Six Brompton bikes worth the money, from the £999 A Line to the electric C Line, with the weights, gearing and delivery habits the product pages and owner reviews reveal before you order.
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A Brompton makes sense for one kind of rider above all: someone who mixes cycling with trains, lifts, car boots or a small flat, and needs the bike to disappear when it is not being ridden. The fold is still the one others are measured against, and the bikes are still made in Britain.
This guide covers six current UK models, from the entry A Line to the big-wheeled G Line and the electric C Line, and leaves the titanium T Line alone. The short advice: the steel C Line 4-speed suits most people, Cyclescheme takes a large bite out of any of these prices if your employer is signed up, and click and collect from a dealer avoids most of the complaints in the reviews.
The C Line is the reference Brompton: a hand-brazed steel frame, the three-part fold, mudguards, a folding left pedal and the front carrier block that every Brompton bag clips on to. The current 4-speed uses an 11 to 18 tooth cassette and replaces what Brompton used to call the C Line Explore. It weighs from 11.3kg and comes in low, mid or high handlebar versions; most colours are £1,449, while Lunar Ice costs £1,559.
Owner reviews of the C Line 4-speed are warm about the bike and cooler about everything around it. One rider had a fault three months in and could not get a reply for nearly two weeks; another had a bike and its bag sent to two different addresses. Several first-time owners say there is little in the box to explain the fold. It is also steel, which you notice on the third flight of stairs.
Suits you if
You ride to a station or carry the bike indoors daily
You want mudguards and luggage fittings from day one
Look elsewhere if
You carry the folded bike up long flights of stairs
You have a steep hill on the daily route
2Best value
A Line - 3-speed
The cheapest new Brompton: the same fold and steel frame, with three hub gears and almost every extra stripped out.
The A Line exists to get a Brompton under £1,000, and it does it by leaving things off rather than cheapening the fold. You get the steel frame, a three-speed internal hub you can shift while stationary, a mid-height handlebar and reflectors. You do not get mudguards, a front carrier block or a folding pedal: the page lists non-folding composite pedals and says the carrier is available separately.
Reviewers like the simplicity and say so. The lower ratings are specific: one owner calls it a bare-bones model and advises going straight to the C Line; others replaced the tyres, the saddle or the pedals, and one found the lowest gear not low enough for real hills. Add the missing parts back and the gap to a C Line narrows quickly.
Suits you if
Your rides are short and mostly flat
You want to add upgrades gradually
Look elsewhere if
You ride in rain without mudguards at your peril
You want to use Brompton bags straight away
3Best for stairs
P Line - 4-speed
A titanium rear frame, carbon fork and lighter parts take the weight below 10kg, for riders who lift the bike more than they pedal it.
The P Line keeps a steel main frame but swaps in a titanium rear frame, a carbon fork, wider aluminium bars, shorter 160mm cranks and a quick-release left pedal. The result starts at 9.86kg against the C Line’s 11.3kg. The page itself is muddled on the saving, though: one paragraph claims 2kg against the original C Line, another says 700 grams against all-steel equivalents. The listed weights suggest something nearer 1.4kg.
There are only a handful of owner reviews so far, all positive about the handling. The one complaint is the gearing: a rider in his eighties found the lowest of the four gears not low enough. Mudguards are included; lights and a rack are not. At £950 more than the C Line, it is a purchase for the stairs.
Suits you if
You carry the bike up stairs or on to buses every day
You want a quick-release pedal for a slimmer fold
Look elsewhere if
Your route has long climbs; the gearing is the C Line’s
4Best for towpaths
G Line with Roller Frame - 8-speed
Twenty-inch wheels, hydraulic disc brakes and a Shimano Alfine hub make this the Brompton that rides most like a full-size bike.
The G Line is Brompton for people who want to leave the tarmac. It has 20-inch wheels with wide tan-wall Schwalbe G-One tyres, Tektro hydraulic disc brakes, an eight-speed Shimano Alfine hub, a rack and mudguards, and comes in small, medium and large. It still folds, but into a bigger parcel (72 by 67 by 41cm) and from 14.8kg.
