Vielo R+1 Alto Classified

The Vielo R+1 Alto Classified, the British company's newest bike, has used the latest technology to turn a bike that is 1x only into one that effectively has the gear range of a 2x setup. It has achieved this by incorporating Classified's Powershift rear hub, which keeps the same simplistic and smooth lines that the R+1 is known for while adding versatility, and showcasing what's achievable when it comes to the latest road bike designs.

If you are in the market for a new road bike, do check our best road bikes buyer's guide, which covers machines from a modest £300 to a much less modest £13,000.

What is Classified?

Before I head into how the R+1 rides, just what is Classified's Powershift system and how does it work? After all, it is one of the defining factors when it comes to describing how the Vielo performs.

Since its launch in 2017 Vielo has created its frames solely to work with 1x systems and considering the gearing options available today – especially SRAM's wide-ranging eTap cassettes – this has worked very well.

In fact, when I reviewed the Force eTap-equipped Vielo R+1 back in 2020 I was very impressed. Single-chainring builds may not be for everyone, however, which is where this Classified-equipped model comes in.

The Powershift hub uses a planetary 2x gear system that operates wirelessly and is powered by contactless energy transfer from the thru-axle. This effectively moves the functionality of the front derailleur into the rear hub. You still use a rear derailleur and a multi-speed cassette in the normal way, it's just that there's no need for two chainrings.

The system works in much the same way as other internal gears, with one of the gears acting as a simple direct drive and the other gear giving a reduction to 70% of that.

For example, if you're used to running a 52/36T chainring setup, Classified recommends you pick a 52T ring. The resulting gearing would be pretty much identical, the Powershift reduction giving you the equivalent of a 36.4-tooth inner ring. And what's 0.4 of a tooth between friends?

Ride

The R+1 is a blend of speed, comfort and fun. Its geometry isn't as aggressive as a full race machine, or even that of some so-called endurance bikes, but from that you get balanced handling that allows you to ride it quickly through bends even if you aren't the most experienced or aggressive bike handler.

It's a bike that flatters, bringing stability and control to boost your confidence while the steering is still quick enough to help you relish the twisty bits. The wheelbase being a touch over a metre long adds to that planted feel, although the R+1 still manages to feel nimble through switchbacks and swooping corners alike.

There is a huge amount of stiffness through the bottom bracket area and the head tube, so pushing the bike hard is very rewarding. That makes the R+1 a capable sprinter should the need arise, and responsive too on the climbs.

Compared to 1x SRAM Force/Zipp equipped system on the 2020 bike I reviewed, this Classified option is just an extra 170g heavier at 7.87kg – but just as with that bike it feels much lighter on the open road and no slouch in the hills, and you have that reduction in gearing to help you up steeper and more challenging inclines to offset the added weight.

This version does lose a bit of top-end gearing compared to the earlier model, coming with an 11t sprocket rather than the smaller 10t, but not by a huge amount, so you won't see yourself spinning out on the descents that much.

With the 48t chainring paired to the largest 34T sprocket and with the 70% reduction achieved by the Classified hub, there were very few climbs I struggled on. The main benefit of the hub system is that it creates smaller jumps between gears, especially when compared with a 1x system with a wide-ranging cassette. It feels efficient and if you tend to ride in narrow cadence range, it makes a lot of sense.

You shift between the hub gears by using a thumb lever that's attached to the bar just below the left-hand shifter and it's relatively easy to use – and as long as you keep the power output below 1,000 watts it'll shift smoothly under load. Maybe not for Mark Cavendish at the business end of a sprint, but that should suffice for the rest of us...

When you use the Classified system with Shimano's Di2 it can be integrated into the shifter itself, so there's no need for the extra button. It would be great if this sort of collaboration could be arranged for SRAM levers because, as it stands, shifting between the two ratios doesn't feel all that natural – you have to drop your thumb to the button, which feels more of an add-on to the groupset rather than being an integral part of it.

One of the main things that shines through from the ride of the R+1 is the comfort. For such a stiff bike the Vielo has quite a plush ride even with the tyres pumped up hard, which is how I prefer them.

It may be a bit of a cliché, but it really is all about compliance, and Vielo has clearly done a great job with its carbon fibre lay-up and tube profiles.

There is no flex felt anywhere where it is not wanted, but the R+1 manages to damp any harshness.

Overall, from a ride point of view the R+1 is a well-rounded performance bike without any of the trade-offs of a full-on race machine. If you want a razor-sharp-handling bike then there are more direct, point-and-shoot frames out there, but if you want a bike that you can cover big distances on, at speed and in comfort, then this is a very clever bike.

Finishing Kit

The Classified model is launched today (April 20), so the model you see here is a pre-launch review model, which is why it comes fitted with SRAM Red.

Vielo will offer the production model with a largely SRAM Force D2 eTap groupset, with the Force 48t chainring replaced by a Vielo model and an 11-34 Classified cassette.

The rear mech is from SRAM's XPLR line-up, which is capable of covering sprockets from 10-44t, allowing you to use a range of different cassette sizes.

I've used the Force groupset on numerous bikes including the Wide AXS version.

