Vielo V+1 Race Edition Force AXS XPLR 2024

Straight out of the box, the Vielo V+1 Race Edition feels nimble and flickable, and a huge amount of fun to ride – and that's not just on the dry, hardpacked trails most 'quick' gravel bikes can cope with, this one performs on even the wettest and muddiest trails.

Vielo has gone bold with the new V+1 Race Edition's paint job, and with its low weight, excellent stiffness and massive tyre clearance, this bike is pushing what a performance-orientated gravel bike is capable of.

> Buy now: Vielo V+1 Race Edition for £6,049 from Vielo

Check out our guide to the best gravel bikes, for options from £449 to over £11,000… 

Vielo V+1 Race Edition: Ride

This isn't the first time I've ridden Vielo's V+1, having reviewed the Strato model back in 2022, and I was a big fan. With a frame designed purely for a 1x chainset, it had huge amounts of stiffness around the bottom bracket area, which meant it was rewarding to ride hard while still managing to be comfortable too.

That's all true of the Race Edition too, but this one is much lighter – around 700g in fact – which definitely ups the fun factor, and its responsiveness. Overall, this V+1 tips the road.cc Scales of Truth at 8.52kg, which may not sound super light if you are used to road bikes, but for a performance gravel machine with 50mm-wide tyres it's very impressive. Most importantly, it feels light in the real world.

The geometry is on the racy side. Nothing too extreme, but I had plenty of drop from the saddle to handlebar, which made me feel like I was on a bike that meant business in terms of speed. My main testing loop for gravel bikes is on the ridgeway skirting the edge of Salisbury Plain, which at this time of year is heavily exposed to the wind, so being able to hunker down and get as aero as possible was a bonus in what has been a stormy start to the year.

An aggressive position doesn't mean an aggressive front end, though. The handling has a large degree of neutrality to it, with just enough speed to keep the steering direct and responsive; when you add in the wheelbase length of 1,057mm (size medium) you have a very stable machine. Ideal in slippery wet, muddy conditions.

On some rides I spent most of the time sideways, with the rear wheel constantly stepping out as it tramlined through the troughs gouged in the mud from off-road vehicles or other bikes, and I was amazed by how controllable the V+1 feels.

There's loads of feedback throughout this bike, and a twitch of the hips or adjustment of the wrists is all it takes to make sure it remains rubber side down.

That gives a lot of confidence to the rider, and even when the tyres were well out of their depth in terms of grip, I never felt that the V+1 was ever really out of control. Challenging at times, yes, but never to the point where I just wanted to get off and push.

Firmer trails are where you can really let the Race Edition fly. The wide tyres allow you to just soak up the bumps while the low weight gives you the means to bunny hop and flick the bike over rocks and roots if your route of choice is some twisty singletrack. The tyres fitted to our test bike aren't the standard spec – it should be 50mm Continental Terra Hardpacks – but the knobbly Conti Race Kings, also 50mm wide, are ideal for the current conditions.

The handling never feels flustered at speed, and thanks to the stiffness at the front end the V+1 becomes a point and shoot machine as your velocity increase.

For hard efforts on the climbs, or when sprinting just for the fun of it, the stiffness throughout the rest of the frame means you feel efficient and your efforts aren't in vain. In fact, I think that word sums up the V+1 very well indeed – efficient.

Not everyone wants to race everywhere, though – I certainly don't – so it was a big bonus to find that the Vielo works very well on those longer, more endurance-focused adventure rides.

The slender seatstays bring a noticeable amount of comfort-inducing flex to the rear end, which soaks up some of the bumps and high-frequency vibration. Even the chainstays are slender in comparison to many other frames, which also adds to the compliance at the rear, though Vielo has restricted this to the vertical plane. When climbing or accelerating, the rear triangle still feels tight, with no unwanted movement from side to side.

The geometry also works on those longer rides. As I've said, the front end isn't aggressively low and that longer wheelbase means that the lack of twitchiness in the V+1 makes for an easygoing ride.

The only slight negative I'd say out of the whole ride experience is that at very low speeds the wide tyres can feel a little ponderous and make the steering a little slow. I'm talking walking pace here, but it's worth bearing in mind when negotiating tight turns on the trail or passing through gates. As soon as you move above 5mph that disappears, and the merits of the wide tyres outweigh the negatives.

Vielo V+1 Race Edition: Frame & fork

The Gen 2 V+1 frames are generally split into two offerings, the Strato and the Alto. The former is the cheaper, slightly heavier model at a claimed 1,100g, while the Strato is just 880g.

The Race Edition frame is the same as the Alto in terms of weight, but whereas the two above have semi-integrated cable and hose routing, this one is fully integrated and intended for use with wireless groupsets only, creating one very clean-looking bike while reducing the chance of snagging a cable or hose on a passing branch.

The uncluttered look also makes it easy to fit frame and bar bags, with probably the only downside being having to install the hoses in the first place. I'm not saying it is, as it's not something I've needed to have a go at.

The Race Edition also gets this vibrant Orange to Pink fade paintwork, which looks stunning in the flesh and gained plenty of appreciation out on the trails.

