Check out this loud and limited Vielo x WTB collaboration V+1 gravel bike

It is nearly summer and this Bike at Bedtime sure brings sunshine, ice cream, and dusty, dry rides to mind - to me, at least. Despite the looks, this Vielo V+1 gravel racer is not actually inspired by summer, but by the colourful 80s. Regardless of the inspiration for the paint job, Vielo and WTB have taken the description “colourful and loud” to another level with the bright and bold design of this limited collaboration bike. Let's have a closer look at how this masterpiece came to be. 

Vielo says this bike is a modern off-road racer with an eye on the past. It’s said to be inspired by the early 80’s Repack gang, and each bike is painted by Fat Creations in the UK. Creating the glossy Repack Rainbow colourway takes 50 to 60 hours of work! 

As we’ve come to know from Vielo since they launched in 2018, their bikes are all built around a 1x crankset. It says this distinctive frame design increased the bottom bracket’s lateral stiffness by nearly a third compared to an equivalent 2x design, plus provided a lot more freedom in engineering design and efficiency to other areas of the bike frame.

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“We are really looking forward to launching this collaboration with WTB. We share many synergies with WTB, in that Vielo was at the forefront of 1x only frame design, in the same way that WTB were there at the beginning of the mountain bike scene, plus we share a passion for making things better…….this V+1 Gravel bike will be only a limited run, and made to order. It will be a collector’s item and a real piece of cycling art,” Hughes said. 

The British bike maker has now got together with American bike tyre manufacturer, WTB. The brand was born in 1982 in California, with a bunch of buddies who wanted to improve their ill-equipped cruisers to tackle the trails of Mount Tam. Some say they were the original pioneers of Mountain biking in the early 80s.

“When the opportunity came up to collab with Vielo, it was a no-brainer. They have been great partners from the beginning. The concept came together through a few rounds of arm wrestling, and we landed at the most picturesque outcome. Striking components for a gorgeous bike.” – Heather McFadden Director of Marketing 

With WTB having been an OEM (original equipment manufacturer) for Vielo since it launched, so collaborating on this gravel beauty was natural. Vielo’s founder Ian Hughes suggested an idea about taking a look back at when WTB was born in 1982 and taking an influence of the colours, look and vibe that was going on at the time. Then doing a modern twist of this in collaboration with Vielo to produce a modern V+1 gravel bike, using WTB components and a frame colour design that was a ‘Resto-mod’ from the early, pioneering days of WTB.

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The frame is the obvious centrepiece here, and it is the Vielo V+1 Race Edition gravel frameset. Each frame’s paint will be slightly different and unique in the way the colour transitions are blended together, with Vielo and WTB logos placed as hidden ‘Easter Eggs’ on the frame. 

The bike is equipped with WTB CZR i23 carbon wheels, 45mm wide WTB Riddler tyres and WTB Gravelier carbon rail saddle.

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Vielo’s frames are designed to work with wireless shifting, and so the shifting on the Vielo x WTB V+1 is handled by the newest SRAM Force D2 12-speed eTap XPLR groupset with Quarq power meter crankset. Even the brake cables have been inside the frame to maintain that super sleek look. 

And the price? A full build will sell at £9,999 and a frame set alone sets you back £5,999. The bike is available direct from Vielo. 

As always, remember to check out our other Bike at Bedtime features and let us know what you think of this Vielo in the comments below!