Brompton Unveils Its First Major Redesign in Nearly 50 Years: The G Line

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The Brompton G Line marks a significant departure for the iconic British folding bicycle, representing the first major redesign in its almost 50-year history. This revamp is even more substantial than the introduction of its first e-bike in 2019, both literally and figuratively.

Available as a standard bike with an internally geared Shimano Alfine 8-speed hub or as a 4-speed e-bike with derailleur, the G Line boasts several notable upgrades. It features larger 20-inch wheels with wider grippy Schwalbe tires, hydraulic disc brakes from Tektro, broader handlebars, and a frame geometry more akin to full-size bicycles.

These changes are intended to create a smoother ride suitable for more varied terrain, while also making the bike easier to service over time due to the use of non-proprietary parts and readily available 20-inch tires and tubes. The only trade-off is a slightly heavier and larger bike, although it remains lighter and folds smaller than most other folding bikes, with the exception of the original Brompton.

Brompton is marketing the G Line as an all-terrain bike, an interesting shift from its traditional focus on multi-modal city commutes. The company claims the G Line is “the most versatile bike in the world… for the city and beyond.”

The launch of the new G Line comes just as GoCycle, Brompton’s smaller e-bike rival, announced its plans to compete with a new lineup of 20-inch non-electric foldables.

The standard Brompton G starts at £2,399 / €2,849, while the electric G starts at £3,499.00 / €3,999. It’s currently available for preorder in the UK and Europe, with deliveries already pushed back to several weeks. These prices translate to approximately $3,170 for the standard G Line bike and $4,500 for the electric G, when the bike becomes available in the US sometime in 2025.