Also, just like all of the frames in Vielo's catalogue, the V+1 Race Edition is designed to run a 1x chainset. There is literally no room to run a second ring, and therefore you also don't need a front mech. This means everything around the bottom bracket area is symmetrical. There is no need for a dropped drive-side chainstay to increase tyre clearance, for example.

This area of the frame is suitably chunky for resistance to pedalling forces and hard efforts out of the saddle, highlighted by how much stiffness is on offer, as I referred to in the Ride section above.

Vielo has gone for a BB386 Evo press-fit bottom bracket, and while I can hear the sound of air being sucked in through teeth as you read this, it really hasn't thrown up any issues in terms of reliability or creaking in what has been a very wet and muddy review period. Vielo has obviously made sure that the tolerances between the frame and the bottom bracket cup diameters have been kept very tight to ensure smooth running and minimising water ingress.

As I've also touched on, tyre clearance is impressive. Many gravel bikes can take 47mm to 50mm tyres on 650B wheels, but 700C setups usually top out at around 45mm, maybe even a bit less on gravel race bikes, but this one is easily swallowing the 50mm Continental Race King tyres it's fitted with (not the standard spec, but the same width), with plenty of mud clearance either side and at the seat tube.

Kit carrying has been thought about, too, with mounts aplenty. Bottle cage mounts can be found on the seat tube, underneath and on top of the down tube, the latter having three bolts, giving you some adjustment if you are running a large frame bag.

On the top tube you also get mounting points for a bento-style bag or another cage.

Being a race-styled bike there are no mounts for mudguards or racks, and none on the fork legs either. With the variety of bar, frame and saddle bags on the market, though, I don't feel like the V+1 would be lacking ability in terms of load lugging.

Wheel retention is taken care of by 12mm thru-axles, and the brake callipers are flat mount. Nothing of a surprise there, but hey, it's the bike industry and we haven't had any new standards for a couple of weeks, so something is bound to be changed soon.

Vielo V+1 Race Edition: Geometry

The V+1 is available in five sizes ranging from XS to XL. Those cover top tube lengths of 505mm to 605mm effectively, as in, if the top tube was horizontal.

We have the medium, with a 555mm top tube, 393mm of reach and 572mm stack height. The head tube is 145mm in length with an angle 70.5 degrees, while the seat tube angle is a steeper 74.25 degrees.

Fork rake is 48mm, and its overall length from the base of the head tube is 407.5mm.

As I've touched on, the wheelbase is 1,057mm including the chainstay length of 435mm. The bottom bracket drop is 70mm.

Overall, nothing too outlandish in terms of the numbers there. The seat angle is a touch steeper than a fair few gravel bikes, and the head angle is possibly a touch slacker, but on the whole no surprises and everything just works.

Vielo V+1 Race Edition: Groupset

The build option we have here is based around SRAM's Force D2 XPLR eTap groupset which I personally think is one of the best setups out there.

It's a 12-speed completely wireless group which uses a wide-ranging 10-44T cassette mated to Vielo's own chainring, available in a choice of sizes between 38T and 50T; our bike is running a 44T which offers a great spread of gears. Yes, it's a bit gappy in places, but a narrow cadence isn't as important on gravel as it is on the road for me, so no big issue there.

The cranks are still SRAM Force.

If you wanted to extend the gearing range you could add a Classified rear hub to (as on Vielo's R+1 road bike that I reviewed recently), basically giving you a 2x gearing setup without the need for a second chainring and front mech.

You can also add a SRAM power meter to the build.

From a performance point of view the gear shifting of the groupset is absolutely spot on, even when the components are coated in mud and grit. The shift buttons are always easy to locate, even when wearing gloves, and are large enough that slippage isn't an issue when using them in the wet.

For shifts down the cassette (harder gear) you use the button on the right-hand lever, and to go back up you use the left-hand one, although this is customisable. Also, should you ever want to run one of SRAM's wireless dropper posts you can operate by using both lever buttons at the same time.

For the braking Vielo has gone for a 160mm rotor on the front and 140mm at the rear, which provides ample stopping power. Modulation on SRAM's hydraulic systems has improved over the years with the latest versions feeling much less grabby. This gives you loads of control when using the front and rear brakes together or independently, to slow or control your line through a bend or on technical terrain.

Vielo V+1 Race Edition: Finishing kit

Away from the groupset, Vielo uses its own integrated handlebar/stem setup for the cockpit, which is available in a range of bar widths and stem lengths at the point of order. Overall, it's a setup I liked: plenty of stiffness for out-of-the-saddle efforts, but with enough damping there to control vibration and increase comfort.

You can also get a 3D-printed out-front computer mount as you see here, for an extra £45.

The only downside to the bar – especially at this time of year – is that it restricts your choice of front light because of its aero shape. That's not a problem unique to the Vielo, as any bike with this kind of handlebar has the same problem, it's just something worth bearing in mind if your winter riding tends to be in the evening like mine is. Without a compatible light, it restricted me to only being able to ride the R+1 at the weekends unless I could squeeze in a few hours during the working day.

