The G Line Brompton

[Drago]

A shame to hear that. I think you could use lighter and thinner tyres to make it roll a bit easier and quicker. Though it is marketed as a gravel bike is it not?
Are the brakes disk or hydraulic?

I believe they do an option with more road oriented tyres, but I'm told it doesn't make them feel any livelier.

 

[Kell]

The version I test rode was fitted with Conti Urban Contacts in 20” x 2.2"; 50x 406

https://www.brompton.com/p/1372/con...dQn5vL7qauE8bifO3RUdhecRInup90YDGbO25jyaN3daP

According to the Conti website, you can also get 1.6 and 1.25.

 

[wafter]

I took out Warlands demo G Line for a test ride last year, really wanted to love it, but unfortunately was pretty underwhelmed by it. It felt very heavy and big, the brakes lacked feel and IMO very expensive for what it was, I bought another 6 speed Brompton instead.

View attachment 776495

That is a shame as on paper I can sort of see the argument and it looks like they've sorted some of the grottier bits of the smaller model.

I suppose the larger you make it the more it moves away from the key selling point of its folded portability and becomes ever-more compromised compared to potential non-folding alternatives in terms of performance.

I'm sure for certain super-niche use cases it might make sense (on the face of it my old commute actually; where the terrain might not be great and the only lifting is in and out of the car). That said I'm not sure I'd want to lug one around the supermarket or try to get it under a pub table for those peripheral excursions.

I think the smartest thing Brompton can do now is trickle down some of the improvements here onto the smaller bikes..

 

[Gunk]

That is a shame as on paper I can sort of see the argument and it looks like they've sorted some of the grottier bits of the smaller model.

I suppose the larger you make it the more it moves away from the key selling point of its folded portability and becomes ever-more compromised compared to potential non-folding alternatives in terms of performance.

I'm sure for certain super-niche use cases it might make sense (on the face of it my old commute actually; where the terrain might not be great and the only lifting is in and out of the car). That said I'm not sure I'd want to lug one around the supermarket or try to get it under a pub table for those peripheral excursions.

I think the smartest thing Brompton can do now is trickle down some of the improvements here onto the smaller bikes..

They need to take a good look at what Ben at Kinetics is doing, Rohloff hubs and disc brakes, the 12 speed Brompton is a pig in a poke

 

[FrankCrank]

To me a glaring improvement would be a switch to the more common wheel 16" wheel size, opening up more tyre possibilities.

I'm fond of Raleigh Twentys and their ilk, and have converted a couple from 451 wheels (skinny tyres) to the more common 406 size.
The ride on higher volume BMX type tyres is very noticeably more plush and forgiving, and would imagine a Brommie would feel the same.

 

[wafter]

They need to take a good look at what Ben at Kinetics is doing, Rohloff hubs and disc brakes, the 12 speed Brompton is a pig in a poke

Aye; although given that a Rohloff is what, the fat end of a grand on its own I think that would be a hard sell. Plus, IMO while clunky and odd the 6sp setup is perfectly fit for purpose so I suspect the 12 would be similar but a bit more versatile.

Totally agree about the brakes and I'd like to see some more quality-led design changes - i.e. the horrible glued-in seatpost bush, crap mudguards that assist said bush and frame itself in eating themselves, along with the worthy-of-a-£50-off-Ali-Express-rotter splined pivot pins on the frame and lesser extent stem..

To me a glaring improvement would be a switch to the more common wheel 16" wheel size, opening up more tyre possibilities.

I'm fond of Raleigh Twentys and their ilk, and have converted a couple from 451 wheels (skinny tyres) to the more common 406 size.
The ride on higher volume BMX type tyres is very noticeably more plush and forgiving, and would imagine a Brommie would feel the same.

 

[tinywheels]

They need to take a good look at what Ben at Kinetics is doing, Rohloff hubs and disc brakes, the 12 speed Brompton is a pig in a poke

Spot on matey, instead of faffing around the muppets should sort the 16inch out.
Anyone with ten minutes to spare on the net can see what the owners want the Brompton to be.
Why Brompton have failed to listen to their customers is beyond me. This blinkered thinking might end up being the downfall of the buisness. Oh,and forget that white elephant of a new factory, that will definitely sink you.

 

[Gunk]

Spot on matey, instead of faffing around the muppets should sort the 16inch out.
Anyone with ten minutes to spare on the net can see what the owners want the Brompton to be.
Why Brompton have failed to listen to their customers is beyond me. This blinkered thinking might end up being the downfall of the buisness. Oh,and forget that white elephant of a new factory, that will definitely sink you.

View attachment 777988

A regular steel C Line with an 8 or 11 speed Alfine and cable disc brakes would be a great allrounder and really cost effective to develop. They’ve got blinkered with titanium which gives marginal gains, is far too expensive, and forgotten to focus on modernising the drivetrain, why on earth they are still developing the transmission around 1940’s technology is a complete mystery. My 6 speed sort of works but it’s an engineering hotch potch