Vielo R+1 Campagnolo Record review: 1x for the road comes of age 

Vielo has been steadfastly behind single-chainring drivetrains for road and gravel since its foundation in 2017. Now, nigh-on a decade later, the latest incarnation of the brand's 1x road bike, the R+1, is a showcase for a reinvigorated Campagnolo and its slick 1x13-speed Record groupset. 

Unlike other 1x options for the road, the Vielo frameset was designed solely for 1x, so that means a more symmetric bottom bracket that Vielo claims makes for a 32% increase in stiffness at the bottom bracket over a 2x design.  

The bike is immensely reactive, it accelerates with an assured confidence and handles superbly. The optimum chainline afforded by the single ring means a smooth chatter- and vibration-free drivetrain, even when at the extremes of the wide 13-speed cassette. 

On the road, the R+1 immediately feels impeccably smooth. The 23mm internal-width Campagnolo Bora WTO wheels are shod with Continental’s wonderfully fast and compliant GP5000 S TR tyres in a big 35mm width.

That shapes the tyres true to size, and the 30mm-wide external dimension provides a smooth transition between rim and tyre. These are tyres I tested earlier in the year and loved, even though I don’t have many bikes they fit. There's no such problem with the Vielo, though, because it comes with a conservatively stated 35mm of clearance. 

The claimed weight of 1,460g is light for a 60mm-deep wheelset, and with the N3W Campagnolo hubs rolling on ceramic bearings, they add to the smooth slickness that is the overriding feel of the R+1. 

It’s rare for a bike to feel this smooth and comfortable, yet as stiff and responsive as the R+1 when you want to put your foot down.  

The 1x drivetrain means the chainstays can be significantly shorter because there are less extreme angles on the chainline to accommodate. Even with the huge 35mm tyres, the R+1 has compact 400mm chainstays. This gives the bike a super-agile feel, making it a wonderfully balanced descender with fast responses yet a vibration-free feel. 

The ride position is longer and lower than traditional endurance bikes, giving the Vielo a racier ride position. However, it's not to extremes that’ll make less flexible riders feel uncomfortable. 

The large-volume tyres provide grip in spades, and meant backroads and light gravel didn’t faze me when out riding. It makes the R+1 an ideal bike for changeable British conditions. It’s just a shame it doesn’t have mudguard eyelets because otherwise I’d be more than happy to ride it all year round. 

Campagnolo is a rarely seen drivetrain on modern complete bikes, but on the evidence of the Record X components here, that’s an anomaly that should be rectified. 

The upshifts are swift and snappy, and I like the ergonomics, which emulate the old thumb trigger that was Campagnolo’s signature design back in the days of premium mechanical shifting. Downshifts are swift too, although the first big jump from the 36-tooth sprocket down to the 30 can clatter a bit when shifting under load. That said, I haven’t dropped the chain even on rougher ground thanks to the in-built clutch, and the chain settles into the teeth on the large cassette quickly and smoothly. 

Where Record really impresses is with the braking. The feel at the lever is wonderfully progressive, weighting up as you apply pressure, and offering far more feel than Shimano’s lighter touch and SRAM’s quicker ramping. The brakes are also noticeably quieter than SRAM and Shimano, especially when hot. 

The £7,999 price for this R+1 is hard to compare against its rivals, firstly because there aren’t many 1x road options around, and secondly there are even fewer that offer Campagnolo Record as a build option. This R+1 also has the Bora WTO wheel upgrade, while the standard package with Campagnolo’s carbon Zonda wheels is £5,999. 

That said, 3T’s Strada Italia is more expensive at £8,409.99 / $10,499, with SRAM Force XPLR, Fulcrum’s Sharq wheels and 32mm Continental tyres.  

Cannondale’s aluminium CAAD14 limited edition, with 1x13 Force XPLR AXS, is priced at £7,500 / $7,499, which is expensive for an aluminium road bike, no matter how good it looks. 
 
Cervélo offers the new Soloist with 1x13 Force at £7,000 / $8,500. That, however, is a race bike, so not appealing to the same endurance bike fans as the Vielo. That's also true of Ridley’s Noah Fast 3.0. Built using Ridley’s configurator with Force 1x13 and Zipp 404s, it costs £7,933 / €7,999. 

As impressed as I am by the functionality of the Vielo’s 1x drivetrain, the real winner here is the quality of the ride. The Vielo rewards you with quick handling and a nimble feel, yet with a vibration-damping ride that makes it almost unique among endurance bikes.

It successfully blends the exciting handling of a race bike with the all-day comfort of an endurance bike. That's wrapped up in an impeccably finished frameset, with its stainless-steel insert scratch guards at the dropouts and wonderfully sharp paint.

Add in great contact points with the cockpit, Vielo bar tape and great saddle, and It's obvious the R+1 is a quality offering. 

The case for 1x on the road 

In the past, 1x drivetrains on the road have come under criticism, from the ill-fated Aqua Blue running single rings back in 2018. A lot has changed in the intervening years – cassettes have got wider and the number of gears have grown. 

I was impressed by Cannondale’s 1x SRAM Red XPLR 13-speed Synapse Lab 71, although that was a much more expensive bike at £13,000 / $16,000. 

This R+1 has a 48-tooth chainring and wide 10-48 cassette, gives a huge 480% gear range with a 1:1 lightest gear for climbs and a big 48/10. That’s a 4.80 ratio – a close equivalent to a classic 53/11 (4.81 ratio), or a little bit taller than a ‘pro-compact’ 52/11 (4.72). 

Some criticise 1x setups for lacking close ‘gear progression’. I’d counter that the 10-48 Campagnolo Record cassette (much like SRAM’s options) has close gear progression where it's needed.  

Its range progresses in single-tooth jumps from the 10 to the 14, then two teeth from 14 to 18, then spreads to 21, 25, 30, 36, 42 and finally 48. That means the core gears I use the most (10 to 21) are as close as a 2x setup, yet I don’t have the extra weight of a second ring and front derailleur, and the gear duplication that brings.

For example, if you were running a 52/36 with an 11-34 cassette on a 2x12-speed drivetrain, that comes with six overlapping/duplicated gears. So, a drivetrain offering nominally 24 gears has 18. 

Vielo R+1 bottom line 

The R+1’s great strength, besides its drivetrain simplicity, is its smoothness. The large-volume tyres rolling on wheels equipped with ceramic bearings are the key, as are the great contact points. Then there's Campagnolo’s Record X with its great-shaped hoods, braking full of feel and power, and great shifting.

The overriding feeling with the R+1 is one of quality. The frameset finish is impeccable, as is the quality of the assembly. I even found proper copper slip grease on the bottle cage bolts. Great practical touches such as stainless steel inserts on the fork and rear stays to guard against scratches add up to a bike that’s been seriously well thought out. 

I admire Vielo’s commitment to 1x for nigh-on a decade, and gratifyingly, the latest generation of Campagnolo Record 1x13 and SRAM’s 13-speed XPLR AXS ranges mean this British upstart finally has the components to prove that 1x is a true alternative to traditional 2x drivetrains.