Brompton’s featherweight folding bike weighs less five bags of flour
Titanium transportation
Folding bikes might be easier to squeeze on the 7.15 to Paddington, but a collapsible cycle isn’t much use if it’s too heavy to haul over the footbridge.
Don’t fancy wrestling with an overweight two-wheeler? Brompton’s latest bike is a featherweight foldaway that even the weakest office worker can handle: crafted from titanium, the T Line One hits the scales at just 7.45kg.
Precision engineered at a shiny new factory in Sheffield, the hinged steed weighs some 37% less than the steel original. Yet Brompton reckons it can still withstand the mass of a 110kg prop forward as they pedal from HQ to clubhouse, thanks to a cutting-edge carbon seat post that’s reinforced with a 0.3mm coating of steel.
Redesigned from bars to bottom bracket, the single-speed T Line One also ships with a seriously streamlined drivetrain. A carbon crankset promises improved power transfer, while the whittled-down derailleur weighs just 60g.
Like all Brompton bikes before it, the T Line One folds away for easy heaving – but the packing process is now slicker than ever. Self-aligning hinges should make re-assembly a cinch, while a handle under the nose of the carbon saddle is good to grab and go. Plus larger diameter wheels mean easier weaving through rush hour crowds.
And because titanium is shock-absorbing by default, city streets shouldn’t pose a problem for your posterior. Combined with a carbon fork and handlebars, commuters can expect a dynamic ride that doesn’t shake your bits to bits. Unless you take a cobbled shortcut.
The price for this lightweight alternative to public transport? Available in selected stores and through an exclusive online ballot, the T Line One will set you back a not-so-slender £3750/$4795, while the four-speed T Line Urban is marked at £3950/$4995. So you’ll need to skip a full season’s station runs to make it worthwhile.
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Chris Rowlands
Freelance contributor 
