Brompton G-Line Electric Impressions After 24 Hours
Got a chance to use the Brompton G-Line Electric for 24 hours recently and learned a good bit about it, and my own evolving approach to multimodal transportation.
Some weeks ago, the DC Brompton community got a chance to get some first impressions of the now available G-Line Electric. The G-Line is the first major new model from Brompton ever, adding 20in wheels and refined manufacturing techniques. The G-line Electric takes those bits and adds an electric motor (in the rear hub) paired with the 4-speed derailleur previously found on the C/P/T-line models. I was not able to get to the DC Brompton Junction bike shop for the session, but was happy to get 24 hours with it in the days after. What follows is a brief of my experience, plus some considerations for those considering it or similar foldable, electric bicycles.
Precursors
If you don’t want to read further, there’s a thread on Reddit I started which has those impressions here. There’s also a dedicated photo/video gallery on Flickr, whose image will also be shared in this piece. Oh, and two videos on YouTube here and here.
Also I previously wrote about a limited time with the analog G-Line — and that experience colors the context of this piece as well.
With those out of the way, let’s get into the G-Line Electric (I’ll use the term “eG” to refer to it).
The Technical Bits
Brompton bicycles are known for two things: the fold and the feel. The 20in iterations (the G and eG) haven’t done much to change this except to make it bigger and a tick more capable for weekend-style rides. Here are a few technical points from the eG features for your reference:
- 20in wheels with 2.2in (54–406) tires
- 345wh battery, UL-2849 compliant (23–40 mile range, ~4hrs to charge from 0–100%)
- Weighs about 35lbs in the Medium sized model
- Comes in sizes (S, M, L)
- 4-speed (11–21t, 163% gear range)
- Folded size: 28.3" / 72cm (D), 26.2" / 67cm (H), 16" / 41cm (W)
- Tektro Hydraulic Disc brakes with 140mm front & 160mm rear rotors
- And a neat wireless controller on the handlebar to see speed, range/voltage, battery, and control lighting
Now, there’s more details, but these are ones which many people have asked of me when I had it. See the eG Brompton page for more.
First Hours with the eG
I serve with a few bicycle advocacy groups in the DC metro area, and having this specific 24 hours with the eG was perfect as many of us were gathering for the celebration of the WB&A Trail Bridge opening. For 30 years, this connector had been asked, begged, and fought for and it was finally open to the public after a few months delay. Connecting two Maryland counties, the WB&A Trail Bridge completes the rail trail that is the WB&A Trail, and invites a nearby wildlife refuge to be a part of an awesome transportation and recreational area. The eG would be present at this event as my transport to/from it, along with some fun bits in between.
After picking up the eG from the DC Junction, I proceeded to treat it as I would my Priority Apollo gravel bike and just ride much of the 25 miles home. Starting from Georgetown, the fun was to take it thru the same city roads I would my other Brompton bicycles. To this end, it got the “sprint on M Street to L Street” and “let’s stand on the pedals, track stand style, at the stoplights.” The immediate feel from these moments is that the eG is no different than the smaller (original) Brompton. It darts in and out of people/auto traffic with ease. It isn’t twitchy due to the weight of the battery in the front bag, but it still turns immediately when pushing/pulling on the wider-than-usual handlebars.
Given the time I’d have with it, and received with less than 50% of the battery charged, a goal in the initial bits was to also see how it fared in a multimodal context. This meant I’d jump right on the Metro and figure out how it felt to fold, carry, and/or push. This part was straightforward with a small adjustment in the “pop unfolded” method I use — the eG is bigger and a tick heavier so I needed to give it more of a lift and jolt for that bit.
After the Metro ride was a 13 mi roll home. And this was an excellent time to explore the accuracy of the controller’s range estimate (it said 15mi left), the performance through each of the three pedal assist modes, and the overall comfort on the surfaces I’d be subject to. This is a suburban context, I had neighborhood streets, painted bike lanes which were really just road shoulders, a broken pavement walking path, a foot-worn path, and a few curb hops. Essentially, a bit of everything.
The display on the wireless controller was awesome. While the eG had a QuadLock connector on the handlebar, and one on the bag, I don’t have a case on my mobile so I would have been down to controlling pedal assist by reaching over to the button on the bag to change modes. The controller made this much, much easier. A rocker-style controller, it was excellent. I generally have fairly oily hands, and none of that showed on the screen either. Impressive! Seeing the distance remaining is clutch — and much better than seeing voltage or even battery capacity IMO.
