Brompton Bikes

[Udders]

Ok, I know absolutely nothing about them but quite fancy one of their electric bikes.

I saw in an advert on eBay that they do an extended battery? Is that correct or an aftermarket one? Plus what sort of range do they do? Are there different power modes?

What are the differences between their models?

Are there any more suited to off road / gravel type terrains? Can you put knobbly tyres on them? Can you go tubeless?

I’d use it for rides i do from my small camper van so need a small folding bike.

Thanks for any advice. I know there are a few on here that have them.

 

[NeverRodeBefore]

I think they market the G series as a bit of an offroad bike as it has 20" wheels.

I have an Estarli folding ebike which I bought fitted with 20" Schwalbe Marathon 365 tyres. It has a BMX type look to my eyes with a battery in the seat post. I think the range might be a bit of an issue for longer rides but they also do an extender which is now a 7ah offering up to 50km of extra range and fits a bit like a water bottle might along the top tube.

The biggest factor for me was wanting a folding Ebike that didn't cost a fortune for limited usage.

 

[Wapping]

Brompton bicycles are very good.

I used mine (a standard electric version) on lots of farm tracks on and around the Oder river, without too many problems. OK, was it as comfortable as riding around London or on the flat cycle lanes? No, obviously not. But it got me from A to B, the longest run being a 16 mile return trip (32, in total) all on the flat. I didn’t though use the battery on the outward run. That said, it still had plenty of juice for the way back and showed two lights out of five on the battery level by the time I’d finished. This included the long steady climb (it’s not Everest) up the Seelow Heights, which is enough to slow large loaded HGV lorries.

My electric bike has three gears plus a high low ratio. With the electrics, I hardly use the gears, other than for a very steep climb.

My advice…, go to a decent bicycle shop selling the range, as they all differ in potential bar configuration and gearing. climb.

 

[karlp]

We had both versions of the electric Brompton and found they did not come close to the Vektron S10.

 

[Nin]

Brompton bikes are superbly engineered, useable products. The G-line rides like a standard gravel bike, and folds into something you can easily fit into a small car. I’ve not tried the e bikes, but if they’re designed and built like the others, they’ll be great.

I do have a non-e bike G-line large as new for sale if anyone is interested. …

 

[Udders]

We had both versions of the electric Brompton and found they did not come close to the Vektron S10.

I’ve never heard of them before but I REALLY like the look of it!

Bosch motor too.

Tern Vektron S10 Active 400Wh Electric Folding Bike In Black Grey Or Gloss Silver Gen 3

Tern Vektron S10 Active 400Wh Electric Folding Bike In Black Grey Or Gloss Silver Gen 3 Gloss Silver £3149.00

www.theelectricbikeshop.co.uk

Nice. They look a lot sturdier than the Brompton. But I know nothing about either.
Cheers for that.

The only think that looks a bit suspect is the weak looking handlebar clamp. Don’t know how well that would cope on gravel / rough single track?
I need to go look at one.

 

[karlp]

I’ve never heard of them before but I REALLY like the look of it!

Bosch motor too.

Tern Vektron S10 Active 400Wh Electric Folding Bike In Black Grey Or Gloss Silver Gen 3

Tern Vektron S10 Active 400Wh Electric Folding Bike In Black Grey Or Gloss Silver Gen 3 Gloss Silver £3149.00

www.theelectricbikeshop.co.uk

Nice. They look a lot sturdier than the Brompton. But I know nothing about either.
Cheers for that.

They are a lot more robust than the Brompton

Not so good at folding and taking on a train

and the battery stays as part of the bike - not as a separate bag

In fact we bought a G line electric and sent it back

 

[Udders]

They are a lot more robust than the Brompton

Not so good at folding and taking on a train

and the battery stays as part of the bike - not as a separate bag

Oh ok. That’s good to know.
I won’t be taking it on a train. It’ll be down in the passenger footwell of my van. ( no passenger seats ).

Can you remove the battery to charge or is it fixed in the bike?

 

[BillN]

I’ve never heard of them before but I REALLY like the look of it!

Bosch motor too.

Tern Vektron S10 Active 400Wh Electric Folding Bike In Black Grey Or Gloss Silver Gen 3

Tern Vektron S10 Active 400Wh Electric Folding Bike In Black Grey Or Gloss Silver Gen 3 Gloss Silver £3149.00

www.theelectricbikeshop.co.uk

Nice. They look a lot sturdier than the Brompton. But I know nothing about either.
Cheers for that.