It has more owner reviews than any other bike here, and they are largely happy about the ride on gravel and the brakes. The low ratings are about finish and fold: paint on the roller rack that chips when the bike is stood on it, cable rub on the frame, graphics peeling, and one buyer who called it cumbersome folded and told others to buy a P Line instead. Several say it is a car-boot bike rather than a train bike.
Suits you if
You want one bike for towpaths, gravel and town
You drive to your rides and store the bike folded
Look elsewhere if
You need to carry it on crowded trains
You want the smallest possible fold
5Best for hilly commutes
Electric C Line - e-Motiq system - 4-speed
The C Line with Brompton’s own e-Motiq rear hub motor, a removable 345Wh battery and lights included, for commutes that would otherwise be a sweat.
The electric C Line pairs the familiar steel frame with a 250W rear hub motor, a torque sensor, a handlebar control screen and a 345Wh battery that clips off for charging. Brompton quotes up to 90km of range and a five-hour full charge, and includes Lezyne lights, a small zip bag and a bell. Registration lifts the electrical warranty from two years to three.
Weight is the trade-off: 17.6kg with the battery, 13.85kg without. This version had no owner reviews on its page when we checked, so the caution comes from Brompton’s Trustpilot page, where recent one- and two-star reviews describe an electric bike that spent months in workshops with an intermittent fault and slow parts supply. Electric servicing must be done by a Brompton Electric retailer, so check there is one near you first.
Suits you if
Your commute has hills or runs past 10 miles
There is a Brompton Electric dealer near you
Look elsewhere if
You will carry it folded for any distance
You want plenty of owner reviews before buying
6Best upgrade
C Line with Advance Roller Frame - 12-speed
The steel C Line with a 12-speed system and a rear rack on bigger roller wheels that let you steer the folded bike through stations.
Brompton’s 12-speed combines a four-speed derailleur with a three-speed hub, and the page quotes a 402% gear range against 163% on the 4-speed. That is the answer for anyone with a real hill on the way home. The Advance Roller Frame adds a rack and larger roller wheels, so the bike can be pushed and steered half-folded with the seatpost locked part way up.
The weaknesses are weight and newness. It starts at 12.5kg, over a kilo more than the plain 4-speed, and there are two shifters to learn. This model year had no owner reviews when we checked, and its own description still mentions 2- and 6-speed options the range no longer lists. If you only need the rack, the 4-speed with roller frame is cheaper.
Prices as shown on Brompton's UK site in October 2026, before any discount code.
How to choose
1Decide how often you will carry it
The weight figures matter more than the gear count. The A Line and C Line start around 11.3 to 11.5kg, the P Line at 9.86kg, the 12-speed C Line at 12.5kg, the G Line at 14.8kg and the electric C Line at 17.6kg with its battery. If the bike goes up stairs or on to a bus every day, buy the lightest one you can afford. If it mostly rolls along a platform, a roller frame helps more than a lighter frame.
2Count the hills, then the gears
The A Line’s three hub gears and the 4-speed drivetrain on the C and P Lines suit flat towns, and owners of both say the bottom gear runs out on steep climbs. The 12-speed C Line roughly multiplies the range by two and a half. The electric C Line takes the question away, at the cost of weight. If you live somewhere hilly, take a test ride at a Brompton store before ordering.
3Choose the handlebar height carefully
Most models come with low, mid or high handlebars, and they change the riding position more than any other option: low is sporty and leans you forward, high is upright. Brompton’s “Help me choose” tool and a test ride are the honest ways to decide. Bikes can be returned within 28 days under the satisfaction guarantee, but you pay the cost of sending an unwanted bike back.
4Budget for the extras
Most of these bikes have reflectors rather than lights, and only the electric C Line includes a light set. The A Line also lacks mudguards and the front carrier block that Brompton bags need. Add a pair of lights and a bag and the real price rises noticeably. Price the whole kit, not just the bike, before deciding between models, and check whether Cyclescheme will cover the accessories too.
