Brompton Electric G-Line Review: Can a Folder Handle Real Roads?

I'll be honest: I didn't expect much. I've tested plenty of folding bikes over the years, and they always feel like folding bikes. Twitchy steering, harsh ride, tiny wheels that bounce off every crack. But 20 minutes into my first ride on the Brompton Electric G-Line, I found myself genuinely forgetting I was on a folder. The 20-inch wheels and revised geometry create something Brompton's never offered before: a bike that actually rides like a bike.

I tested this thing everywhere. Daily 8-mile commutes through Brooklyn. A 35-mile weekend ride on the Hudson River Greenway. Gravel paths in Prospect Park. Even hauled it up four flights of stairs to my apartment 47 times over three weeks (yes, I counted). I charged the battery 12 times and clocked about 280 miles. What I discovered is that Brompton's made something genuinely different here. But whether that's what you actually need is another question entirely.

Out of the box, the G-Line looks like a Brompton that hit the gym. Everything's beefier: wider bars, chunkier tires, burlier aluminum fork. The steel frame is still hand-brazed in London, but the curved top tube and swept-back handlebars give it a distinctly different vibe from the classic 16-inch models. My test bike came in Forest Green with a slightly matte finish that looked great but attracted dust like a magnet.

Build quality is excellent, which you'd expect at this price. After 280 miles including some rough gravel sections, everything stayed tight and rattle-free. The hydraulic disc brakes are a first for Brompton, and they feel premium with smooth modulation and plenty of power. One clever detail: the left pedal removes and slots into the steerer tube when folded, borrowed from Japanese Rinko bikes. It's the kind of thoughtful touch that reminds you this is a £50-million-company designing these things, not some startup.

The motor delivers 30Nm of torque, which sounds modest on paper but feels perfectly matched to this bike's character. I tested it on my benchmark hill, a 12% grade, half-mile climb that always reveals how e-bikes really perform. In assist level 2, I maintained 11 mph without excessive effort. Level 3 bumped that to 13 mph and made the climb feel easy. What impressed me most was the power delivery: smooth, progressive, no surging or abruptness. The rear motor placement makes a huge difference compared to older front-motor Bromptons. Traction was never an issue, even on wet pavement or loose gravel.

Range testing was my main focus because Brompton's claimed 20-45 miles is a huge spread. Over 12 charge cycles, I found reality depends heavily on how you ride. Using level 3 assist constantly on my hilly Brooklyn commute, I got about 22 miles before the battery hit 10%. More conservative riding (level 1 on flats, level 2 on hills) stretched that to 38 miles on my longest test. The adaptive range estimator proved surprisingly accurate, usually within 2-3 miles of actual results. Charging takes 4 hours from empty, which worked fine for overnight charging but felt long if I needed a midday top-up.

Handling on varied terrain revealed both strengths and limits. On smooth pavement and bike paths, this thing feels like a proper bike: stable, confident, predictable. The wider bars and 20-inch wheels eliminate that nervous, darty feeling of smaller Bromptons. I took it on crushed gravel canal towpaths and rocky dirt paths in Prospect Park, where it handled surprisingly well. Those Schwalbe tires and hydraulic discs inspired confidence. But let's be clear: this isn't a mountain bike. On technical singletrack with roots and rocks, the 4-speed gearing felt limiting and the folding geometry showed its compromises.

Daily usability surprised me. I'd worried about the 42.9-pound weight, but the excellent balance and carrying handle made it manageable up my four flights of stairs. The fold became second nature after a few days: flip the rear triangle, collapse the frame, drop the seatpost, fold the bars. 20 seconds. What took longer was remembering to remove that left pedal before folding (forgot it three times and felt dumb each time). The rear rack wheels with bearings made a huge difference when rolling the folded bike through subway stations. Older Bromptons without bearings feel draggy by comparison.

The electric system proved reliable and intuitive. Start Assist (hold the button, bike rolls forward gently) saved me multiple times when clipped-in at traffic lights. Battery range anxiety was real. That 20-45 mile spread means you need to plan around your riding style. I got in the habit of checking the adaptive range estimate before each ride. Charging was easy: pop the battery, plug it in anywhere, click it back on. The hydraulic disc brakes needed zero adjustment over three weeks and provided consistent stopping power in rain and shine.

At $4,950, the Electric G-Line costs significantly more than competitors like the Lectric XP 3.0 ($999) or Ride1Up Portola ($1,695). What you're paying for is build quality, fold compactness, and that intangible Brompton refinement. Those budget folders work fine, but they feel like budget folders: heavier, clunkier folds, less polished. The G-Line feels like a premium product. Whether that's worth 3-5x the price depends on how much you value compactness and ride quality.

Compared to Brompton's own 16-inch Electric P-Line ($4,150), the G-Line rides dramatically better: more stable, smoother over bumps, less twitchy steering. But it's also heavier (42.9 lbs vs 37 lbs) and folds larger. If your priority is maximum compactness for tight spaces or frequent carrying, the P-Line still wins. If you want a bike that feels like a real bike and occasionally need to fold it, the G-Line is the better choice. I found myself choosing the G-Line for longer rides and the P-Line for pure commuting where I had to carry it a lot.

Against full-size e-bikes in the $2,000-3,000 range, the G-Line can't match their performance, range, or value. A $2,500 commuter e-bike will give you 50-70 miles of range, smoother power, and better components. But it won't fit under your desk, in a car trunk, or on a crowded subway. The G-Line exists for people who need both: real bike ride quality AND genuine portability.

After three weeks and 280 miles, I'm impressed by what Brompton accomplished here. The G-Line solves the fundamental problem that's plagued folding bikes forever: they feel like folding bikes when you ride them. This doesn't. The 20-inch wheels, revised geometry, and quality components create a riding experience that's genuinely enjoyable, not just tolerable. The electric system works well, the build quality is excellent, and it's legitimately capable on varied terrain.

But whether you should buy one depends entirely on your specific needs. If you genuinely need a folding bike (for multi-modal commuting, limited storage, or frequent transport) and you want the best possible ride quality, this is it. You're paying $4,950 for something no other company has nailed: a folder that doesn't compromise the riding experience. However, if you don't actually need the folding feature, or if you prioritize maximum portability over ride quality, better options exist. For me, the G-Line earned its place as my go-to bike for rides where I needed both quality and occasional portability. But I wouldn't use it for pure commuting where I had to carry it constantly.