VELLO: a high performance, handmade, magnetically-folding bicycle

VELLO: a high performance, handmade, magnetically-folding bicycle
all images courtesy of valentin vodev and valerie wolff

valentin vodev is a designer who’s been fascinated with mobility products and wheels ever since childhood. in preparation for a trip to the caribbean with two friends, he made the first prototypes of ‘VELLO bike‘ to explore all corners of the country. the adventure was a success, and so he joined forces with valerie wolff, bike-lover and startup enthusiast, to imagine a cycle that is user-centered and to plan the market entry. the team eventually expanded to include jakob illera and paris maderna, mechanical engineers and product developers, to work on the details and to perfect the project. the process involved drawing, redrawing, modeling, remodeling, building and rebuilding, testing and retesting – until all involved felt confident enough to put their stamp of quality on the folding bike and present it at vienna design week 2014.

the specially developed, compact mechanism, combined with a magnetic shock absorber, ensures that the rear wheel can be brought forward with a simple, hands-free, rotary movement. this has been optimized to take away the need for annoying hinges, enabling the vehicle to be easily and smoothly transported everywhere from the comfort of your driveway to bumpy streets in the city. the front and rear lights are integrated into the frame’s seat post clamps to prevent the need to attach and detach compartments depending on the time of day. in addition, the foldable fenders and mudguard keep your clothes clean in all types of weather, with an understanding of the parts that may otherwise be exposed to water, sand, mud, and other residue that may be kicked up while traveling. its 20-inch wheels make the overall size smaller and more responsive when compared to its competitors, efficient for the city where many stop-go motions are part of your everyday commute.

the folding mechanism enables the bike to be wheeled along everywhere

all of these features are protected by a personalized and unique identification code. each VELLO comes with an ID which can be linked to your online profile on the brand’s official website. the graphic, which serves as a deterrent against theft, is protected from vandalism by a layer of varnish. the project is currently looking for funding on kickstarter here.

easy use with public tranportation

VELLO rocky

VELLO urbano

folding mudguards

front and backlights are integrated into the frame

the specially-developed folding mechanism is combined with a magnetic shock absorber

VELLO speedster 

the bike can be folded in half with one move without having to use your hands 

its compact body allows it to be easily stored

the bike is caters to people of different preferences and lifestyles 

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.