Brompton G-Line First Look! Sea Otter 2024
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- Опубліковано 22 вер 2024
- Let Brompton know you want us to do a full review of the bike. / bromptonbicycle
After long last, finally got our hands on the new Brompton G-Line. Let Brompton know you want us to do a full review and msg them on Instagram.
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With the right bags you could go round the world on that superb machine, well done Brompton!
Yes there are a nice new bigger version , normal Brompton a little bit small for me and tiny wheels unstable on anything except tarmac , this is a touring model if your up for it ? I would go anywhere on it not just to work on the subway , Brompton will clean up now with 2 models , one a general work bike and storage under the table at work , one for the weekend touring !
The folded size is bigger than the 16" Brompton, but it is still neater and more compact than most other 20" folding bikes.
..okay, now i think i‘m ready for a brompton…❤️🔥
me too .. am waiting for that 20" tire.
Me three 😅. I used to hate on them back in the day even tho I knew the function of it was badass. My dad loved them when he first saw them right away. ....im becoming my father 😅😅. I need to enter the G line(insert joke here)
I've always been.. my wallet not so much
I just wish they had made the tires fatter on the original 16" brompton... give me a slightly wider triangle brake calipers to accept a wider wheelset and lets run with it!
Definitely need the rack with this one. It's more of a roll around than carry when folded.
In the works, the Brompton F line! A folding fat bike with balloon tires.
😂 And 700c wheels!
Or M Line with a Mullet
@@ronchech3919nah, apparently they’ll be back to some 24” wheel dirt jumper and 26” XC Brompton😂 first.
Apparently a full suspension Brompton is in the line too.😊
To be fair, the old Bromptons also came in the same sizes done in a similar way, 3 different bar heights.
Thanks for the info Russ!
It's interesting that Brompton have brought this out, especially given the independent solutions for larger wheels, etc. Definitely really keen to see you review this properly, especially given your experience with the OG version. Cheers, Paul
I like it. It may not be quite as convenient as the regular Brompton for travelling/commuting, but it still folds up nice, it's more versatile and there are soooo many more wheel/tires combos available for 20" compared to 16". I want one
So do I
I want on to.
Niche products like this are cool as hell man. I dont need one but surely there are some people that were on the fence about buying a brompton are now over it!
It has 135 mm spacing. If someone could manufacture and aftermarket derailleur hanger a Microshift rd- m6195s super short derailleur with 11-38 cassette would fit. I read someone say they reinvented the Raleigh Twenty. It is a reasonable statement. There was a movement in the 1960’s called booty bike that preceded Brompton where suburban people put their bike in the boot of a car and drove to light traffic recreational areas. Brompton seem to be reviving that tradition with this bike. I think the demand to make it lighter will increase, along with the price. I might buy a second hand one in 15 years as a hobby bike. Although even a 15 year old model will be too expensive.
It looks like the derailleur hanger/dropout is replaceable. Will be interesting to see if they end up offering that or if someone will make an aftermarket one.
If somebody offered titanium bars and seat post, narrow wide crankset, advent drive train and mechanism for taking up chain slack when folded then it definitely becomes a bike to ride green flow trails. Brompton should send one to Seth with that goal in mind. He has also been promoting Brompton recently.
Worth noting that Alfine 8/11 share the same lowest range gear. The 11 adds to the top end speed with two extra gears beyond the 8, and one more within the 8’s other range.
Simply change down the chainring with the 11 and you have a much more useful range for hills or loads. Even dual chainings are available if you need low and high.
@@SimonBrowneNZ Well, yeah? If you change down the chainring on the 8, you get the same exact lowest gear again too. My point was in response to the video mentioning asking for the 11 if you want a lower range, which is factually untrue as it’s the same low gear.
This thing is definitely on my 2025 shop list.
finally the Brompton has grown up!
