GoCycle GX/G4 - really as good as the hype?

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DSK

Senior Member
I'm starting to look at buying a suitable bike to get me to a new office in London which is about 3/3.5 miles from St Pancras as we come out of lockdown. I'm looking at a GoCycle G4 (releasing March 2021) which, the store say's is an updated GX and worth waiting for and they can tweak it for maximum performance. I have only seen the YouTube reviews of the GX which, all seem to praise it with the only cons being the price tag and punctures. Does anyone here have one and what do you really think of it? Is it really as good as the hype?

A gzillion watt personal E-scooter would be ideal but, I hear you will be done for riding one and taking a full size bike is not an option. I did buy a Btwin Tilt at the start of lockdown incase of any adhoc trips were need into London. However, that did not need to be put to use but a spin around the block meant I didn't like it. Fixed bar height, cramped riding position, no quick release for wheels and it was loose around all the folding points on the road and as expected, nothing like a decent road bike for speed.
 

gzoom

Über Member
I nearly bought one. Their biggest issue was price, but given £2k in now accepted as the benchmark for even Halfords eBikes, the cost of GoCycle is quite reasonable.

I didn't get one in the end because my commute is 6 miles, 2/3 of which is on country roads where I know I can easily do over 15.5mph, so wanted a more traditional design.

For 3 miles of London commuting I think they look like excellent tools.
 
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DSK

DSK

Senior Member
15.5mph is slow on the open road up here in the Midlands but may be adequate in London. However, GoCycle can tweak it to the USA 20mph firmware :bicycle: which, is more like it in terms of speed and should suffice in London. Seems ideal to fold up, drive to the station, hop on the train and then whizz to the office on as I'm not a fan of London Tubes or the pathetic 'legal' Escooters.
 
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DSK

DSK

Senior Member
I have a Gocycle GX, what do you want to know?

Have you had any problems with the bike?
Does it jiggle and rattle at the points where it folds like the cheaper folding bikes?
How do the wheels hold upto typical pot holes?
Is the claimed range in realms of reality give or take?
If you whack it upto full assist/max speed, how far will it go?

Just really is it really as good as the hype in reality?
 

dodgy

Guest
Have you had any problems with the bike?
Does it jiggle and rattle at the points where it folds like the cheaper folding bikes?
How do the wheels hold upto typical pot holes?
Is the claimed range in realms of reality give or take?
If you whack it upto full assist/max speed, how far will it go?

Just really is it really as good as the hype in reality?

  1. Have you had any problems with the bike?
    Not at all

  2. Does it jiggle and rattle at the points where it folds like the cheaper folding bikes?
    No

  3. How do the wheels hold upto typical pot holes?
    A lot better than say a Brompton, the wheels are 20" with balloon type tyres on that soak up lots of abuse. Also no spokes, they're mag wheels.

  4. Is the claimed range in realms of reality give or take?
    This is where it gets interesting. Effectively, the Gocycle has a power meter built in and you can set the app so that the assist only comes in once the rider is contributing a certain wattage, you can store these in profiles. For instance I have one profile where the motor only cuts in when I develop 250watts, but I have a 'lazy' profile where the motor comes in at about 100 watts. It's up to you what you set it at, but I reckon on the right profile 50 miles is doable - just don't expect continuous assist!

  5. If you whack it upto full assist/max speed, how far will it go?
    As above really. If I had the motor cut in on full power at(say) 5 watts, I wouldn't expect more than about 15 to 20 miles on flat ground. But I really don't know for sure, this isn't my usage profile.

  6. Just really is it really as good as the hype in reality?
    I love mine, it's not had as much use as anticipated (I bought it about 5 months before the pandemic). But I use it to go into supermarkets folded, it really does take 10 seconds and is so compact that nobody will challenge you. I've also had it in buses, taxis and trains. You will, however, be stopped by lots of people when riding it, it has some kind of appeal I can't put my finger on.
Hope that helps!
Edit to add, you can buy the GXi battery and it will fit the GX so you get more range, if you did that, you'd have 2 batteries for more than double the original range, the batteries are large but will fit in a small backpack or the front mounted pannier bag.
 

Drago

Legendary Member
15.5mph is slow on the open road up here in the Midlands but may be adequate in London. However, GoCycle can tweak it to the USA 20mph firmware :bicycle: which, is more like it in terms of speed and should suffice in London. Seems ideal to fold up, drive to the station, hop on the train and then whizz to the office on as I'm not a fan of London Tubes or the pathetic 'legal' Escooters.
Considering the meagre battery capacity a 20mph upper assistance limit is not a clever idea for the model.
 
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DSK

Senior Member
Thank you @dodgy, that's really helpful!

I was thinking of getting a 2nd battery or doing a deal for an upgraded battery from the get go.
 

dodgy

Guest
Considering the meagre battery capacity a 20mph upper assistance limit is not a clever idea for the model.

The model on sale in the UK is identical to that sold in the US where it has the 20mph assist cut-off, there doesn't seem to be a particularly significant amount of actual owners saying it's a problem.
 
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DSK

Senior Member
The model on sale in the UK is identical to that sold in the US were it has the 20mph assist cut-off, there doesn't seem to be a particularly significant amount of actual owners saying it's a problem.

Its a fair point. I've never cycled on London, dread the thought of it but, I'm guessing central London traffic is used to cyclists and surely its a great way to nip to/from the station.

I contacted GoCycle who said that the UK and USA models (GX) use identical motors (unlike falsely claimed on YouTube channels) and its the firmware that controls the speed maps and its "technically possible" ;);) to have the faster USA firmware. I've not heard any complaints about the GoCycle other than the tyres love punctures for which, I think Schwalbe have an offering.
 

figbat

Slippery scientist
They do look good, but just to point out...
A gzillion watt personal E-scooter would be ideal but, I hear you will be done for riding one...
...and yet...
15.5mph is slow on the open road up here in the Midlands but may be adequate in London. However, GoCycle can tweak it to the USA 20mph

Same problem. Of course the chances of being caught on the scooter are higher since they are ALL illegal for use in public, whereas with the bike some are OK and others are not (and the difference is not always easy to tell). However, in the theoretical "what if?" scenario (accident/injury/damage/legal stuff) an illegally-upgraded e-bike may well be a factor in how it turns out.

Theoretical accidents notwithstanding, the chances of being nabbed are pretty low anyway - there are plenty of e-scoots and throttle-driven e-bikes about that are getting away with it.
 

T4tomo

Guru
15.5mph is slow on the open road up here in the Midlands but may be adequate in London. However, GoCycle can tweak it to the USA 20mph firmware :bicycle: which, is more like it in terms of speed and should suffice in London. Seems ideal to fold up, drive to the station, hop on the train and then whizz to the office on as I'm not a fan of London Tubes or the pathetic 'legal' Escooters.
When London is in a non pandemic traffic mode, then you don't get may stretches where you get beyond 15mph without a bus / car / taxi / other bike / junction / traffic light slowing you down. Maybe up the Mall on a good day, but then you can pedal yourself beyond 15mph to 20mph+ , it will only stop assisting, not stop accelerating at 15.5 mph.
 
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gzoom

Über Member
I was thinking of getting a 2nd battery or doing a deal for an upgraded battery from the get go.

If you are really only doing 6 mile return commute I wouldn't bother with a 2nd battery, especially if you do some pedaling your self.

The G4 looks inciting....My current 'last mile' bike is pretty lame even tough it does fit in the boot of the car without folding......I need to repeat this 'Must not get another eBike'.

44632672945_a58e779de7_c_d.jpg
 
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