Brompton P Line

The new Brompton P Line 4-speed lives up to its ‘Performance’ label – folding and unfolding in seconds, fitting into the smallest of train luggage racks and riding nimbly around the city. While it trades some of the brand’s traditional character for a more modern build with performance in mind – something that may not sit comfortably with every hardened Brompton fan – there’s no denying it is great fun to ride.

The P Line was first available in 2022 as an evolution of the older Superlight Bromptons. It sits between the standard steel C Line and the ultra-premium T Line in the company’s line-up. Mat loved it when he reviewed it back then.

Unsurprisingly, change has come. Brompton has now launched the P Line Mk II. Refinements such as a carbon fork, wider handlebars, a 160mm crankset (down from 170mm) and a quick-release pedal are intended to improve the ride and reduce the weight. With that list of upgrades you’d be forgiven for thinking you are reading about a high-end road bike, so it’s hardly shocking to learn that there’s been a significant price hike too – but then what isn’t getting more expensive these days?

I’ve had four weeks getting to know the P Line. It has accompanied me to the Cheltenham Jazz Festival, transported me to a hospital appointment, hopped effortlessly onto trains and buses, been wheeled around a supermarket (partially folded) and carried me around town for everything from social visits to functional errands. Riding it cheered me up. I felt a little bit (for want of a better word) special – that is until I saw the photos. Yes, it looks a little clownish, but it’s undeniably great fun. I’ve never had a bike that has received so many compliments and questions.

The ride

It’s nowhere near as twitchy as I expected – perhaps helped by loading the front-mounted bag. Getting it up to speed is surprisingly easy and once rolling it bowls along with very little effort.

The handling and flex in the chassis is disappointing, but that comes from someone who rides road bikes all the time. The bike folds into three – what can you expect? Things I assumed might feel very awkward or compromised, such as cornering and climbing, accelerating, didn’t – well, not quite to the extent I had expected.

Ride quality is surely a Brompton’s secondary purpose. Its primary purpose is to be portable and easy to store. Since it does that so well, niggles elsewhere can be forgiven.

The fold

The folding routine took some getting used to. The first few times, I wasted time contemplating if I was safe on a bike that was being held together by a wing nut that I’d only turned a couple of times. I certainly wasn’t the slick folding maestro you see in all the Brompton adverts.

Floundering outside Chepstow station while fellow passengers filed past looking mildly bemused was not the highlight of my away day with friends on folders – though in fairness I’d owned the bike for less than a week at that point. Things improved quickly and before long I was folding and unfolding it without a second thought. Like most things, it’s simply a matter of practice.

The novelty of collapsing the bike to then hop onto public transport or slide it neatly into the car still hasn’t worn off. It makes me wonder why I didn’t start dabbling in Brompton adventures years ago. The rigmarole of travelling with a full-sized bike now feels like slow torture by comparison. The marketing on the packaging is spot on: “Nothing folds like a Brompton”.

Getting technical

The titanium fork has been replaced with a carbon one. I personally can’t comment on the improvement this may have had on the handling, but let’s remember this is a bike that’s cut in two and rolls on 16in wheels with clinchers. I’m sceptical about the effect the switch from titanium to carbon can have made on ride comfort.

The 50t chainring has been replaced with a “54t narrow-wide chainring to reduce chain movement”. This is combined with a compact 4-speed (11-13-15-18t) derailleur, mirroring the original P Line.

This setup should satisfy commuters riding flat-to-gently-undulating roads, but if you live in a hilly city – Bristol, for example – it will leave you wanting. No-one wants to arrive at the office in sweaty clothes. For an extra £200, you can have 12 gears (11-13-15-18t cassette with a 3-speed internal hub). The gears never missed a beat for me. Shifting was very smooth.

If anything went wrong, I wouldn’t know where to start – the derailleur mechanism is tidily hidden in casing. I can’t say I felt 100 per cent comfortable knowing I wasn’t self-sufficient in the event of a mechanical. This probably isn’t at the forefront of a city commuter’s mind, however, and on the plus side, the casing protects the mech from dust and debris very well.

In addition to potentially improved power transfer, “all-new aluminum 160mm crank arms” may reduce the risk of pedal strike. As someone who rides 170mm cranks, I accepted this shorter length as part of the whole Brompton proposition. I guess if you’ve been used to 170mm cranks on an existing Brompton, you may well feel a difference.

The pedals are a new design, “precision-crafted from CNC-milled aluminium,” with a removable left-hand pedal. I found this a little stiff at first, but it has eased with the help of a squirt of lube. I think it’s a great feature. It keeps the bike’s profile neat when folded and it stows securely in the frame via a magnet – although I tended to keep it with me when travelling on public transport. I wondered if a bike without a pedal was less appealing to thieves, or if a single pedal might appeal to some.

