Velduro makes its Malverns Classic 2026 debut with the Vandal eMTB
Ben from the Velduro UK team recaps our debut the Malverns Classic 2026.
Malverns Classic 2026 was our first, and it was a big one. We showed the rideable Vandal prototype in public for the first time, sponsored the Velduro Enduro for the first time, and had two Velduro riders finish first and second overall in it.
The festival brings together riders, brands, dealers and media, and 2026 was its biggest year yet, with more than 10,000 people attending. Being there was an important step in our expansion across the UK, and it put our bikes in front of one of the country's biggest mountain bike audiences.
The Vandal's first public outing
The Vandal is our Avinox powered all-mountain eMTB with i-track suspension, and Malverns was the first time the public saw a rideable prototype. We first revealed it in Shanghai in May as a 3D-printed prototype, which you can read about in the Vandal reveal post. On the stand we had two rideable builds, one in Gloss Carbon Black and one in Gloss Jade Green Carbon.
Our dealer Trailz Bikes also built a one-off custom Vandal, with a green paint finish, a limited-edition green Trickstuff brake setup and a prototype EXT suspension fork.
The Vandal wasn't there just to be looked at. James Whitby rode the prototype in the Whip Off jump contest, then took it into the Velduro Enduro, where it got the kind of riding it was designed for. For a bike still in prototype development, that was a proper test.
First and second in the Velduro Enduro
This was the first year Velduro sponsored the Velduro Enduro, which kept the brand in front of riders and spectators all weekend and helped build our presence in the UK mountain bike community.
On the course, Velduro ambassador Elliott Heap took the overall win on his Velduro Rogue, finishing well clear of the field. Flynn Drilling-Court rode his Velduro to second overall. A one-two in the first Enduro we sponsored was hard to beat.
Riders, dealers and media at the stand
Alongside the Vandal, we brought a broad selection of the range, including the Rogue X and Rogue R electric mountain bikes, the Phantom e-gravel bike and our frame only options. Riders were keen to understand what Velduro is bringing to the all-mountain category, and the frame only option drew plenty of interest from people wanting to build their own bike around a Velduro frame.
Lots of existing Velduro customers stopped by as well, and many wanted an early look at the bikes joining the range. That was one of the best parts of the weekend. Malverns let us introduce Velduro to new riders, meet the people who already ride our bikes and hear what they want to see from us next.
The cycling media stopped by too. GMBN Tech were particularly interested in the Vandal and the Trails custom build, taking a close look at both and showing interest in featuring them. Not a bad result for our first Malverns.
Back at Malverns in 2027
Malverns gave us a chance to get the brand out to UK riders, support the racing, meet our customers and catch up with dealers and the wider mountain bike industry. The Vandal drew the most attention, but what stood out was the curiosity about Velduro as a brand and how many people want to see what comes next. We can't wait to be back in 2027.
If you want to see the bikes for yourself before then, you can find your nearest Velduro dealer below. For more on the Vandal, see the Vandal reveal post and Sam's Bikes' first look at Sea Otter Europe, where Dan Wallace explains why we built it.