For this kind of money, though, I guess the R+1 might be a summer-only machine and lights won't be a concern.

The seatpost is also a Vielo model, 400mm in length and with a diameter of 30.9mm. The sloped top tube of the R+1 meant I was riding with a lot of seatpost exposed, and the flex was noticeable, bringing a bit of added comfort.

A sandpaper-style effect is added lower down on the post to stop slippage, which works well, and adjustment takes place by way of a bolt and expanding wedge assembly hidden within the seat tube.

For the saddle Vielo has gone with the catchily named Selle Italia SLR Novus Boost Evo X-Cross Manganese Rail and it's a good choice, well for me at least, saddles being a very personal thing and all that. I like the slender padding and the slightly curved shape.

Vielo V+1 Race Edition: Wheels & tyres

Moving south, you can see that our review model comes equipped with a set of Zipp 303 wheels, which are an £850 upgrade over the standard DT Swiss G1800s. While I think Zipp's wheels are pricey when buying them individually, I can't criticise their performance, and I'd say they are a worthy upgrade for that price.

For a lot of the gravel tracks and trails we have in the UK, aerodynamics aren't usually a concern, but much of the stuff I ride on is wide, flowing military routes for transporting tanks and trucks around, with good drainage and a hardpacked surface, so I can exploit some deep-section wheels.

The Zipps took plenty of abuse and stick, mostly from me riding through puddles and not realising how deep the potholes beneath were, but they took it all in their stride with no issues concerning trueness or durability.

As I said earlier, the tyres fitted to our test bike aren't the tyres you will get as the standard build. The Race Kings are actually from Continental's mountain bike range (cross country racing, specifically), but they certainly made it possible to review the bike in the current weather conditions. Vielo specifies Continental's Terra Hardpack on its website, and although the same width, they have a pretty much smooth central section for fast rolling in dry conditions, with treaded shoulders for extra cornering grip.

I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've ridden the Race Kings, and I was impressed overall. Their tread isn't quite deep enough to cope with as much mud as they were asked to deal with over the last couple of months, but they certainly gave it a go.

On firmer surfaces they bite well, and with a relatively soft compound they give back plenty of feel from the trail, plus they are no slouches on the road either. I'd call them good all-rounders, and they'll get you through all but the wettest months of the year with confidence. Their reliability was fine, too, with no punctures or cuts.

Vielo V+1 Race Edition: Value and pricing

There are four models in the Race Edition line-up, topped by the WTB Race Edition model with its rainbow paintjob, SRAM Force groupset, power meter, WTB carbon wheels, and a starting price of £9,999.

The other three models all have this orange/pink fade paint and use either SRAM Red XPLR AXS, SRAM Force XPLR AXS (this one) or SRAM Rival XPLR AXS, with prices starting at £7,699 (including Zipp wheels), £5,199 and £4,399 respectively.

With the Zipp wheels added, our review model comes in at £6,049 (£6,094 including the computer mount) and if you wanted the power meter, you'd be paying £6,448 in total.

As mentioned above, with DT Swiss G1800 wheels and no power meter this bike would be £5,199, plus £45 for the computer mount.

Vielo currently has a deal running on its website whereby if you order a Force-equipped bike, it'll upgrade the components to SRAM Red free of charge.

Competition-wise, Canyon describes its latest Grail as a 'Pure performance gravel racer', with the latest generation focusing on aerodynamics, performance and compliance. I'd say that makes it a similar kind of bike to the V+1 Race Edition, and Suvi was certainly impressed when she reviewed the Grail CF SLX 8 Di2 recently.

The Grail CFR AXS, which uses the lighter flagship frameset in the range, weighs in at a claimed 8.04kg using SRAM's Red AXS groupset and a DT Swiss GRC1100 carbon wheelset. It has an RRP of £7,649, but with Canyon's Bike Guard box (£18.99) for delivery and UK shipping (£49.99) that jumps to £7,717.98, which is a touch more than the Vielo with free delivery to mainland UK. The Grail is limited to 40mm tyres, too.

Specialized's Diverge range tops out with the Expert Carbon model at £5,750, in terms of the rigid bikes, that is; you can get more expensive options in the Diverge STR range, but they come with clever suspension systems.

The Expert Carbon comes with a SRAM Rival AXS groupset and 32mm-deep carbon-rimmed Roval wheels, so a fair bit pricier than the equivalently specced Vielo.

Vielo V+1 Race Edition: Conclusion

Overall, I really loved riding the V+1 Race Edition, and even if you go for the entry-level SRAM Rival model with DT Swiss wheels you are still getting all of the versatility, great ride quality and simplicity of a 1x system for not a lot of money – relatively speaking.

I just love the way that the V+1 behaves. The geometry is spot on. It's an easy bike to ride regardless of the conditions, which makes sure things are always fun, and if you want to push it on more technical trails it won't let you down there either.

It's well balanced, incredibly comfortable and gets close to bridging that gap between gravel and mountain bikes with the ability to run these large tyres.

Verdict

All the capabilities of an adventure bike, but with the performance, low weight and characteristics of a gravel racer