Hmmm. Ive never thought i could ide one but since watching PLL for a few years the idea is starting to make sense. A folded up b8ke just sliding in the back of my Outback. No bike racks hanging off the car. Ready for urban or camp ground rides. Thanks for expanding my thoughts away from 1970s racing bikes.
Conceptually really close to Dahon bikes of the past although the P8 went a step further with full suspension. Alex Moulton will laughing from the pearly gates, he was making fat wheeled 20" bikes (with suspension) back in the 1980s.
I own a Dahon Dash P18 20" with normal derrailleur and cassette at the back. Love it although the small wheels have caused me to slide out of control on slippery roads more than any other bike!
Impressed with this new G line. It's the only Brompton I would ever consider buying. If it didn't cost an arm and a leg that is... 😂
Nice to see a manufacturer thinking about the preferences of their customers
Customers prefer lower prices
I’d love to compare with my bike Friday all packa!
I think the only good thing about this brompton is the folding, it is heavy to carry around if you want a 20 inch bike get a bike friday with normal component much cheaper and many options
I’m not sure a Bike Friday is a lot cheaper
Looks like I finally found my Brompton!
From what I understand, the different sizes still use the same size frame, but the larger sizes come with a longer seatpost and a stem with more reach, which means you could potentailly mix/match if you've got praticularly long/short arms or legs! Also using standard hubs now is huge! Wonder how long it'll take for someone to build one up with a Rohloff 14 speed hub 😄
You've mentioned several times that Brompton is hard to work with. You'd think they'd be overjoyed to have a channel with almost 200k subs help them get the word out.
Brampton really doesn’t have a demand issue
For them it’s tiny I suppose. That one guy who had a triangle break couldn’t get a free replacement even though he probably sold bromptons by just using it on his channel.
👏 It’s also the Brompton for people 6’ 3” and over.
This bike is way cool but there are other folders that make better sense for plane travel which is why I’m interested in this style of bike
Looks good and I’ll be in the market for one in the near future but would have liked 18” wheels.
20" 406mm gives much better tire selection. 18" is very limited.
Yeah having been trying to sort out my kids bike with tyres 18” sucks. 20” you have a lot of options and in terms of quality tyres they are thin on the ground for 18s.
What's the price??? Yup, still a Brompton
it almost looks like the rear triangle could be used on the 'regular' Brompton to add a disc brake and Alfine hub (with a 16" wheel, of course)
Aside from the improved comfort of 20" wheels (which might sway some), this bike doesn't make sense to me. Its bulk and weight undercut the appeal of a Brompton - light and portable, and the disc brakes + Alfine hub should have been on their other bikes years ago. For a Disc/Alfine conversion that costs about as much as a G Line, look up the Kinetics mod shop online.
My Brompton is with Kinetics at the moment, waiting for an Alfine 11 and belt drive to be installed. Suits my needs better than the bulkier G line
Russ has gcn money now
Ha. You have no idea how hard it was to get a hold of one for 30mins.
@@PathLessPedaledTVWe appreciate the effort.
This is for city folk to throw in the boot of their Volvo for a weekend in the country, riding rail trails and going to farmers markets. I predict they sell boatloads.
As a city dweller with a Volvo I deeply want one, but I can't reconcile the cost!
As a city dweller, sell the Volvo and get the E Brompton!
why not ride it in the city?
Aren’t all Bromptons for city folk?
@PhilKulak yeah, but the small Bromptons are for city folks without a Volvo.
Thanks Russ, this was a very welcome review. Most of the reviews I have seen haven’t compared too much from a brompton owners perspective. I have wider handlebars on mine too - just so much better
I ride a Dahon mariner 8 it's been a ripper
Now that Schwalbe makes 20” g-ones, just put a pair of those on a Tern/Dahon which will be lighter, cheaper and faster. I have a 6-speed, 16” Brompton, which I love for its small fold for multi modal travelling ….it’s also actually okay on smoothish gravel, tow paths and back roads!! I’m not sure why Brompton have done this..
Absolute brilliant, about time they made a bike better suited to the Gravel Roads of New Zealand.