The stem and bars are chunkier, meaning a thicker headset. (It continues to sound rather like a modern road bike.) Bosses have appeared on the stem, which are ideal for a bottle cage or lock. Brompton doesn’t state any kind of dimensions on the actual width of the handlebars in comparison to the MK I, but for those keen to know, the width on the MK II is 575mm. I tested a bike with mid bars. Like all Bromptons, the P Line can be bought with low, mid or high to suit. All three come with a very comfy pair of ergo grips.

The bars swing down and clamp to the lower half of the stem using what I’d best describe as a ball and socket mechanism – a feature taken from the T and G Lines. It’s satisfyingly neat and secure.

The self-aligning hinge clamp plates are great – another well thought out element. Despite the levers being plastic, they feel robust. They tighten in surprisingly few turns, which is what makes folding and unfolding the bike so quick.

Brompton has used a new saddle design. While I can’t compare it to the previous one, I can confidently say that it suited me very well. In addition to the smooth road and bike lanes that the P Line is designed for, I rode it on tow paths and pot-holed tracks. I didn’t suffer in the slightest, with saddle soreness of any kind, on any of these surfaces.

Certain things haven’t changed. The size of the roller wheels (for transportation) remains the same. They work well, making it exceptionally easy to manoeuvre the bike across train platforms or along corridors, as well as to slide it into tight spaces for storage. Having experienced how easy they make moving the bike around, I personally wouldn’t want a Brompton without the SuperRoll+.

The rear triangle is still made of titanium, though it’s now coloured the same as the main frame and the paint job looks good.

The wheels don’t appear to be any different. The choice of Continental Contact Urban tyres remains unchanged. And why change what works? They have handled everything I’ve thrown at them admirably.

The brakes and wheels also mirror the Mk I. I find this a little surprising. A traditional titanium fork was replaced with a carbon one, while a rim brake stayed in situ. The brake pads are, in my opinion, one of the lowlights of the bike, but on a positive note they are an easy thing to switch.

My only other niggle is the flimsy plastic sticker on the chainstay which is there to protect it from the hook (used to secure the folded front end). At this price, it would be good to see something more durable being used. Thankfully, as with the brake pads, it’s easy to address.

For me, the bike is otherwise faultless for its purpose. The build quality and paint job are first class; the folding action and simplicity are genius; and it outshines other folders when it comes to compactness and weight.

Taking it on the train was a delight as there was no hunting for the bike carriage. Indeed, it fitted where my friends’ folders didn’t. The wheels on the rack/frame are a game changer when it comes to moving through the station or simply getting it in/out of the garage. For the times when you can’t, or don’t want to wheel it, it’s so light it isn’t hard work.

I can see the appeal for any city commuter and for those who simply don’t want to rely on a car as much. It could save you a lot of money in parking fees. Park and (quite literally) ride is becoming easier with more and more towns and cities creating decent cycle lanes. Nipping down a smooth, pot-hole free bike lane is a breeze on the P Line.

Furthermore, while it didn’t come naturally to me, the step-through action was refreshing and appropriate for the times when I was wearing more formal clothes. I’m sure there’ll come a time when I appreciate it for reasons of flexibility too.

Value

For many, the bike may well pay for itself in the long term – and it’s built to last – but at £2,479 for a 4-speed folder (£2,679 for 12-speed), the price puts it out of reach for many who may truly want it.

Right now, there is little competition for Brompton. Dahon and Tern are the obvious alternatives, as both offer a wide range of folders. While they are heavier, and the quality may not be up to Brompton’s, the prices are much more wallet-friendly.

The £900 Tern Link D8 looks to be a comparable option, for example, though looking at the headset area and its welding, the build-quality doesn’t seem to match Brompton’s. Neither does its weight – with 20in wheels, it’s over 2kg more than the P Line Mk II.

French firm UTO’s PRO20 NE (£1,699) is another 20in folder. It’s quite significantly heavier at 14.8kg and it doesn’t fold down so small either, but Matt really liked it when he tested it for us earlier this year.

If you’re looking for a cheaper 16in option, Richard recently took a look at the £699 Dahon Boardwalk D7-16″ but with a steel frame, seven gears and V-brakes, it’s a very different prospect.

With prices from £1,399, Brompton’s own C Line is of course another more affordable alternative. We tested the C Line Explore a few years back.

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Conclusion

Despite the fun and simplicity I’ve had for four weeks, this isn’t the folding bike I would want to own, even if I could justify the £2,479 for the ‘upgrades’ over the old P Line that is, at the time of writing, being sold at £2,267.

Yes, it’s truly unbeatable when it comes to folding and being compact, which is just what a city commuter wants and needs, but for me the ride doesn’t deliver what the cost suggests it might.

With its 20in tubeless ready wheels and disc brakes, the G Line may offer improved handling for no more money than the 8-speed P Line, but whether that’s viable or not will depend on what you want to do and where you want to venture with your bike.