Vello Bike Alfine in the test: How I finally became a folding bike freak

Somehow I even like recumbent bikes. The Austrian manufacturer Vello Bikes does not have these in its range. The Viennese are fully committed to the practical folding bike, whether with or without a motor. I’m only writing this to encourage you to get off the beaten track and look for mobility concepts that you may not have considered before. It is worth it!

Contents

1. The Vello test bike comes with Shimano Alfine gears

2. We’re taking a tour of Hamburg: how it rocks!

3. folding process

4. We also noticed that

5. Conclusion & alternatives

I spent two weeks with the Vello Alfine in Hamburg and the Lüneburg Heath. I went on excursions, went to get bread rolls on my bike and took it with me on overcrowded trains as a commuter. I didn’t just learn to appreciate the Vello bike. Actually, I don’t want to give it away anymore…

On the one hand, I like the practical use of the folding bike concept. Models such as the Fiido X folding bikes we tested, the GoCycle G4 or the Legend Monza quickly find space in the trunk or mobile home. You don’t have to remove the front wheel or the saddle to do this. Fold briefly and clean with it. The following things have always bothered me:

• Each manufacturer solves the folding principle differently and the result is “packages” of different sizes. What I like best so far is the folding process of the GoCycle G4.
• With models with chain and derailleur gears, you always get your hands and often your clothes dirty when folding and loading.
• Although folding bikes always come with small wheels, the weight is hardly any lower than that of normal bicycles and e-bikes.
• Driving fun often falls by the wayside. Thanks to the small wheels, it can be quickly turned around corners, but stability and comfort usually take second or third place.
• Accessories such as luggage racks and bags can often only be attached temporarily.

At Vello, they build folding bikes that weigh less than 10 kilograms. They are available in different versions, also with a motor, then as a Vello+ with the well-known good Zehus drive and optional Schlumpf speed drive, which also allows relaxed driving without a motor with a pleasant transmission beyond the permitted 25 km/h.

The Vello test bike comes with Shimano Alfine gears

For this test, however, I chose the Vello Alfine without a motor. This model already has a really great feature in its name, the hub gear from Shimano, in our case with eleven gears. Alternatively, they are also only available with eight gears.

The rear derailleur drives the price up sharply. While the Vello Rocky is available from 1,590 euros, the test model, which is comparable except for the Alfine gears, costs 2,590 euros. If you only plan to drive in flat urban areas, you can choose the 8-speed hub gear and pay 2,290 euros.

I strongly recommend shortlisting the Alfine circuit. On the one hand, this version always comes in combination with a spotless belt drive from Gates. I already mentioned it above, with the things that have always annoyed me so much about other folding bikes: “our” Vello Alfine has no oily chain, no rear derailleur, no front derailleurs that you have to treat like raw eggs when you put them in the trunk. Hands, clothes, car seats, luggage compartment on the train – everything stays clean.

We’re taking a tour of Hamburg: how it rocks!

Quickly select third gear using the Rapidfire shift lever and off you go. The smooth asphalt streets in front of the editorial building make me grin. You hear … nothing, nothing at all! Only the not exactly dainty Schwalbe Marathon tires provide a distant, contented whirring. Zack, zack, zack – skipping several gears at once, we work our way forward while pedaling out of the saddle.

It struck me (1.82 meters tall) that the handlebars could be a bit wider, a little closer to my wrists. But he can’t because the adjustable stem is already in the maximum position. The Vello Bike is only available with a unisex frame, in one size. The permissible total weight is 125 kilograms; the Vello Alfine, as we tested it, weighs 12.5 kilograms.

Vello Bike Alfine in everyday testing

On office days like these, I usually take every opportunity to “close the rings.” What is meant is the fitness app on my Apple Watch. But I’m not remotely thinking of starting a bike training session on the smartwatch. I am distracted. I just want to drive. Does not matter where. No matter how far. How that rocks!

With the Vello, I can turn corners at lightning speed. It’s less than five minutes before I jump the first curb, weave through parked cars, turn heads, and… suddenly, in the middle of the lane, I turn the wrong way onto a one-way street. Just come down. It’s been a long time since I’ve had so much riding fun and that’s not because, apart from a few outrageously expensive exceptions, I mainly test e-bikes for Netzwelt.

I wouldn’t want the Vello bike with a motor either. Even with the knowledge that the built-in Zehus drive has an “infinity mode”, if you do it right, you almost never have to charge the battery manually. I wouldn’t take the Vello with a motor because right now I’m in seventh folding bike heaven.

After the start of the traffic light, I “missed” a Vanmoof S3 standing next to me – the boost button was probably stuck. Then I effortlessly overtake the next pedelec at around 30 km/h. The Alfine hub gear lets me choose the right gear ratio at any time. Clack, clack, clack. That’s why I don’t miss the engine in the slightest. Of course, that could change on the first climb. You can hardly find them in downtown Hamburg. Off to the heath!

The Vello bike does not have suspension in the classic sense. At the back, where the bike can also be folded, there is a rubber damper that keeps the worst of it away from the spine. The moth does well on the dirt roads and is still comfortable to drive. The manufacturer even offers a gravel version of the folding bike with drop bars.

I get cocky and ride the test bike down a stretch of sand and, as expected, get stuck. Unnecessarily, I also lie on my side. Again, with a nod, I tip my virtual hat to the belt drive and Shimano’s encapsulated Alfine gears. Otherwise I should clean the derailleur and chain thoroughly afterwards.

Behind the first slope that deserves its name. The spirit level on the smartphone shows 18 percent, it doesn’t seem that steep to me. Sure, now a gentle push from an electric motor would ease my footwork. Instead, I select a lower gear and climb the incline quite comfortably.

I don’t break a sweat doing it. This speaks less for my fitness than for the finely adjustable, well-coordinated translation. On inclines like this I have already brought single-wheelers with motors to their knees. Despite the 250 watt motor in the rear, nothing worked anymore, especially since I’m still on loose ground.

folding process

Like every Vello (with the exception of the mini-Lastrades Vello Sub), the Vello Alfine folds into a package measuring 57 x 79 x 29 centimeters. It takes a little practice to get this right. First, a safety pin on the front wheel is pulled. There is another security here in the form of a knurled screw that needs to be loosened.

Then comes the trick: With a courageous jerk you separate the rear wheel from its magnetic connection. The rear wheel can then be locked parallel to the front wheel in its end position for transport, also magnetically. With the seat post still extended, you can push the Vello bike in front of you. We imagined that to be more practical than it was in everyday testing. Instead, we usually just carried the bike, which weighed around 12 kilograms, like a sports bag.

If you like or need it even more compact, you can now lower the seat post, fold in the elegant handlebar ends and the pedals. Then the Vello fits almost anywhere, for example under the desk in the editorial office.

We also noticed that

• The Vello Alfine is fantastically well made. Every detail is right here.
• The bike is a real eye-catcher. This applies to the tested version with a steel frame, but all the more so for the light (and expensive) variants with a titanium frame.
• The hydraulic disc brakes grip powerfully and vehemently slow down the folding bike if necessary.
• No joke – you can travel with this folding bike. The manufacturer offers numerous accessories, including bags and rack solutions.

Vello Bike Alfine

editorial rating 9.1 reader ratings

16 reviews

design and processing

10

equipment and components

8.0

Note on transparency: Vello Bike from Vienna loaned us the Alfine.

Vello Bike Alfine: The best alternatives

Don’t you agree? Are you looking for suitable alternatives? Below you will find the best Vello Bike Alfine alternatives. You can find an even more extensive list in our e-bike overview.