There are three assist modes with the eG: low, medium, and high. The 250w rear hub motor is engaged on these and kicks in when you have done about half a pedal stroke/revolution. It’s easy, but you def wanna configure the boost mode if you often are finding yourself at stoplights or bottom of the hill. There’s a technique to doing this with the controller, but I ddidn’t quite get it in my time with the eG.
For those who believe that the pedal assist should only be engaged sparingly, the Low/Level 1 assist level will be your “I’m getting exercise” friend. It is solid, and keep the heft of the eG from being an hindrance to the enjoyment of the ride. If going faster than 15mph, it doesn’t feel as good though, more like a drag than a help. Medium/Level 2 is where I spent the most time and where comparisons to my gravel bike became apparent. It is just enough assistance to grant the “getting exercise” perspective but not so much that you feel the bicycle is doing all of the work. This was also the assist level I felt could be enhanced by having the boost engage when one comes to a stop as it’s not so much of a drop off from the highest level.
High/Level 3 was a tease. I normally ride a Class 3 Trek Allant+ 7S, so here my perspective was first disappointing and then content. I could get up to 17–10mph easy, but then I’d pedal faster than the 20mph limiter and then feel a burst of “ok this makes sense” then “ew, I need another higher gear.” Some of this is due to the Schawlbe One tires. They are multi-surface tires, not really pavement performance tires. For those riding the eG on pavement only, switching to Continental Urbans or similar might be the right move.
The eG is a comfortable ride, don’t get me wrong. The 2.2in tires will give you a lot of traction and flexibility on many surfaces. Though initially “too inflated” for me, the ability to drop the pressure for more challenging terrain is a great advantage versus the normal (16in wheeled) Brompton. Definitely play with the tire pressure, and use Silca’s tire pressure calculator as a guide, to get the most comfortable ride.
Last note about this initial ride. I got home with about 9 miles of range remaining. Very impressed at the efficiency, and this was with me playing with power levels and just getting a feel. Needed to go back out (to another bike shop) for a thing and decided to do so w/o the eG getting on the charger. It made it both ways (12mi roundtrip) with just a smidge remaining. So there’s some decent saving grace in the programming of the eG’s battery for sure.
Last Hours with the eG
The last day with the Brompton G-Line Electric (eG) was the heavier of the usage test. Having spent the evening getting charged (it took four hours), I looked at everything compared to the Brompton bikes and other bikes I own. There was a positive impression from those first hours, but getting it on the major roads, with rain approaching, would be the means to break up those positive vibes (possibly).
Here was the plan for this last day:
- bike the 7mi to the WB&A Trail Bridge celebration event: this would be on major roads so lots of High/Level 3 and pushing of the battery in a consistent-drain mode (batteries don’t like this)
- when I get to the event, branch off and take some of the gravel trails behind the venue to see how the extra weight of the eG handles what my Apollo had a ball with
- cruise with folks afterwards at conversation speeds with possible escape to the Metro if the skies crack heavier than expected
- return the eG to the DC Brompton Junction and get back my “Green Partner” from its
The roads I’d travel with the eG would have 30mph and 45mph speed limits. While they are “safe” for cycling, these are roads many would consider as higher stress due to the speed of the auto traffic and inconsistent space given in the median for other vehicles and persons (see Maryland’s maps and methodology on this). From the previous day’s learnings, 20mph as a max assisted speed would be ok for much of this, but I’d bend to paths and letting auto traffic dissipate for some parts. I’d be starting from a full battery, so getting a decent range estimate would be possible too.
Speedy rides with the eG feel as if it’s no different then a full sized bicycle. After getting used to how the assistance “felt” on these familiar roads, I was surprised at how easily I could keep it at 17–18mph and still have a gear left if I wanted to “get it in.” The tires are not what I would deem as great for the pavement, but they worked fine for the most part. In the middle of the initial 7mi stint, it started to drizzle lightly and I wondered if I had just a tick too much air in the tires as there was road debris and leaves. The walking path I rode for about a mile was of most concern here as the leaves plus root-cracks meant I needed to be a tick smarter about speed.