Why Brompton, and why not
Nobody else folds a bike this small with the oily parts tucked inside, and that is still the reason to pay Brompton prices. The bikes are made in Britain, the main frame is covered for seven years once you register it, there is a dealer network that knows the hinges, and spare parts for each line are sold on the same site.
Rivals win on price and ride. Tern and Dahon folders cost less, and Tern’s are better at carrying shopping and children, at the cost of a bigger fold. Brompton’s weak point is the shop rather than the bike. Its Trustpilot rating was 4.3 out of 5 when we checked, but the recent one-star reviews are dominated by delivery delays, bikes arriving with gears out of adjustment, paid returns on accessories that did not fit, and slow help with electric faults. Brompton replies to almost all of them.
What we'd leave on the shelf
T Line - 12-speed
The all-titanium T Line is a remarkable piece of engineering at £5,299, more than three times the price of a C Line 4-speed. For a rider who carries a bike up four floors every day it may justify itself. For nearly everyone else, the P Line saves most of the weight that matters for less than half the money.
The practical stuff
Delivery
Free on orders over £50, £4.95 below, to UK addresses excluding the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. The delivery page says orders are processed in 3 to 5 working days; bike pages say dispatch within 2. Read October 2026
Click and collect
Bikes can be sent to a Brompton dealer, who inspects them before handover. Brompton says this may add 2 to 3 days depending on the workshop. Read October 2026
Returns
Bikes can be returned used, in good condition, within the 28-day satisfaction guarantee. Parts and accessories must be unused and boxed. Unwanted items go back at your expense, delivery costs are not refunded, and there are no exchanges. Read October 2026
Warranty
Register the bike online and the main frame is covered for seven years with unlimited mileage; unregistered, it is two. Other non-wearing parts get two years; electric parts two, or three if registered. Read October 2026
Support
Live chat 09:00 to 21:30 on weekdays and 09:00 to 16:30 at weekends, a contact form with a 72-hour response target, and phone callbacks on weekdays. Read October 2026
Paying
Cards, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay and Klarna. Cyclescheme is accepted for bikes and accessories; Brompton quotes savings of 26% to 39% through salary sacrifice. Read October 2026
Is it better to buy a Brompton online or from a dealer?
The bike is the same, but the handover is not. Home-delivered bikes arrive needing the saddle fitted, and several recent Trustpilot reviewers found gears out of adjustment. Click and collect sends the bike to a dealer who inspects it first, which Brompton says can add 2 to 3 days. If you buy from a dealer rather than the website, returns go through that dealer, not Brompton.
Can I buy a Brompton through Cyclescheme?
Yes, if your employer is signed up. You apply for a certificate for the whole order value, then pay by Cyclescheme at checkout, with payments taken from your gross salary. Brompton quotes savings of between 26% and 39%. You cannot top up the certificate with your own money, so apply for the full amount including any bags and lights.
How long is the Brompton warranty?
Seven years on the main frame, with unlimited mileage, but only if you register the bike in the My Brompton section of the website. Unregistered bikes get two years. Other non-wearing parts are covered for two years, and electric parts for two, or three when registered. Tyres, cables, brake pads and drivetrain parts are treated as wear items and excluded.
Do Bromptons come with lights?
Most do not. The A Line, C Line, P Line and G Line in this guide list reflectors under lighting, so you will need to buy lights for riding after dark. The electric C Line is the exception, with Lezyne lights powered by its battery. Brompton sells lights separately, as do most bike shops.
Other brands to consider
Tern makes the folders most often bought instead, bigger when folded but better at carrying shopping and children.
Dahon is the long-standing cheaper option, far less compact folded but a fraction of the price.
Birdy has suspension at both ends for a smoother ride on rough roads, with a bulkier fold.
What we read
Brompton UK product pages for all six picks, including specifications, weights and prices, read October 2026.
Owner reviews shown on each Brompton product page, read lowest-rated first, October 2026.
Brompton delivery and returns, buy direct, payment and financing, Cyclescheme and warranty pages, read October 2026.
Brompton’s UK Trustpilot page, filtered to one-star reviews, read October 2026.
Desk research only: we read these pages and reviews; we did not test the products. How we choose.
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