I find the shifting to be quick and crisp, and easy to use thanks to the single button on each lever. One lever moves the chain up the cassette while the other side brings it back down.

The battery life is very good as well, and the recharge time for the rear mech takes just a couple of hours.

You get all the benefits of an electronic system, such as the lack of cable stretch, and if you do need to tweak the gear alignment, is very straightforward.

For the braking Vielo specced a 160mm front rotor, with a 140mm rear. That is plenty of power required for a road bike and SRAM's hydraulic systems give a great feel of modulation for control.

On top of all of that, we've obviously got the Classified system, which we have reviewed reviewed in depth here.

It includes the Powershift hub, and the thru-axle that contains the rechargeable battery and uses Contactless Energy Transfer (CET) technology which wirelessly transfers energy actuation via induction coils.

Yes, it's yet another component that you have to keep charged, but the battery life is said to last around two to three months depending on how much you ride, so you shouldn't have to mess about with it too much.

The wheels are also from Classified, though the production model will get CF R50s, deeper than the CF R35s shown, with a 50mm deep-section carbon fibre rim.

During the review period I found the whole system to work very well indeed regardless of the weather.

Classified's own wheels aren't necessarily that exciting compared to some of the wheelsets you can buy, but they offered decent performance and seemed reliable after riding on rough backroads and smooth main roads alike.

Many brands are now offer their wheelsets built around Classified's hubs, so the amount of options are growing.

Vielo will spec Continental's GP5000 on the Classified model in a 32mm width. We've reviewed nearly all the various tyre models in the range, and they are impressive in terms of performance, grip and rolling resistance.

The handlebar and integrated stem is a revised version over previous models, with a 5mm-deeper steerer clamp that Vielo says provides a stiffer stem. It comes with an out-front computer mount.

I like the shape of the aero handlebar and, along with the stem section, it is impressively stiff when it comes to efforts out of the saddle.

Finishing things off is the Vielo carbon fibre seatpost and a Selle Italia SLR Boost Super Flow carbon saddle.

Frame and Fork

The R+1 comes in two options, with this Alto version's frame weighing around 880g, with the Strato coming in a little heavier at 1,100g.

The only exit or entry point you'll find on the frame is the one for the rear brake hose as it leaves the chainstay. Other than that, it is a completely smooth frame, and the fork is much the same.

I'm a big fan of this yellow paint job with its subtle dark highlights, although there is also a new Cyan Blue colourway too.

As you can see, the R+1 is far from a conventional road frame, especially at the rear end.

The seat tube, due to the lack of the need for a front mech hanger can wrap nicely around the rear wheel, while the distinctively shaped seatstays sit very low – the R+1 is very much a sleek and aero-looking frame.

With no need to accept an inner chainring, there's no need to offset the chainstays to accept wheels or tyres, which means they can offer improved lateral stiffness.

Vielo recommends a maximum tyre width of 32mm, which is pretty wide for a performance road bike and similar to that found on the likes of Specialized's Tarmac SL7.

The R+1 is available in five sizes, ranging from XS to XL with effective top tube lengths from 505-605mm.

This one is a medium with a 555mm top tube. Its 142.5mm head tube is relatively short for a bike of this size.

The head angle is a surprisingly slack 71.25 degrees – surprising, as for a bike that handles this well at speed you tend to think of something with a steeper head angle. What we have here is something more akin to a gravel bike – as I say, though, that doesn't show up on the road.

The seat angle is 74.25 degrees, which goes in the other direction as it's steeper than that you'll find on many other road bikes.

This gives a stack and reach of 543.9mm and 401.1mm respectively.

The wheelbase is 1,011mm including 400mm chainstays.

Value

The Classified build as specced with the Force groupset and kit mentioned above will be available from Vielo for £6,999, with an upgrade to a Reverb AXS dropper post for an extra £650.

It's hard to say how that compares with the opposition, as while a fair number of brands both large and small have told us they're building Classified bikes, few have actually hit the market yet.

A Vielo R+1 Alto with a Force eTap groupset is currently £7,599 on Vielo's website, although admittedly that comes with Zipp's 303s wheelset (as we reviewed back in 2020), which does make the Classified build look very appealing.

Another British company Handsling has the Powershift-equipped CEXEvo gravel bike in its range and presently in stock. It comes with Parcours Alta wheels, SRAM Force eTap AXS and looks good value at £5699.99. I recently tested and was impressed by the non-Classified Powershift model.

Conclusion

With its 1x build only option the R+1 looks to be the perfect bedfellow for Classified's gear system and the partnership works very well indeed. As I mentioned earlier, I was happy with the 1x 12 speed system on the previous R+1 I tested, which had a huge range of gears but there were big jumps between some of them. The Classified hub reduces the gaps and gives you the equivalent range of a standard 2x setup.

Overall, whatever the gearing, I still consider the R+1 to be a great bike if you want speed and performance, but with the kind of handling that makes it an easy bike to ride for just about anyone. It's also extremely comfortable for a bike with such a stiff frame and fork.

Verdict

A fast, fun and comfortable road bike that exploits the clean lines of a 1x with the gear ratios of a 2x