I love my 15-year-old Brompton because of all the places it can fit.
And what I mean by that is not just the car boot. …It’s the fact it can slot in under that small coffee table in an a quaint coffee shop, under my legs on a bus, overhead in the rack on the train, or next to me in a small tent.
All of this has become second nature to me and I would miss it if my Brompton couldn’t do that.
Despite having ridden it and loved it I'm not going to buy it just because it's a Brompton.
That’s not to say I wouldn’t get a G line ever… But what's its unique selling point?
I just need to find out all of the special things that it can do that my non-folding bikes can’t.
by documentally
5 Comments
I’ve got a C Line and a G Line. To me, the main reason the G Line exists is to provide a folding off-road bicycle that can go where the C Line can’t because of the C Line’s unique (twitchy/agile/nerve wracking) handling and narrow tyres. The G Line is a tank – strongly built, but very heavy. If you commute and go on a bus then the G Line is not an ideal solution on its own.
It’s significantly heavier and bulkier to handle, so I share your opinion that it loses the core point of the trifold. For someone that wants a bigger-wheeled bike that they can put in the trunk of their car, I think a Dahon or a Tern provides much better value, especially Tern’s 24 inch bifolds.
I don’t own a G-line, but I have ridden it and the ride quality and stableness of the handling is in a different league. It has a nice long wheelbase and stack and reach figures that feels like a normal bike. While it won’t fit in tiny spaces anymore, it still retains the Brompton’s rolling character so you can still wheel it easily in between riding, something you can’t say with the Dahons. It still retains the tidy fold so it still packs away nicely.
The price is out of whack as it’s not affordable or justifiable to me…..but I would happily swap my C-line for one if I could
To be honest, my cheap decalon Btwin 2-fold 20″ bike is about the same size as the G line when folded. Handles about the same if not better with wider wheels.
Could just get a 20 inch aluminum brompnot (8.5kg) for under 700 euro with disc brakes during 11/11 sale on aliexpress and you wont lose sleep over the price