The only think that looks a bit suspect is the weak looking handlebar clamp. Don’t know how well that would cope on gravel / rough single track?
I need to go look at one.

Bromptons are very sturdy and parts are easily obtainable by mail order

I'm not sure that they are the right bike for "off road" use ........ I would say not

when considering you need to compare the folded size and weight if those are important to you, plus the wheel size

 

[EVskiy]

We had both versions of the electric Brompton and found they did not come close to the Vektron S10.

Doesn’t quite work package itself as compact as Brompton does though.

 

[Udders]

Bromptons are very sturdy and parts are easily obtainable by mail order

I'm not sure that they are the right bike for "off road" use ........ I would say not

when considering you need to compare the folded size and weight if those are important to you, plus the wheel size

Yeah, I’m quickly coming to realise that Brompton are superb for what they’re designed for. Which isn’t what I want.
That’s the beauty of starting a thread like this. People’s real life experiences are way more valuable than my complete inexperience on the subject.
You get some great ideas and suggestions on things I’d never heard of before.

 

[Wapping]

They look a lot sturdier than the Brompton

A Brompton is as robust as they come, trust me.

Are they though built with extended off-road in mind? No.

Canal paths? Yes.

Hard packed gravel or dry farm tracks, with grass up the middle? Yes.

Sand? No.

Anything that will bang the small wheels? OK for a bit, but not really.

Short mowed grass? Yes.

Long, uncut grass? No.

Cobblestone pave? Yes but it’ll bang your teeth out.

Paths made from old concrete railway sleepers? See cobblestone pave.

Mud? No.

As you can see, I have done the lot.

 

[Udders]

Doesn’t quite work package itself as compact as Brompton does though.

I don’t necessarily need the smallest pack size. Just something a bit smaller than my full suspension emtb.
And fit to do the job I want it to.

 

[EVskiy]

Yeah, I’m quickly coming to realise that Brompton are superb for what they’re designed for. Which isn’t what I want.
That’s the beauty of starting a thread like this. People’s real life experiences are way more valuable than my complete inexperience on the subject.
You get some great ideas and suggestions on things I’d never heard of before.

I’ve taken my electric P-Line on an off-road section of my commute. Mind you, main roads aren’t much different in their current state to those classed as off-road. No problems with the bike at all, other than due to the size of the wheels, you do feel every fecking pebble you ride over. Overall though, no complaints from me.

I believe our own @Fluffmeister has an electric G-Line. What’s it like, I don’t know, but suspect it is better at off-road tracks compared to my P-Line.

 

[EVskiy]

I don’t necessarily need the smallest pack size. Just something a bit smaller than my full suspension emtb.
And fit to do the job I want it to.

It is all depends how you planing on using and storing it. I like the way the rear triangle of Brompton tucks under the frame, which makes it very nice and stable. Doubt that Vectron as easy to live with when folded and need to be transported.

 

[Udders]

Ooh, just found that Cube make folding e-bikes. My emtb is a Cube and it’s been superb.

Cube Fold Hybrid 545 2026 Folding eBike – e-bikeshop.co.uk

Introducing the Cube Fold Hybrid 2026 —where everyday elegance meets cutting-edge commuter tech. Powered by Bosch’s Performance Line motor.

www.e-bikeshop.co.uk

 

[karlp]

Doesn’t quite work package itself as compact as Brompton does though.

as I stated in my next post

 

[NeverRodeBefore]

This is the new version of what I bought

e20.9

The ultimate lightweight off-road folding e-bike made in Britain

www.estarli.co.uk

Mine is an 8 speed, with full mudguards and a rear rack with what they now call the Creepy Crawler version with MTB style tyres

 

[NeverRodeBefore]

Oh ok. That’s good to know.
I won’t be taking it on a train. It’ll be down in the passenger footwell of my van. ( no passenger seats ).

Can you remove the battery to charge or is it fixed in the bike?

The Tern Vektron is a premium folding bike which I did consider, but, at the time I thought the mid motor could provide a bit of drag without the power on (my Haibike did) and the battery sits on an incline behind the main seat post and is designed to be easily removed for charging or storage away from the bike (I had similar indoors during a harsh winter where the frame was in a shed)

The handlebar clamp is a result of them wanting one size to suit all users as both sides unclamp a bit like a QR wheel, and the bars then lift, drop or rotate very easily before the clamps are locked back into place.

As well as my Estarli, I have a normal Tern D8 folding non battery bike which is mostly used when I take the car for a service.

 

[dean0n0]

Would a bike rack on a back door so you could take your proper bike not work?
Cheaper and proper off-road worthy.