikfit branches are now open for VanMoof owners who need work done on their bicycles but some requires special VanMoof parts which are no long in supply, website Nu.nl said.

The company closed all its salesrooms two weeks ago, leading to angry scenes outside as customers tried to pick up their newly-ordered bikes or recovered those which had been brought in for repairs.

People who had recently ordered a bike may now find themselves waiting in a queue with all the other companies VanMoof owes money. The tax office has payment priority in a bankruptcy.

Cyclists whose bikes were waiting for repairs are likely to get them back, lawyer Sanne Depmann from legal advice group DAS told Nu.nl. “The bike belongs to you and is not part of the bankrupt company’s assets,” she said.

Have you got a VanMoof bike or are you waiting to have one delivered? Feel free to share your story via editor@dutchnews.nl