![]() The small but phat wheels and front-wheel drive mean it feels super-stable but also zippy. I can honestly say I haven't encountered a single issue with riding the G4. The real joy of the G4 is definitely the ride experience, but the fact it can be folded so easily and efficiently as well is a brilliant bit of icing on the cake. I took it on the brand-new Elizabeth line of the London Underground in its folded state, and nobody tutted at me or anything. It's also small and light enough to carry on to public transport. Easily small enough to hide under your office desk, car boot or somewhere convenient in your home. I found this could be done in seconds, even by someone as cack-handed as myself, and while it doesn't fold down to Brompton size, it is remarkably compact in its origami'd state. Of course, the other great thing about the G4 is you may not need to leave it on the streets, because it folds up. Which is nice, but it's also going to be obvious to any passing bike thieves, so be careful that you use one of the best bike locks if you have to leave it on the street. There is possibly one issue here, which is that you can clearly see that it's an expensive ebike. On the whole, I prefer bikes to look like bikes, but I have no problems with the eye-catching styling of the G4. The G4's hydro-formed 6061 T6 alloy front frame, injection moulded composite mid-frame and injection moulded magnesium 'Cleandrive' system and one-sided front fork really do look very sporty and futuristic, without tipping over into looking outlandish. One thing that really impressed me is that the G4 can be recharged in just 3 hours. The 300Wh battery is good for up to 40 miles in theory, although I always work on the assumption that it'll run out after 20-30 miles, as I tend to use a high assistance level, due to general laziness. The Gocycle's battery is apparently removable, although I have been recharging with it in situ. B contrast, the Gocycle G4's 250W battery – 500W in the US due to their different ebike laws – is mounted inside the mid-frame, which seems like a better idea to me. However, the e-Brompton also houses its battery at the front, which does give it slightly odd weight distribution. One notable rival that takes a similar approach is the electric Brompton, which feels similarly nippy as a result. Unusually, the motor powers the front wheel, rather than the rear wheel or cranks, as is the ebike norm. The folded Gocycle also fits in car boots and small storage areas at home. It's easily small enough to take on most commuter trains – when they're running – and then secrete under your desk when you hit work. ![]() The G4 doesn't fold down as small, nor quite as quickly, as a Brompton but the transformation is still pretty radical. Speaking of which, the hydraulic disk brakes are also excellent. With the turbo button, it's also easy to pull away from lights, and recover speed if you need to brake. I've been able to get up to 20mph on a regular basis, which is not something that's at all easy on most ebikes, let me tell you. So ultimately, I switched to a setting that gave me all of the power, all of the time.Īt 17.6kg and with 3 gears, it is very possible to kick on from the aforementioned 15.5mph using your own steam. This was quite good in terms of getting a workout but I soon found I was using the handy 'turbo' button on the left grip to get me up to speed, instead of my own pedal power. This meant I had to pedal quite hard to get going, before the motor really kicked in, so I could cruise at 15.5mph – the legal top assisted speed for an ebike in the UK and Europe. I started with quite a slow ramp up of power. You can also use it to change the assistance level the bike offers. I must admit, I have not used it in that way a great deal, as the idea of attaching my very expensive phone to a bike and then riding it through London's potholed streets is just not that appealing. Instead, they come with an app – hooray! – and a handlebar mount so you can attach your phone and use it as a kind of simplified bike computer, seeing your speed and distance stats. The riding position and feel are very much like a non-folding bike. The result is a geometry that perfectly suits riders of all sorts of different heights, and that definitely includes me. This means that as you raise its saddle to suit your height, you are also moving it slightly further away from the handlebars. However, another brilliant part of the G4's design is its slightly diagonal seat post. ![]() I'm not outlandishly tall at 6ft1, but such rides are usually too small for me in one way or another, and I have to modify how I ride so I am not clipping my foot on some element of the bike. I've had a few issues with other ebikes that take this approach.
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