Brompton x Bear Grylls C Line Explore
£1,895 Is the latest Brompton collab ready for adventure?
Weight 12.2kg (one size) Frame & Fork Hand-brazed steel Gears Brompton wide-range 6-speed drivetrain: internal hub gear and 50t chainring with integrated chainguard Brakes Brompton dual-pivot callipers Wheels Double-wall rim, 28 spokes Finishing kit Brooks C17 Cambium saddle, Schwalbe Marathon Racer 349x35c tyres, Brompton pedals (left-hand folding), mudguards, reflectors, waterproof backpack and pouch
Discovery is always late, the saying goes. And that certainly applied to my 2023, which saw two of my great loves – cycling and music – dominated by 1979, the year Brompton filed its first patent and The Replacements formed in Minneapolis. While a dysfunctional rock band and the ultimate in cycling practicality might seem unlikely bedfellows, both got under my skin to provide a surge of unbridled joy and a skip in my mid-forties stride each time I eyed their glistening steel frame and shiny vinyl disc last year and now into 2024.
Like that long-since disbanded cult group, Brompton was a bike that I didn’t
knew I needed or wanted until I tried it. I already owned the holy trinity of a road bike, gravel ride and MTB, while a commute lacking public transport and a home in one of the UK’s hilliest cities aren’t regular Brompton fodder. And yet, since a friend lent me a Brompton C Line Explore to convert me to the folding cause, it’s become my most-used bike, giving me an injection of independence after 15 years of trundling on the same local routes.
When it began
Riding a Brompton felt like my cycling journey had started again. The first 25km was ticked-off. Then a 50km ride. Next stop the (Brompton) World Championships, which are rumoured to take place in Manchester in September. I could jump on any bus or mainline train without facing the consistently futile attempt to book a bike space on the latter; reap the rewards of proper mudguards, built-in lights and an upright riding position on the commute (which also helps my creaking spine); or go for a pint in Bristol without worrying about my bike being nicked (it’s under the table).
What I also discovered late was how much darn fun they are to ride, with the nimble yet stable handling making both urban and rural riding a blast, something our columnist Ned Boulting regularly celebrates. But with a design that, quite understandably, given the unrivalled ingenuity and elegance of the cupboard-friendly Brompton fold (56cm high x 58cm long x 27cm wide), hasn’t altered massively since the late 1970s, how does the brand continue to offer new lines each season? Enter the Bear Grylls C Line Explore…
Color me impressed
The UK cycling industry’s current travails are well documented, but standing out among the closures is a genuine Made in
“The nimble yet stable handling makes both urban outings and rural riding a blast”
Britain success story, one that progressed from the initial sketches of Cambridge engineering graduate Andrew Ritchie in the mid-1970s to today’s production line of close to 100,000 bikes per year.
I visited Brompton’s HQ in Greenford, West London, in September to pick up the new Bear Grylls C Line Explore, witnessing how the brand has remained domestic and quality-led, still hand-making its bikes in London (and its T Line titanium models in Sheffield). With its London rent recently tripling, a new £100m HQ on stilts above a restored wetland in Ashford, Kent is set to open in 2027, a key draw being its ability to produce up to 200,000 Bromptons a year.
As the hive of supply line activity before me testifies, some 16 million variations of a Brompton can be produced, with the limited-edition Bear Grylls C Line Explore collaboration with the ubiquitous TV adventurer among those being assembled.
Visually, it’s a corker, the military-esque Moss Green/Mushroom Grey finish with Adventure Orange flourishes an instant aesthetic step-up from my standard C Line Explore, especially when paired with the included 100% recycled waterproof backpack (that can mount on the front carrier block) and essentials pouch, which can be attached under the saddle or in front/behind the handlebars (the latter is best).
Underneath that paint job lies a fairly typical Brompton C Line Explore (which retails for £1,495), boasting a hand-brazed steel frame with a 6-speed drivetrain. That drivetrain consists of a 50t front chainring paired with two cogs and a three-speed Sturmey Archer internal gear hub, which sadly doesn’t shift under load when you’re ascending steeper climbs, but it’s a better option for attempting to reach the summit than the brand’s 1, 2, 3 or 4-speed C, P or T Line Urban bikes.
Takin’ a ride
Brompton specs the Bear Grylls with its M-type handlebar, which sits between the taller H-type and flat S-type bar. Although the frameset features brazings for a Brompton/Lezyne mini pump, this model sadly doesn’t come with one. You’ll also need to buy front and rear lights, with only reflectors on offer here. The weight of 12.2kg might seem high compared to a carbon road bike, but it never feels excessively so when you’re on the move, although walking longer distances with it can be tricky without a carry case.
As someone who is, let’s just call it mechanically challenged, the threat of a rear-wheel puncture and the ensuing battle with chain tensioners, washers and adjuster barrels often looms over longer rides with the Brompton (at least it fits in the back of a taxi). That fear hasn’t been vanquished with the Bear Grylls C Line Explore, but the tan-walled Schwalbe Marathon Racer tyres have so far proven puncture-resistant on a mix of tarmac and light gravel options, including the ‘gorge to gorge’ route on the Strawberry Line from Cheddar to Bristol shown in the pics here.
An aspect of the Brompton build that I’d question is the protruding rollers that act as mini wheels when it’s folded, as I’ve occasionally caught the top of my boots on them when riding. The classy C17 Cambium saddle from another historic British brand, Brooks, that the Bear Grylls is specced with also takes some breaking in, and my bottom still feels happier on Brompton’s own standard saddle. Riders can choose between a standard or
telescoping seatpost when ordering, with Brompton recommending its telescopic seatpost that offers an extra 6cm of saddle height for taller riders (Brompton say their bikes are suitable for riders from 140-203cm).
Can’t hardly wait
Any Brompton’s hill-climbing prowess pales in comparison to non-folding bikes, especially as you’ll need to pick a gear before the true ascent begins, but I’ve grown to enjoy the calf-building boosts. You can, of course, look at one of the brand new 12-speed Bromptons that have just been released for 2024. Alternatively, you can opt for an electric C Line (£2,995) or a Brompton-specific ebike conversion kit from Brit manufacturer Cytronex, which includes a new front wheel with e-motor hub for £1,145. On that note, there’s a whole world of Brompton modification options out there, including carbon wheels.
The 2- and 3-speed trigger shifters move fluidly on the flat, while right and left of the dials the brake levers are easy to reach and the dual-pivot rim brakes have proven reliable in every condition and terrain that I’ve subjected them to.
Brompton bills the Bear Grylls as ‘built to embark on journeys of discovery’ and, for road, towpaths and former rail tracks, that rings true. Where the C Line Explore gearing and Schwalbe Marathon Racer tyres can’t compete is if you’re venturing into true gravel territory, something the world’s first folding gravel bike, the Vello Gravel, aims to address (look for a review in issue 418).
Quite whether the Bear Grylls edition warrants the extra £400 spend over the standard C Line Explore will depend on your love of the limited edition colourway, Brooks saddle, tan-walled tyres and the matching bag combo (the Brompton x Bear Grylls Waterproof Backpack costs £180 on its own, while the nifty essentials pouch can’t be purchased separately).
For my current ambitions, however, both the classic C Line Explore and this Bear Grylls version have fast become my favourite things, with my long-term dream to take on an Iberian end-to-end route on a Brompton. Complete with the hip sounds of 1979 on my bone-conduction headphones, of course…
Verdict It’ll cost you more, but this is a great-looking addition to the ever-expanding Brompton line