Once I got to the venue, well near it, I took an alternate route where there would be some play on gravel bits. There was deep sand, “snake bite” sized rocks, mud, and the aforementioned drizzle. This was FUN. The eG was comfortable despite having the tires a bit too inflated. Navigating the tire tracks versus the “there should be a path here” sections was easy. The Schwable One tires gripped appropriately — and at no point did I feel as if the rear-motor overpowered my pedal input or the surface. Once I finished that gravel play, it was off to the event.
At the WB&A Trail Bridge event, there were neat questions and comments about the eG: “how was that to ride here,” “I love that color,” “I didn’t know it was out now. Cool,” and more. Personally would have liked to have seen more than one other Brompton there (shout out to Daniel from East Coast Greenway and his blue 6-speed)
After the event, managed to catch up with a few folks riding the WB&A Trail and chatted with them for several miles. Besides learning about some of the enhancements coming to Prince George’s County trails, it was a chance to gain some additional perspective to the eG.
First, it isn’t a bear to ride slow. Some bicycles kind of have the “you need to go as fast as you can” feel, and especially e-bikes due to the pedal assist (or throttle) modes. For the eG, we could chill at 8–9mph and converse and I wasn’t bothered one bit. In fact, it made the eG feel as if it was the Brompton model to break out of the “commuter” frame of use towards one of a weekender.
Second, much like my Green Partner, the eG has the vibe of a “just take it easy and enjoy the roll.” Despite my pushing it for the earlier session, it leans towards “just have a good time” which is a perspective break from my Trek ebike. The Brompton can be a commuter, but you have just a bit more capability under-foot to “ooh, what’s that path look like” to almost every ride.
I wondered what roadside fixes might look like (I bike a lot, flats happen). The bag which contained the battery has a few extra pockets, but none seemed quite larger enough for a spare tube. Perhaps adding a triangle frame bag for that and other quick fix parts would be an option for some to consider. The offical one for the G-line doesn’t fit for the G-Line Electric, which is a bummer. There is a multi-tool which fits within the frame which I would recommend however.
Riding with the the power off is an option some might consider. Perhaps because they want to save the battery (I get it) or get more exercise (weird, but ok). It doesn’t have much drag at all when the power is off, but you do feel the heft. If your use case doesn’t need the electric, just go for the analog G-line with its wider gear range and lower weight.
Concluding Thoughts
My ride on the WB&A Trail was great, yet abbreviated due to rain. I cycled on MLK Ave (sidewalks mostly) in making my way to the nearest Metro station. It wasn’t a bad ride, and the sidewalk conditions didn’t impact speed nor comfort.
Returning to the DC Brompton Junction with 12 miles of range remaining (about 44% battery according to the handbag controller) meant that this could be a solid option for some of my extended weekend ride (30–50 miles).
The Brompton G-Line Electric can be a solid commuter bicycle for those who have slightly longer, bumpier commutes. It is more stable for longer rides, with a better feel when things get bumpy. The weight will be off-putting on occasion however. It isn’t opposed to being pushed, but if you are looking for the electric motor to do all of the work, the 4-speed gearing will trim that perspective quickly. If it were a wider gear range, it’s possible to actually be considered not good enough. Some people might opt for a smaller front chainring so that hilly or low speed moments put a small impact to the battery.
For those looking for a weekender — a bicycle to ride for recreational reasons (or even for travel), the eG will be a pricey ($4950 USD at the time of writing) but excellent compliment. Plan for 2–4 years of solid experience before needing major repairs (hinge pin replacement, brake pads, and possibly battery if it’s not holding charge as it did when new) but otherwise you’d have no worse experience than any other bicycle. You’re going to have a lot of roads (“detours” I call them) open up to you. And if you are the type which looks to do multi-modal experiences such as jumping on a train or doing local/stay-cation type activities, the eG will give you just a bit more than walking/hiking w/o taking away your ability to take in the local beauty.
I came away from my 24 hours with the eG more or less solidified in the thought that it could replace two of my bikes (the Trek and Priority). Not because I don’t like the other two, but that Brompton’s solution does 90% of what both of those do, while adding what my current Brompton’s feel like. I almost always smile when on and completed riding my Brompton. It’s just FUN. Yes, there’s a feeling to “get exercise” and “get there” but you get this added “hey, check out life while you are at it” and the Brompton G-Line Electric keeps this characteristic so, so nicely. You are likely to experience the same, with a vibe sounding like the beauty of your region.
Learn more about the Brompton G-Line Electric, in addition to where to purchase, best accessories, and more, from the Brompton website.
