Sam's Bikes first look at the Vedluro Vandal | Seaotter Europe 2026
Sea Otter Europe in Girona gave European riders their first proper look at the Vandal, and one of the first people on our stand was Sam from Sam’s Bikes. Sam spent two months on the Rogue earlier this year, so he knows us well. He ran through the numbers on camera, then sat down with our co-founder Dan Wallace to talk about why we built a trail bike and who it’s for.
Why we built a trail bike
We launched with two bikes at opposite ends of the range, the Rogue for full gravity enduro riding and the Phantom for e-gravel. As Dan told Sam, a trail bike was always part of the plan, “something that the average Joe Bloggs or the elite rider can ride.”
Starting with the Rogue was deliberate. As a new brand we had to earn trust, and Dan says the quickest way to do that was to build something tough first. “We knew if we provided a bike that could perform, we could show consumers and riders that we’re built to shred.”
With that box ticked, the Vandal opens us up to a much wider group of riders. Sam pointed out that when the Rogue launched there were hardly any super enduro eMTBs around, and that end of the market is now crowded. Trail bikes are where most riders are, and that’s exactly who we built the Vandal for.
“This is a bike that suits most riders out there.”
Lighter, more playful and more powerful
The Vandal runs 160mm of travel up front and 145mm at the rear, adjustable up to 152mm, on the same i-track mid-pivot suspension as the Rogue. It ships as a mullet, but a flip chip lets riders run it as a full 29er, and a second chip at the shock changes how it feels. We wanted a bike that keeps up with the rider, so when they get bored in three months or travel to different trails, they can simply flip it around. “That allows you to get one bike for all,” he says.
The bigger news is the power. The Vandal takes either a 700Wh or 800Wh battery, and choosing the 700Wh lets the Avinox M2S run at full output, 1,500W peak and 150Nm of boost torque. The complete bike weighs from 20.6kg.
“We weren’t able to access the full power of the M2S with the 800 battery. Now with the 700, and 2kg lighter, it is a weapon.”
It comes in four sizes. On a large, reach is 485mm, with a 64-degree head angle and a 78-degree effective seat angle. Chainstay length grows with frame size, 440mm on the small and medium, 443mm on the large and 447mm on the extra large. Sam was quick to call that out. “Absolutely love that, because that’s what the riders want out there.”
Built for builders
Like the Rogue, the Vandal will be sold as a frame-only kit as well as a complete bike. We think that matters even more on a trail bike. Plenty of Rogue owners have built their own, but far more riders have an older trail bike or eMTB sitting in the garage.
“There’s a huge amount of people that have older ebikes, acoustic bikes, manual bikes that can strip those parts and put them on the Vandal.”
For those riders, Dan says it’s an economical way into a high-performance carbon bike, “so it’s not super expensive,” without paying for a full build.
Vandal or Rogue
Sam’s last question was the one most riders will be asking. Which bike should you buy? Dan says it comes down to the kind of trails you ride.
“If you’re riding grade three, grade four, you like flowy trails, you’re not an aggressive downhill rider and you want to go for longer, lighter rides, that would be the Vandal. It’s almost like a park bike in its own right.”
For riders who want to go bigger, he points straight to the Rogue.
“If you’re looking to really flatten the ground, full gravity, hardcore, go nuts and basically bulldoze through every bump, that is Rogue.”
Either way, Dan says you can’t go wrong. “Both amazing, both capable.”
A brand for riders
When Sam asked about the riders behind us, Dan started with everyone who owns one. “Everybody’s an ambassador for Velduro,” he said. “Velduro is a brand for riders.” It’s the reason our bikes come with frame-only options, long dropper posts and plenty of room to adapt, “because that’s what riders want.”
We’ve got plenty of talent on board too. Brook MacDonald rides and trains on the Rogue and is working with us on the Bulldog, our analogue downhill bike. Elliott Heap rides for us in the UK, and rising Kiwi talent Tuhoto Ariki trained on a Velduro in France during his World Cup campaign. Our plan is to keep giving back as we grow, and one day we would love to sponsor and build trails of our own. “As we grow, our ambassadors will grow.”
When riders can get one
Our first containers are due to land in the last week of February, with complete bikes on trails in Europe, New Zealand and North America from March. Pre-orders will open once the website update goes live, with studio photos and the frame-only timing to follow. Dan’s message to anyone waiting was simple. “Hang in there, riders. We’re pretty keen to get out there.”
We’re getting a Vandal to Sam before general release, so keep an eye on Sam’s Bikes for his full review. For the story so far, read our first look at the Vandal from Shanghai 2026, or explore the Rogue in the meantime.