Now I have to decide between a G-Line and a Kyoot 20” bikes for my Offroad Camper.
🤔
Nice! I wish it were cheaper but I’m interested.
I own the Tern Link D7i with 20' (7 shift internal gear) and it also feels much more stable than my 16' Brompton . The tern also handles gravel roads much much better. It is also much cheaper and has simila specs albeit it's not as fancy as a Brompton. I'd rather be interested in the electric Version. Unfortunately a big let down is, that the front carrier for Electric is a different one and you probably can't reuse the existing bags :-( ... And there's also a big design flaw for the rear carrier: From the photos I saw, the rear carrier is way too short to be able to carry regular rear bags ("heel strike" incoming), the Tern also does the job in this category. And for the Bio Bike version Brompton doesnt offer a hub dynamo for light (yet).
Whenever I should opt to consider the electric version, with the Ahooga Max there's already a strong competitor on the market ...
For my short distance commute ride, nothing beats the 16' Bio Brommie ...
Waiting for a Titanium or Carbon version, but one day it will be mine, oh yes. For my Euro motorhome (replacing a full size gravel bike) and my Canadian car (avoiding need for roof racks on jaunts).
If they made this first, Brompton wouldn't be the Brompton we know today.
Finally a Brompton I want to be seen on, those 16" wheels just look ridiculous (not talking about performance)
I have some regular Bromptons but when I go into the forest I use my Rotwild. I guess this Brompton is for people who want to to rely on only one bike and for them it seems to be a good choice.
Regular brompton kept trying to kill me, now I know I need to weight down the front
Very interesting. I have both an Alfine 11 Brompton and a 12 speed P line. I agree that the original bike will be better for community but this one will likely be better for touring. I think the question though is whether a non folding bike would be better but for getting into a car or RV this one is better. The 8 speed alfine is a good hub but the 11 speed is better. I change the oil yearly; has this one got an oil change port or is it sealed? Thanks again
If it was a bit lighter this would the perfect back packing style bike for those national park sections where bikes aren’t allowed. Really cool. Wonder if it will be available in carbon or aluminum.
Ti version would be interesting.
@@PathLessPedaledTV even better.
Looks amazing... very tempted.
Man, I wish I saw this last month...
I like this as a Brompton owner but I am struggling to see if this performs that much better than a Tern which I would have thought is cheaper.
I’ve looked at one of these and can’t make my mind up, so I need help.
We travel a lot by van, but we also fly to different destinations, would a g line be too big? We almost bought a p line and a t line last month, but thought we would hold out for a new Ltd edition, but wasn’t expecting the g line. We currently have many bikes, but no folding bikes yet!
From quite a whiile of commuting, my two cents are that the only folders you can put overhead in a train are the good old DAHONS, because they have a stem-handlebar that folds INSIDE the folded bike like a sandwich.
Something you could still fit on pretty much any other standard folding bike.
And that's one more weakness in the Bromptons - precisely their only real boast, the folding size.
I've done countless commutes by train with my old Dawes Jack 2010 (it was the Dahon manufacturer for Europe) and flipping it overhead knowing for a fact i wouldnt squeeze any fragile bit, levers, derailleur, etc., WAS the greatest help.
Pity it isnt so even on this new near 3000 euro bike.
Can easily put the 16 inch Brompton overhead. We do that all the time going to Barcelona.
It's 20 inch wheels.. how much smaller can they make them compared to a 16 inch?
Hi 👋 what is the max rider weight for this one ?
I want the GT model... G Titanium. When's that model hitting the market?
Just bought a c-line. How much bigger are the pedals on the g-line compared to the stock c-line pedals? The back of my foot keeps hitting the roller wheels in the back, so I’m wondering the bigger pedals would take care of that
i wondering where that 14kg weight came from. by eye it far more small than regular bike or any full size 29 mtb.
there's a clone version which is alum alloy and heck its even lighter and more affordable price than this brompton 20 inch.
@@e14phIs there a link available?
