RIDDEN AND REVIEWED BROMPTON G LINE £2,499

A Brompton for running riot in both town and country

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Brompton, possibly the most urban of bike brands, has welcomed a gravel bike into the fold. Two, in fact - there's an e-bike variant as well, and though Brompton doesn't specifically refer to them as gravel bikes, the description matches perfectly.

Brompton says the G Line is the first major new addition to its platform in 50 years. Built from the ground up for off-road duties, it shares little with the original Brompton other than its iconic silhouette, albeit super-sized, and the nifty folding mechanism. Wisely, these brand-defining characteristics have both been retained.

CONSTRUCTION

One of the most obvious differences is the wheel size, which has grown from 16 inches to 20 inches. Both bikes are shod with fat Schwalbe G-One Allround tubeless-ready tyres that have a fine, non-aggressive, studded tread pattern for good traction and acceptable rolling resistance on light gravel as well as tarmac.

The inclusion of disc brakes is the next departure for Brompton. Impressively, for a folding bike, the TRP-branded braking system is hydraulic, so despite the petite 140mm rotors, stopping power should be potent enough for most riders in most conditions.

Sensibly, Brompton has specified Shimano's low-maintenance Alfine eight-speed internal gear rear hub, which offers a 307% gear range and tucks all the delicate drivetrain components out of harm's way. Up front is a 54t chainring, which looks huge, but is there to counteract the influence of the small wheels, which lower the gearing significantly.