It may not be immediately obvious, but the Brompton G Line is the first major redesign of the iconic British folding bike in its nearly 50-year history. It's even bigger, literally, than the launch of the first e-bike in 2019.
The G Line is available as a standard bike with a Shimano Alfine 8-speed internally shifted hub or as a 4-speed derailleur-equipped e-bike. Both models feature larger 20-inch wheels with thick, grippy Schwalbe tires, Tektro hydraulic disc brakes, wider handlebars and a frame geometry more reminiscent of full-size bikes.
All of this adds up to a less choppy ride, suited to more varied terrain, and a bike that is easier to maintain over time because it has manufacturer-independent parts and 20″ tires and tubes are easy to find. The only trade-off would be a slightly larger and heavier bike, but one that is still lighter and folds up smaller than almost any other bike… except an original Brompton.
Brompton markets the G Line as an all-terrain bike, which is intriguing given its long-standing role in supporting multimodal urban commuting. The company claims the G Line is “the world's most versatile bike… for the city and beyond.”
The launch of the new G-line comes just as GoCycle – Brompton’s smaller e-bike competitor for the urban market – announced its plan to compete with Brompton with its own range of non-electric 20-inch folding bikes.
The standard Brompton G starts at £2,399/€2,849, while the electric G starts at £3,499.00/€3,999. It is available to pre-order in the UK and Europe, with delivery times already several weeks. These prices including taxes would equate to around $3,170 for the standard G-Line bike or $4,500 for the electric G when Brompton launches them in the US sometime in 2025.