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A bicycle brand founded by a father-and-son team in Gateshead has hinted at growth following a major award win and new funding.

Vielo Sports was set up eight years ago by Ian Hughes and his son Trevor using their experience in the bike trade, including having run a distribution company on Tyneside. The pair have invested more than £750,000 in the brand which offers a range of road, race and gravel models.

The Gateshead-based firm scooped Gravel Bike of the Year 2024/25 at the cycling news outlet Road CC's annual awards. Judges praised the firm's Vielo V+1 Race Edition model as being "incredibly capable".

Ian Hughes, a former BBC presenter who subsequently helped bring the Scott mountain bike brand to the º£½ÇÊÓƵ, 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."

Vielo's bikes are designed in Gateshead with input from German engineers and Taiwanese Carbon Fibre experts. The brand was originally set up to appeal to third or fourth-time buyers who value high-end design, materials and detailing. Prices of the models start from £4,500.

Since investing £750,000, Vielo has secured additional six-figure funding to expand its operations and export its high-performance bikes internationally.

Trevor Hughes added: "We chose to design the bike from carbon fibre because it’s a material we have a lot of experience with. It’s also a material that 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 but retaining stiffness where you need it most. It’s also known for being incredibly strong and lightweight.

"The Vielo V+1 goes where you want to go - road, gravel, mud tracks, wherever. ISO 4210 certification means it is tough and up for the job.”