Item: Vela Bikes
Rating: 3
Author: Sam C

Vela Bikes sells pedal-assist E-Bikes with swappable batteries, lights, and built-in GPS and security systems.

Vela was born in São Paulo, Brazil with a goal to create elegant, connected e-bikes that allow its riders freedom in mobility. Eight years later, we have sold thousands of our e-bikes and helped our riders explore millions of miles on two wheels. We now call Brooklyn, NY home and have assembled a world-class group of designers, engineers, developers, and team members.

The Vela e-bike is as smart as it is subtle, as fierce as it is elegant, and as original as it is nostalgic.

Victor Cruz

Justin Kosmides

Vela Bikes

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Sam - Thanks for your review. You have been posting on our social and ads (as well as other ebike brands) over and over for a while now. I know you have your connection to Wing Bikes - either as an investor, advisor or owner. I would love to connect for coffee sometime and see what we both can do as NYC based bike companies to help the community. We don't feel the need to do this to other brands in the market, we believe there is a bike for everyone and stand by our product. I hope you have a great day. Feel free to reach out at justin@velabikes.com. Best,

Though it's an e-bike, it's still a bike. If you're going to be commuting every day on a bike for the first time like I did, be ready to change a flat tire or adjust your brakes every once in a while. Knowing the local bike shop is a must.

I was intrigued by Vela's unique e-bike design (and frankly, the cool marketing) and have been using my bike in NYC for about 6 months. You get a lot for what you pay for - for the lower cost end of e-bike prices, you get the feel and personal touch of the big ones like Vanmoof. 

Highlights for me are over the air updates, the removable battery, and being able to lock and unlock the bike from anywhere. I would recommend it for a first time bike rider like myself. 

I almost forgot - trust me, get one of the Grudi phone holders... it's a must. I feel naked without my phone there on the handlebar.

The latest firmware app update was great and I'm looking forward to the future updates to come. I don't have any recommendations on improvements. Everything has worked great so far! 

I am obsessed with my Vela bike - the look, the added pedal assist and the easiness of getting around. I've received so many compliments. The overall experience has been nothing short of amazing! I would highly recommend this bike! 

Love our Vela! It’s such a stylish, easy-to-ride, low-carbon way to get around! 

Really nice people who are trying to provide a good experience but you’re paying for flashy marketing and cheap feeling bike. I know bikes well and the components are shoddy, the gears cause you to spin out and trust me having to remove the seat to remove the battery is a nightmare. I ended up selling it and got narrowed my decision to wing bikes and vanmoof. I ultimately got the wing x which was the best value for what it offers. I do like vela, I just think they have a lot of work to do to make this less of a cranky product. I’m also concerned about how real the other reviews are on here  

first, there were missing pieces on the bike frame when it first arrived (multiple months late during the pandemic). second, the battery longevity is much shorter than advertised. finally, it worked well until it didn’t. my bluetooth capability has not been functional since july 2022. after multiple contacts with their support team, the bike has been gathering dust and no solutions have been offered. it is a huge waste of money and there is no manual way to disable the bluetooth brakes.

Love the look and feel of the bike. Super fun to cruise around town in and big fan of the boost button!

Excellent and quick to respond customer service experience. 

One of the best purchases I've made in a long time. This bike rides as good as it looks. Extremely smooth ride, intuitive app and generally easy to do anything you need - including removing the battery to charge (there are two options, both of which are easy and convenient), taking the front wheel off for transportation and changing the assist function. 

Aesthetically, this is as good as it gets. Very clean design and clearly very high quality materials across the board.

I LOVE my Vela bike. It’s so beautiful (coral), rides beautifully and that makes me so happy. I get a lot of compliments and the Vela staff has been very supportive answering all of my questions. Justin has been the best. Thank you, Justin!

Only thing that I am curious about is the app updates. Their website says there is a 4g SIM card in the bikes, but I have not been able to connect to bike from afar. I'm wondering if this is something they are planning on rolling out in the future. 

I am a big fan of my Vela bike. I got the high step midnight blue model. It runs really smoothly, and the aesthetic is on point. The app is also great. And the customer support team is on top of things. I work and live in downtown Las Vegas, and it's great for commuting to work, or downtown bars. I recently bought the low-step forest green Vela bike for my partner and he's also a big fan. We're hoping to use our car a lot less. It's also great that they recently moved their manufacturing warehouse to Michigan. Great to know the bikes will be made in the USA.

Okay, I have been a competitive road  cyclist for a zillion years. When I was researching electric bikes I wanted something that didn’t look and feel like tank. I also wanted a bike that allowed me to ride and “add” assistance when I wanted. I was curious if any of the offerings would have software upgrades in the future to stay ahead of the changing technology. Enter VELA!  It has hit all of buttons and has turned out to exceed my expectations!  To wrap this up, Vela has taken the laborious step of moving manufacturing to Detroit with 5 star support (not that I have needed it.  But the questions I have asked have been responded to in record time.  These guys are for real. Order yours now. You will be disappointed!

The bikes are nice to use. I think that the battery is reliable. The bike was comfortable to use. I really liked riding around Santa Monica, CA