@@e14phI think the aluminum are only 16” still as it’s the popular size. The 20” clones are definitely lighter than this by 3-4kg but that’s because they are using external gear set like sora.
The reason this bike was developed was because Brompton realised people were using them to aride around the world on. They are being used for ultra distance rides like the Transcontinental Race. I have ridden my 16 inch Brompton across Bulgaria on farm and forest tracks. The G1 is aimed at those who want to a bit more adventurous in their riding. But still have a compact bike. I think this could outsell the 16 inch bikes. But is now getting into Tern, Bike Friday and Dahon territory. Bromptons are much more expensive though.
I think more because the competition has been doing it for awhile. Some people will just fold less and prefer 20”
and then customize it with upgraded hubs for even more feel like a road or mountain bike (with that hub noise lol)
Having had a Brompton for me and Terns for my kids, really glad to see Brompton get in the 20" wheel game. I lived in Paris, France and the Brompton was favorable to the Tern. Here in the US, the larger wheels on the Tern made them more versatile. But the Terns are not Brompton's, the Brompton is so much more. Agree with @TheYohtube - could go around the world.
its the one!
I'd be interested for a side by side comparison with the Vello Rocky or Gravel bikes... I think you've ridden those Russ.... thoughts?
Yeah, Vello Rocky will be a worthy comparison
Who's it for? Not having seen it person but viewing videos like this, maybe someone who wants a gravel bike but needs it to fold it up into the safety of a locked car in certain places? Maybe a ferry to some place remote with poor to no roads. It's pricey and heavy for someone only needing last mile commute - but they have that segment covered.
I think they missed a trick by not offering a Rohloff hub and/or a Pinion gearbox. They’re both better with greater gear inch ranges. The Alfine 11 isn’t reliable enough, hence the 8. They could’ve even fitted the Sturmey-Archer 8, but no. Also, disk brakes are still close to the ground and vulnerable, surely V-brakes would’ve been a better compromise?
Now need to find a review from a person on the taller side of life. :-)
My one kept wanting to wheelie from a standing start.
I’d never buy a 16 inch bike but would consider a 20.
I'd still rather a Brompton from kinetics in Glasgow Scotland. Much better options and folds smaller than it
YUP ! !
Bring on the GTi version! :)
Tire clearance?
I like the concept of a stabler and more supple Brompton for weekend recreation or touring. I just don't think the high cost, heavy weight, and narrow gear range are optimal for that kind of riding. I currently schlep a Tern Exlipse X22 with 26 inch wheels onto transit for weekend adventures, and the G-Line would definitely be easier for that part of the journey. But I simply would not be able to get the new beefy Brompton up some of the hills I climb.
Love it.
I don't like the Alu forks, you'd have to soft pedal to change gears with the Alfine rear hub, which has reliability issues and needs perfect wire alignment, unlikely as they are persisting with the plastic rear derailleur, and with it's fairly basic disc brakes you should still be able to descend a Col, but at 36 pounds weight it would be hard to ascend one, hence the fittings to turn it into an expensive E bike. Not for me.
Looks posh. Maybe it could use two coggs at the back. The only thing that worries me , for offroad, are those loose, low hanging cables
What are the folded dimensions? Wondering if it'll fit on the passenger seat of my tiny sports car as easily as my 16" Brompton does.
@brilliantbikes channel has more of the measurements.
I have my Brompton because it folds up so small and it's so easy to carry. This model loses that benefit. But I think a whole lot of people are going to buy a whole lot of these! It's a different bike for a different market.
I'd love one but it's not really in my price bracket
Could you test it drafting in a group ride with cycling kit on please?
rus *is* wearing his cycling kit in the video 😘
The Clamps n Stem catch r T Line parts.
The way those rear cables just hang down around and below the frame looks incredibly ugly, but some velcro I guess would do it as long as you loosen it when you fold the bike again.
I want to see it tested in hilly terrain similar to where I live. Luckily I can afford the electric version which is £1k more expensive.
