Unfold your F1 fantasy… on a bike
GoCycle G4 Electric Bike From €3,800 gocycle.com ★★★★★
There are lots of good reasons to cycle more and drive less. It’s good for your health, better for your pocket and helps the planet. If you have the right bike, though, it’s also a lot of fun.
The G4 is the newest foldable electric bike range from GoCycle. Starting at €3,800 for the entrylevel G4 and €5,500 for our tested G4i, the additional power of the G4i+ adds €1,000.
The bike arrived folded and I had it fully assembled in around 20 minutes. Before I started, I downloaded the GoCycle smartphone app, which connects via Bluetooth to the bike.
As well as displaying speed and technical data as you cycle, it also has useful videos on assembly and pre-ride checks.
Unfolding the bike is straightforward and sturdy latches lock the frame into place. I attached the saddle which has a small allen key stowed underneath for easy adjustment.
The G4i has a dual-pronged kickstand, which holds the bike rocksolid. It’s unusual, however, as it flips forward and up, but is easily engaged and disengaged when you need it.
With the bike fully assembled and charged, I used the smartphone app to pair it. There are some setup details required, including the serial number of the bike, and several pre-cycle safety checks.
You don’t need to use the app while cycling but, using the included attachment bands, it’s a nice addition to the set-up.
If you rotate your phone into landscape mode, the app displays a dashboard-style layout. Here, you can choose power modes, including a city and eco option. I liked the large speed indicator on the dash-mode and also that the battery charge is displayed on a large easy-to-read icon. Cycling the bike is, of course, just like cycling a bike – until the power kicks in. The G4Drive system improves acceleration and hill climbing dramatically, and has more useable torque down low when you need it.
The power modes are adjustable, and it’s your choice to engage the motor or not.
You can also have the power kick in at slower pedal speed, or twist the left handlebar for the boost mode, which, as well as useful, is enormous fun.
The predictive electronic gears, on the right handle, are smooth and downshift ensuring you’re always in the right gear, even at traffic lights.
On the left handle, is the setting for the LED lights. As well as a rear light, there’s a huge frontrunning LED which is bright and can be set for night or flashing operation.
The handlebars have an F1styled cockpit layout, with an
EASY TO UNFOLD
THE BIKE AND LOCK IT INTO PLACE
BOOST MODE IS USEFUL. IT IS ALSO ENORMOUS FUN
array of LED indicator lights. There are indicators for battery and speed, gears, lights and there’s even a USB socket for charging your phone.
Notably, the G4i is light, with its carbon-fibre mid-frame and aluminium front frame.
This contributes to the excellent handling, useful in urban areas, but also makes it feasible to fold and stow in the office, or even carry on the train.
There are cheaper electric bikes, and models more suited for longer, country rides, but the G4i is an exceptional bike.
I think the 25kph limited speed assistance and 80km range are more than ample for most commuters, and it’s easily stowable at home or office when folded, making it ideal for daily use.
However, the F1-style features, app integration, build-quality and manoeuvrability make it more than practical; it’s simply wizardry on wheels.