In-House Innovation
We invited author, journalist, and cyclist Kelton Wright to take a closer look at the inner workings of how Velocio apparel is realized and created, starting with our most advanced kit to date — the athlete-only CONCEPT Off-Road Suit.
Making the Commitment
Velocio wasn’t built to follow trends. It was built to redefine expectations, to last, and to integrate into a cycling culture that cares more about the future than fads. Every element of their apparel is reconsidered, reworked, and refined—not for appearances, but for performance, for the athletes themselves. This approach isn’t about making incremental updates to satisfy a new season. It’s about solving real problems, listening to athletes, and never settling for what’s already been done.
Innovation isn’t a checkbox; it’s a practice and a commitment—something the athletes make every time they show up at the start line, something Velocio will always make with them.
Real Speed Doesn't Come From a Catalog
Velocio isn't interested in designs constructed on someone else’s framework simply for convenience and speed. Real speed, the speed that wins races, comes from relentless refinement. It’s this principle that attracted the htSQD.
The htSQD came to Velocio looking for a skinsuit that could handle the relentless demands of endurance racing—something (and someone) that could be responsive to their needs. That someone turned out to be Brad Sheehan.
Brad would not tell you he is the co-founder of Velocio. In fact, he did not tell me. He told me about pockets and seams, fabrics and fitting. He spoke at length about the kind of design minutiae you have to look up later. If you asked Brad what he had built, he would say the best possible skinsuit for the best athletes in gravel. He would leave out that he had to help build the company first.
"Brad is not the kind of designer who churns out edits for the sake of new seasons, and in turn, Velocio is not that kind of brand."
"In the past, cyclists were often forced to compromise—race-day speed came at the expense of practicality. Velocio didn’t accept that trade off."
Brad arrived at our first call looking like I had called him to jury duty: willing, pleasant, but with a certain hopefully this is quick. This was a man in the weeds—and fascinated by them. Everybody has technical fabric, but not everyone will stretch that fabric over a laptop camera explaining the fundamentals of stitching and weaving. Brad would. Brad did.
Brad is not the kind of designer who churns out edits for the sake of new seasons, and in turn, Velocio is not that kind of brand. And this isn’t that kind of skinsuit.
In fact, when elite racer Maghalie Rochette was driving back from a race near Brad’s house, he told her to stop in to get fitted. “His wife welcomed us, his kids were there, we had dinner together. It was just a really familiar, welcoming feel,” Maghalie said. "No other sponsor has ever been this detailed in a custom fit. At first, I wasn’t sure if I needed to do an in-person fitting, but once I was there, I realized—okay, I get it now. He was right.”
Innovation isn’t just an in-house practice for Velocio. It’s in Brad’s house.
"In a sport where marginal gains matter, a skinsuit isn’t just apparel. It’s an advantage."
Slow Design for Fast Results
Before Velocio, Brad was designing for some of the most successful teams in professional cycling, shaping the visual identity of Highroad’s various pro tour teams—Columbia-Highroad, Columbia HTC, HTC Highroad—and later, Specialized-Lululemon. He wasn’t just a designer working at the highest level of the sport; he was also a Cat 1 racer himself. He knew, firsthand, what athletes needed because he was one. And when he co-founded Velocio, he brought that insight into every stitch, every seam, and every design decision.
Brad was committed to a new vision with Velocio: one where he didn’t just make the very best of cycling apparel, but also created lasting, meaningful change within the sport. Every product they release sits at the intersection of three fundamental pillars: meticulous design, deep connection to cycling culture, and an unwavering commitment to sustainability.
"Real speed, the speed that wins races, comes from relentless refinement."
In a sport where marginal gains matter, a skinsuit isn’t just apparel. It’s an advantage. That’s why Velocio’s process was built on direct collaboration with athletes who knew exactly what they needed. "They're all athletes first, looking for that one or two percent edge," Brad said. "They know they can come to us and say, ‘Hey, this isn’t quite right,’ and we’re going to take the time to fix it."
Or in Keegan Swenson’s case, create it.
Performance Beyond Speed
In the past, cyclists were often forced to compromise—race-day speed came at the expense of practicality. Velocio didn’t accept that tradeoff. One of the suit’s most unexpected innovations came directly from athlete requests: the addition of a "trash mesh" pocket. "That was something I had asked for back when we were talking about the suit," Keegan recalled.
It’s a detail that might seem small, but over the course of a long race, it makes a real difference. And it’s a testament to Velocio’s responsiveness. "I had asked another brand for something like this before, but everything was already done, so it was too hard for them to go back and add it," Keegan said. "But Velocio was fully on board to make it happen."
This sentiment was repeated by every rider—it wasn’t just edits for the sake of edits. It wasn’t just letting the athletes feel heard. Brad really wanted feedback. He’d raced in “good enough” himself. This was a chance to do better, and Velocio did.
Alexis, a powerhouse in off-road racing, highlighted how Velocio’s approach was different: "It’s the first time any of us have really focused so much on the technology that goes into the clothing. As racers, it’s easy to say, ‘Oh, this feels a certain way, and I like this, or I don’t like this,’ but it was interesting to be brought into the technical side—what actually makes the difference."
It’s a difference all the athletes said they could feel, not only in their skinsuits, but in their partnership with Velocio. And it’s easy to see why:
Velocio doesn’t see design, culture, and sustainability as separate priorities. They are interconnected, feeding into every decision they make. That is what Velocio does best. They listen to athletes. They solve problems the world didn’t realize were problems until shown the solution. And they never settle for what’s already been done.
CONCEPT
Race-Proven Apparel
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