A birdy may be a better buy or any of the clones of 20” would be the same and throw some billy bonkers on them
Don’t like that it is so much heavier. Also would have liked fatter 16” wheels to maintain the portability. Lots of cities have cobbled streets which usually have little to no traffic, fatter tyres would have helped with this while maintaining commutability eg using your Brompton for city sightseeing as well as commuting
I really want to like this but it’s heavier than the Bike Friday All-Packa, has far fewer gears, more proprietary parts and costs more. Having a hard time understanding why someone would chose this over the Bike Friday.
loyal fan base and first adopters will convince you that logic needs to be suspended here.
Now you are in Spain， how about using centímetros and gramos? 😊
the target buyer for this is probably those who wanted to buy a folding bike but can't get past the tiny child bike size wheels... me, im keeping my old single speed circus bike
That's what she said. (am I the first one to say that?)
I assembled a knock-off 20" Titanium Brommie with Shimano Nexus 2 years ago. It weighed 13 kg but I am sure it could go down more if I swapped certain parts. I definitely enjoyed the rides with the mentioned features of stability and better rides over rougher terrain. Glad that Brompton is pushing out the G line, which I am sure there will be a certain demand.
I wouldn’t be surprise this is a response to customers like you. It probably took awhile to r and d to get this out
I don't know, it's kind of getting away from the Brompton's Bromptoness, and is trying to compete with all those other 20" folding bikes with not as much to differentiate it. Kind of like one guitar company updating their classic design to appeal to fans of the other guitar companies classic design, but things just get muddy.
I see it differently, it’s about growing Brompton mindshare in the broader 20” small wheel bike segment. If this forces innovation on the competition, we are all benefactors of choices then
@@ahkl77 Sure, it's worth a try for Brompton, I'm sure they've run the numbers, cheers!
Should have kept the 16” wheel size, but allow the frame to accept wide 2” tires.
I live in a car free city. But, it has a medieval character and some parts are still cobblestones. I can assure you, besides the suspension, a 18" birdy makes a huuuuge difference. I also have a Tern e-bike. It has 20" and rather thick Schwalbe big apples. I still use a Schultz saddlespring.
The practical physics of putting fat tyres on 16” would mean a chunky fold down affecting the balance of hand carriage.
Prefer Moulten (for looks)or BikeFriday(for speed), still OVERpriced... Thanks.
G is for Gravel (?)
Obvious enough, going by their official page on Brompton UK site.
Everything about it would be great for me but it’s way way way too expensive. I’m in the US
People have been modding their bikes to aloud chunkier tires so they were letting that money escape, a belted version would be neat though.
The g line falls in the hel7x bucket
Defeats the purpose
I knew that was you. I've seen you in Girona. I hope you are enjoying your visit.
Tyres are far too big, if they kept the same width as the 16'' inch wheels the overall width when folded would have been the same.
Not as portable..Alfine-8 should be Alfine-11 instead.
nice but for the price they need to throw in a front suspension , lol
The Pline 12 speed is the best Brompton ever. This is to far the other way.
Consumers deserve options. Might as well be another Brompton variant than the competition.
You're right. Stupidly expensive and I doubt it'd last with my 105kg onboard.
I had both my Brompton wheels rebuilt in less than 2 years and the finish was less durable than I hoped.
Sounds like bad luck. I'm 136 kg and have had my Brompton for four years without an issue, meanwhile I've damaged wheels on bigger bikes (small wheels tend to be stronger anyway).
That's well above the 16 inch Brompton's official total weight rating (110kg) and the G Line is rated for a lot more (130kg)
Too expensive too heavy, I’d rather have a 16 inch with gravel wheels and better brakes
Chunky fold down. Wide tyres and wide hubs to accommodate discs means the classsic 16” compromises on the “depth” category when handling it folded.
Just accept the fact that the engineers have already thought through these practical portage principles already and incorporated them in this new variant of the G-Line.
$3,400