Do you remember the Roller Buggy, the baby carriage that transforms into a scooter? Or the Pullchair, a baby carriage that even fits into your laptop bag? Now designer Valentin Vodev has taken up a new challenge: a bicycle that perfectly suits the needs of the busy every day city life – the VELLO bike.
The VELLO bike is a high-performance handmade bicycle designed especially for urban commuting. It uses top-quality components and combines intelligent technologies with a unique design.
The designer created three VELLO bike models to accommodate the various needs of the city dweller. VELLO Urbano is the classical version with a comfortable saddle, 8 speeds and a moustache-handlebar with cushioned handgrips that allow for relaxed riding.
For all-rounders, Vello Rockysmoothens the jolts of the city jungle: with its 10-speed and top-quality trekking bike components, even parks and rocky paths can be explored effortlessly.
VELLO Speedster is made to race in the city: 10-speed high-performance racing bike components, narrow high-pressure tires and racing bike handlebars allow for an aerodynamic riding position and minimal rolling resistance.
Its magnetic folding system enables the rear wheel to be brought forward with a rotary movement – within a second and without needing to bend. Folded to half of its size, the VELLO bike can be wheeled along, into small elevators or the public transportation system. A specially developed and patented foldable mudguard protects the clothing in all weather conditions. To prevent theft, the bike is branded with a personal codification system that is linked to the profile of the owner on the VELLO website.
Honoring these innovations, VELLO bike was awarded the Red Dot: Best of the Best 2015:
“This folding bike fascinates with sophisticated functionality perfectly adapted to everyday use in urban areas. It captivates users with its well-balanced details and allows intuitive folding to a compact size. Equipped with multiple gears and specially designed magnetic shock absorbers, the bike delivers outstanding riding comfort. A beautiful bike that offers itself as an ideal companion for everyday use”, stated the jury.
The impetus for the design came from the every day challenges one encounters in highly populated cities, such as theft, the need to stow the bike into small spaces, or bringing the bike into crowded public transportation systems.“The bike includes a lot of innovations which I couldn’t find from the shelf, so I needed to develop them myself” explained the designer, “I hope they will set new standards in the bike industry“.
Photographs © Leonardo Ramirez Castillo
