this is bear grylls’ favorite bike
The brompton c line folding bike
When Dad Gear Review had the chance to catch up with the legendary explorer, survivalist, and wilderness expert Bear Grylls, of course we asked him about his favorite gear. We weren’t surprised that Bear had much love for his Jack Wolfskin jacket or boots, but we were pleasantly surprised that it wasn't outdoor apparel or a good knife or a tent or hiking pack that he mentioned first, but in fact was a bicycle.
We asked Bear Grylls, near the top of the interview, what were a few pieces of gear he couldn’t live without (or didn't want to, at any rate) and the very first he mentioned was the Brompton C Line Explore Folding Bike.
“I just love my Brompton travel bike,” Grylls said. “It’s a really cool little pack away bike that literally goes into a backpack, and I take it everywhere with me. It’s just it’s perfect for the diversity of the life I live — not just for when we go to remote places for filming and often end up there for days, say waiting out the weather in a little town like at tip end of Alaska well, but also for when I’m on the road and in cities.”
“Like I’ll be in New York for a press thing, for me, it’s just to great even when I get just a half hour break from from the stuff in my schedule, to pull it out and assemble it, which takes about 20 seconds, and then I can go to Central Park or just wherever I want. It’s so fun to go and explore a little bit, and the bike just gives me that sense of freedom even when I’m in a city. It means I’ve never tied down, I can just unfold and go.”
If you think that a folding bike could never offer the same level of speed, comfort, and multi-terrain abilities that a full-sized bike could, well… you’re right. But the Brompton C Line Explore folding bikes are pretty damn impressive given the fact that they fold down small enough to tuck into a duffel bag.
These bikes can support riders weighing up to 240 pounds and with an inseam length between 26 and 35 inches, which means most adults can climb right aboard and get pedaling. And that’s despite the fact that the bikes weigh just 27 pounds. The folding process only takes about a minute once you have practiced it a few times, so you can by all means ride your C Line to the train station or the office and quickly fold it up then hop aboard or get to your desk.
And you can by all means ride a Brompton all around town or farther afield, enjoying the bike for hours on end, just like Bear Grylls does. The perfect bike for the frequent traveler, the city dweller with limited storage space, or for anyone else who just really likes having a bike on hand.
Image C/O Bear Grylls, X/Twitter