Brompton is a unique brand in cycling. On one hand it appeals to utility cyclists on the most functional level, on the other it boasts a unique urban chic that’s led to collaborations with cyclists like David Millar and upmarket brands like Barbour. Brompton’s brand new flagship titanium T-Line goes even further on both fronts, as it may well be the most functional and stylish bike Brompton has ever made.
The proposition of the Brompton T-Line is a simple one. This is the lightest Brompton ever, and the most expensive.
In its lightest single speed form, the bike weighs only 7.45kg, while our Urban model with four gears comes in at a mildly heftier 7.95kgs (complete with mudguard, pedals and roller wheels). To put that in perspective, an entry-level Brompton B75 weighs 11.6kgs, and is not even the heaviest in the range.
Compare the T-Line to the world of premium road or gravel: where the thought of cutting 4kg off a frame would be enough to have weight weenies brawling in independent bike shops.
Historically, it’s not been unusual to see the very lightest WorldTour bikes easily top the £10,000 mark, and with that in mind, the Brompton’s T-line’s £3,970 price tag may not seem so galling. After all, this is a folding titanium bike that not only slices 4kg from the conventional steel bike but weighs less than many of its fully-sized titanium road bike cousins.
But with such a big release, and such a large cost, the key question is whether the Brompton T-Line represents a lightweight gimmick or a true substantial step forward in performance. After nearly six months on the Brompton T-Line, and hundreds of miles, I feel fairly certain of the answer.
Design and aesthetics – handmade titanium
Titanium is an acquired taste when it comes to bikes. The intense light-sapping greyness of titanium doesn’t jump out to the average onlooker. In my years of testing the highest-end bikes, I’ve rarely had a compliment on a titanium bike from anyone but the most seasoned bike fans.
Take a glance at its muted tones from a distance, and it would be easy to overlook the underlying craft of a Grade Nine titanium frame hand-built and assembled in the UK. Up close, it’s a carefully crafted bike and a striking piece of manufacturing, and I admire the T-Line for that subtle aesthetic. Even more striking is that virtually every component of the bike has been built by Brompton, in the UK.
Despite what seems like a thoroughly controlled…
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