Gocycle G4 review: the cool folding e-bike with turbo boost

Folding bikes are currently popular in cities as well as for camping holidays and the like. You can easily fold them, for instance, to take with you on public transport or load them into a car boot. However, folding bikes have a certain image that is associated with retirees.

The Gocycle G4 is a premium e-bike that wants to put an end to that image. It not only has a stylish and modern design, but also cleverly conceals its power in its front hub motor and a battery that is integrated in the frame. We have taken a detailed look at the Gocycle G4 to see how well this snazzy e-bike performs in day-to day use.

We are going to start this review by looking at perhaps the most important characteristic of the Gocycle G4. And we are not even talking about its e-drive (more on that later), but rather the folding mechanism. The Gocycle G4 is shipped in a box that is remarkably compact for e-bikes.

Once taken out of box, the bike immediately shows off its very compact dimensions (L x W x H) measuring approx. 84 x 40 x 75 cm (33 x 16 x 30″) in its folded state. The Gocycle G4 must be unfolded before (first) use.

Unfolding the bike is an easy process – you won’t need to attend an origami class to do it. First, unfold the frame, which has a hinge in the middle and is held together by a rubber strap. Then engage the easy-to-use locking mechanism below the (not yet installed) saddle.

You can use the small red latch to release the locking mechanism later. The next step involves folding up the handlebars, which works using the same locking mechanism. Then unfold the pedals, insert the saddle into the seat tube and tighten it.

The Allen key for adjusting the saddle height initially can be conveniently stored underneath the saddle so that you will always have it with you. The seatpost can be pulled out quite far, meaning the compact e-bike is also able to accommodate tall riders. In the end, it took hardly one minute to get the e-bike ready to ride.

It is also just as quick to fold up again (see pictures above) if you want to, for instance, transport it or keep it compact when storing it in a small city apartment. Overall, the bike weighs about 17. 5 kg (39 lb), making it quite a lightweight option amongst e-bikes.

It can be carried up a flight of stairs or loaded into the back of a car without too much effort. Many other e-bikes available right now are significantly heavier. As shown by our test rides, the e-bike is still just as sturdy as a normal bike without a middle fold even when the rider’s weight is approaching the specified limit of 100 kg (220 lb).

You can rest easy if you are concerned or have memories of older folding bikes that rattled a little too much for your liking. Considering this is a premium product with a price tag to match, anything other than that would be a disappointment. The Gocycle G4 is equipped with a Shimano Nexus 3-speed gear hub, 20-inch wheels with thick tyres (406-60, 20 x 2.

25), and integrated front and rear disc brakes that are hardly visible. One striking feature is the double-leg kickstand that props up the e-bike and ensures it stand stable. Whilst mudguards are included, the bike unfortunately doesn’t come with a luggage rack.

You can purchase one separately, but it will set you back another 240 Euro (US$280). The USB-C port on the handlebars is a convenient feature that allows you to charge a smartphone, for example. Let us talk about the drive system and our experience riding the Gocycle G4.

Once you start pedalling, you will very quickly notice how the 250-watt G4drive front hub motor performs. Unlike a rear hub motor, the G4drive more or less pulls the bike behind it instead of pushing. On a related note, we have come to one of the most important topics in an e-bike review: the range.

The 300 Wh battery is fully concealed in the frame but can be removed for maintenance purposes. You can charge the battery through the charger port located on the side of the frame. The on/off switch is situated on the opposite side.

According to the manufacturer, the Gocycle G4 has a range of up to 65 km (40 mi) – which naturally depends on usage. Our test rides were admittedly quite demanding due to the load, sometimes slightly hilly terrain and high riding speeds (but they mostly had few stop-starts). Even so, the bike can realistically manage 50 to 60 km (31 to 37 mi) under these conditions.

Unfortunately, the battery level is displayed in steps of 20 per cent, which makes it somewhat difficult to determine how much range is left. The battery takes around three hours to charge using the included charger, which barely weighs 900 g (2 lb). Ultimately, this range should be enough for most users looking at a folding e-bike.

The Gocycle G4 is definitely not designed for very long rides, even though it can comfortably go for quite a few kilometres. Despite the fairly small 20-inch wheels, the thick tyres make riding the bike a rather comfortable experience. The rear wheel mount with 25 mm (1″) of suspension travel also helps with riding comfort.

There is unfortunately no front suspension. The Gocycle G4 comes with its own app. This is nowadays no longer an exception, but the rule.

Whilst the GocycleConnect app was able to establish an initial connection to the e-bike without any issues, it certainly still has room for improvement. Besides a customisable overview with a lot of information about your rides today or during a week, the app also offers many options in the settings and more. This can be somewhat overwhelming in the beginning.

The app is only partly localised for non-English-speaking regions; in the iOS version, some things are still only available in English (we did not test the Android app). It is also missing a save function for trips as well as a tracking feature to record your rides. The app has a very useful feature.

Under “mode selection”, you are able to not only choose from four different modes (City, Eco, Sport and Custom) but also customise the level of motor assistance in relation to the pedal effort based on your preference. For example, this lets you enjoy the motor’s full power while pedalling with minimal effort (similar to the City mode preset) or activate the pedal assist only when you start to pedal very hard. Auch ein Display gibt es am Gocycle G4 leider nicht.

Ohne Smartphonehalterung und die App gibt es also kaum Informationen zur Fahrt. Stattdessen informieren nur fünf rote LEDs mititig am Lenker über den Akkuladestand (absteigend) sowie die aktuelle Unterstützungsleistung des Motors (aufsteigend). Und wo wir gerade dabei sind: Ein oder zwei mehr Gänge wären ebenfalls nett, um eine etwas feinere Abstufung und nach oben hin einen Gang mit weniger hohem Tritttempo zu haben.

Dann wäre das Gocycle G4 unserer Meinung nach noch besser auch für längere Fahrten geeignet. The Gocycle G4 also doesn’t have a display. Without the smartphone mount and the app, you can’t really view much information about your ride.

Instead of a screen, there are five LEDs in the middle of the handlebars to indicate the battery level (decreasing) and the current as the assist level of the motor (increasing). And while we are here: it would also be nice to have one or two more speeds in order to get slightly finer gradation and to ride at high . .

. This would make the Gocycle G4 better suited for longer rides. The Gocycle G4 is certainly not cheap at a recommended retail price of 3,799 Euro (US$3,999).

For its price, it impresses with its premium build quality, sturdy construction and stylish design. Nevertheless, we had expected a little more from it in some technical aspects. Yes, the front hub motor pulls the bike with great power, even more so when you press the boost button.

The compact e-bike is comfortable to ride despite its small wheels and can also be used on longer trips. Besides the app connectivity (which opens up many possibilities but also left some potential untapped), we think that the bike would be not just beautiful but also suitable for daily use if there were to be a display and mode selector on the handlebars so that the user wouldn’t have to constantly fish for their smartphone. Whilst app connectivity is great, it shouldn’t be forced upon the user.

Having said that, the bike is still pleasant to ride with just one mode, which can be configured as necessary. All things considered, there are many things we like about the Gocycle G4 during our review. But the manufacturer also charges a handsome amount for the bike’s quality and powerful motor – even though its range is rather average compared with “large” e-bikes.

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