Father-and-son cycle manufacturer Vielo has won a prestigious international award for the best overall gravel and adventure bike, following a significant £750,000 investment in brand development.

The Gateshead-based company, founded by Ian and Trevor Hughes in 2017, received the accolade from leading cycling publication Road CC, which praised the Vielo V+1 Race Edition as “an incredibly capable gravel bike that performs beautifully whether you’re on or off the beaten path.”

Designed in Gateshead, the bike is the result of a global collaboration, bringing together German engineers and Taiwanese carbon fibre specialists. Tailored for dedicated adventure cyclists, prices start at £4,500.

Since making this substantial investment, Vielo has secured additional funding to expand its operations and take its high-performance bikes to the international market.

Gravel biking has surged in popularity, offering a unique blend of road and mountain biking. Gravel bikes feature a more relaxed geometry than road bikes, providing stability and comfort over long distances and varied terrain.

Vielo’s Managing Director, Ian Hughes, said:

“The Vielo V+1 Race Edition was competing against major international brands, so for a small company from Gateshead to win the overall Gravel & Adventure Bike of the Year award is incredible. It’s a huge achievement and a proud moment for the whole team.

“In designing this lightweight bike, our goal was to create something truly unique—tailored to real-world riding conditions, built for versatility, designed around the user, and engineered to the very highest standards.

“The future for Vielo is incredibly exciting. We’ve navigated the highs and lows, investing in developing this bike and the business. We’re looking forward to a long-term, sustainable future for the brand, allowing us to expand globally and push forward with an ambitious programme of design and development for new products in the years ahead.”

Co-founder Trevor Hughes explained the engineering behind the award-winning bike:

“We chose to design the bike from carbon fibre because it’s a material we have a lot of experience with. It also allows us to shape and form the frame into tubes and profiles that give it the ride characteristics we desire—oval down tubes and flat, curved seat stays for comfort while retaining stiffness where it’s needed most. It’s also known for being incredibly strong and lightweight.

“The Vielo V+1 goes wherever you want—road, gravel, mud tracks, wherever. ISO 4210 certification means it’s tough and up for the job.”

In its award citation, Road CC praised the Vielo V+1 Race Edition, saying:

“Gravel Bike of the Year 2024/25 is the Vielo V+1 Race Edition, an incredibly capable gravel bike that performs beautifully whether you’re on or off the beaten path. Straight out of the box, it’ll impress you with its agile and responsive feel, providing a fun ride whether you’re on dry trails or tackling muddy, challenging conditions. It has all the capabilities of an adventure bike, but with the performance, low weight and characteristics of a gravel racer.”

With this prestigious award and ambitious expansion plans, Vielo is set to make a significant impact on the global cycling scene.