Silver Bicycle Design · 2023
Vello Sub Smart Utility Bike
- A' Design Award 2023 Silver Winner in Bicycle Design
- Awarded April 15, 2023
- CLIENT: VELLO Bike
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 569,940
- Verification code DC67C72A8C · Verify this award
About Vello Sub Smart Utility Bike
The Vello Sub is one of the lightest longtail e-cargo bikes on the market. The powerful electric motor and large battery capacity allows to perform everyday tasks with ease: the SUB is lightweight and can be lifted effortlessly, and equipment can be adjusted without tools making it multifunctional to accomplish daily tasks, such as transporting children or shopping. The Sub is just as powerful as much larger and heavier cargo bikes and offers space for up to two people as well as a front carrier. Even heavy loads (up to 210 kg total load) can be transported easily with the cargo bike.
Valentin Vodev's Vello Sub Smart Utility Bike emerges within the contemporary discourse surrounding sustainable urban mobility and human-centered transportation design, a field increasingly recognized for its intersection of engineering innovation, aesthetic refinement, and social responsibility, this photographic documentation captures the design's essential proposition through the universal language of familial joy, positioning the vehicle as an instrument of connection rather than mere conveyance, the extended cargo architecture demonstrates sophisticated understanding of proportion and balance, maintaining visual elegance despite functional demands that might otherwise compromise aesthetic coherence, the choice of steel blue finish suggests quiet confidence and technical precision while harmonizing naturally with urban environments, the integrated child seating system reveals careful attention to safety, comfort, and the psychological needs of young passengers who become active participants rather than passive cargo, compositional choices in this documentation emphasize the emotional resonance of the design experience, with the children's spontaneous celebration serving as authentic testimony to successful human factors engineering, the warm brick backdrop and ornamental ironwork provide cultural grounding within established European streetscape traditions, suggesting the bicycle's natural integration into historic urban fabric, the quality of afternoon light transforms a utilitarian moment into something approaching the poetic, inviting viewers to consider how thoughtful design elevates daily rituals into meaningful experiences, the image rewards contemplation of how transportation choices shape family dynamics, urban character, and environmental futures, what memories and relationships might flourish when the journey itself becomes a shared pleasure rather than a fragmented commute.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- The VELLO SUB (Smart Utility Bike) is one of the lightest longtail e-cargo bikes on the market. The powerful electric motor and large battery capacity allows to perform everyday tasks with ease: the SUB is lightweight and can be lifted effortlessly, and equipment can be adjusted without tools making it multifunctional to accomplish daily tasks, such as transporting children or shopping.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Frame: unisex, CroMo or Titanium
Size: one size (fits riders 150 cm to 200 cm)
Permissible total weight: 210 kg
Weight of SUB: from 24 kg (Titanium Singlespeed) to 28 kg (Chromoly with gears)
Dimensions folded: H:85 cm x L:180 cm x W:29 cm - Tags
- e-cargo bike, lightweight e-bike, compact cargo bike, family bike, Smart Utility Bike
- Production Technology
- We at VELLO use recyclable and environmentally friendly materials for the production of our VELLO Bikes. We also place great emphasis on the ease of repair and reusability of our components. We also upcycle many VELLO accessories.
Local manufacturing revitalises urban spaces, shortens distances, saves resources and offers our customers a unique shopping experience. We show that in an industry characterised by long supply chains, green alternatives can also be successfully implemented.
Local manufacturing revitalises urban spaces, shortens distances, saves resources and offers our customers a unique shopping experience. We show that in an industry characterised by long supply chains, green alternatives can also be successfully implemented. - Design Challenge
- In the category of cargo bikes, the standard norms of the bicycle world are suspended. On the one hand, there are no landmarks to follow. On the other hand, it opens up creative scope and room for innovation. The SUB is the pioneer model of a new category of bicycle - the compact and lightweight e-cargo bike.
The biggest challenge in the development of the SUB was to design the frame in such a way that it is as light and compact as possible, but at the same time so strong that the SUB is not inferior to larger cargo bikes in carrying capacity. Conventional cargo bikes are usually very heavy and large and especially in the city, where space is very limited. For this reason, they are often not suitable for people of smaller stature and those who are unable to lift the bike up stairs. The goal in developing the SUB was to make the cargo bike accessible to almost anyone and also adaptable so that the whole family can use it. - Project Duration
- 01.2022-10.2022 in Vienna
- Operation Flow
- The SUB is just as powerful as much larger and heavier cargo bikes and offers space for up to two people as well as a front carrier. Even heavy loads can be transported easily with the cargo bike. Permissible total weight: 210kg.
Thanks to the height-adjustable handlebars and the different seat posts, the bike fits everyone between 150 cm and 200 cm. The VELLO SUB can also be easily adjusted to the perfect riding position (more upright or sportier). - Research
- Designer Valentin Vodev was already working on the concept of the perfect mobility solution for urban spaces as part of his diploma thesis in London. One of the main results was that the bicycle as a light, maneuverable and climate-friendly means of transportation is best suited for urban areas. From this idea, VELLO Bike was founded and the initial focus was on building the lightest urban bikes, although work was also done in parallel on cargo bike solutions.
After several years in the bike industry and with feedback from VELLO riders and dealers, it became clear that there was a strong need in the urban space for a bike model that is capable of carrying heavy loads and at the same time is light, maneuverable and compact.
The development of the SUB was based on the IDE (Integrated Design Engineering) approach and the prototype development was divided into several phases (sketch, visualization, simulation and prototyping). The target group analysis was based on the Sinus Milieu Model and focused on the life behavior of the users. This approach resulted in the VELLO SUB (Smart Utility Bike), the alternative to the SUV. The SUB is available in two models, one in chromoly frame and stepless gears from Enviolo and the ultralight titanium frame model, which weighs only 24 kg in the singlespeed version, making it the lightest cargo bike in the world. - Inspiration
- Creating innovative, stylish and at the same time sustainable forms of mobility for the city - with this in mind, Valentin Vodev, industrial designer and VELLO Founder, developed the VELLO SUB, the family van among the sustainable means of transport. VELLO positions itself as a driving force behind the megatrend between connectivity and micromobility, with the goal of revolutionizing the
bicycle industry and offering people an environmentally friendly alternative to fossil-based vehicles. - Image Credits
- Studio Photos: Stephan Doleschal
Outdoor Photos: Leonardo Ramirez
Video: Roland Schafek
Colors of Vello Sub Smart Utility Bike
Get Vello Sub Smart Utility Bike
Lightweight E-Cargo Bikes for Urban Living
We revolutionize urban mobility with our award-winning electric cargo bikes, combining lightweight design with powerful performance. Our sustainable bikes handle 210kg loads while remaining compact and maneuverable for city life. Locally manufactured in Vienna using eco-friendly materials.
G0E26 Shop