Gocycle GX Review

Gocycle Gx Electric Bike Review
Gocycle Gx
Gocycle Gx 500 Watt Hub Motor
Gocycle Gx Folded
Gocycle Gx Cockpit View
Gocycle Gx Display Controls
Gocycle Gx Frame Enclosed Battery
Gocycle Gx Single Sided Fork
Gocycle Gx Internal Drivetrain
Gocycle Gx Rear Suspension
Gocycle Gx 2amp Charger
Gocycle Gx Battery Charger
Gocycle Gx Stock Folding Black
Gocycle Gx Electric Bike Review
Gocycle Gx
Gocycle Gx 500 Watt Hub Motor
Gocycle Gx Folded
Gocycle Gx Cockpit View
Gocycle Gx Display Controls
Gocycle Gx Frame Enclosed Battery
Gocycle Gx Single Sided Fork
Gocycle Gx Internal Drivetrain
Gocycle Gx Rear Suspension
Gocycle Gx 2amp Charger
Gocycle Gx Battery Charger
Gocycle Gx Stock Folding Black

Summary

  • A fully featured, lightweight, and unique design from the ground up folding electric bike from a company known for innovation and engineering, one of the sleekest and exotic folding bikes out there, a real head turner and joy to ride
  • Mechanically, the bike makes use of a Shimano Nexus 3 speed internally geared hub, this is operated by a smooth grip shift on the right handlebar, the “clean drive” system is reliable and pretty well protected, for brakes you get a 140mm hydraulic disc brake setup in both the front and rear
  • Driving the bike is a powerful front hub rated for 500 watts nominal and 750 watts peak, this is engaged by using either the little thumb throttle hidden in the handlebar or by the torque based pedal assist system, powering the bike is a 21.6V 13.34ah battery that fits neatly into the downtube
  • Other GoCycle models make slightly better use of the frame, a smart phone acting as your display may leave some wishing for a protected option, seat and pedaling on the active side so it may not be for leisure cruisers, riding profile is offset ever so slightly with low air volume, useful accessories cost extra

Video Review

Introduction

Make:

Gocycle

Model:

GX

Price:

$3,299

Body Position:

Upright

Suggested Use:

Neighborhood, Urban, Commuting, Travel

Electric Bike Class:

Pedal Assist (Class 1), Throttle on Demand (Class 2)
Learn more about Ebike classes

Warranty:

3 Year Frame, 2 Year Components, 1 Year Battery

Availability:

United States, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Worldwide

Model Year:

2019

Bicycle Details

Total Weight:

40.4 lbs (18.32 kg)

Battery Weight:

4 lbs (1.81 kg)

Motor Weight:

2.2 lbs (0.99 kg)

Frame Material:

Injection Molded Magnesium

Frame Sizes:

12 in (30.48 cm)

Geometry Measurements:

Unfolded: 12" Seat Tube Length, 22" Reach, 21.25" Stand Over Height, 22.5" Width, 62.5" Length, Folded: 15.5" Length, 29.5" Height, 31" Width

Frame Types:

Compact, Folding

Frame Colors:

Matte Black, Blue, White

Frame Fork Details:

Single Right Side Rigid 6061 T6 Aluminum Alloy

Frame Rear Details:

Single Right Side, Gocycle Lockshock™ 25mm (1 in) Travel

Attachment Points:

Rear Rack Bosses, Fender Bosses

Gearing Details:

3 Speed 1x3 Internally Geared Shimano Nexus Hub (Gear Inches: 1st=39.1 in, 2nd=53.3 in, 3rd=72.5 in, Gear Development: 1st=3.1 m, 2nd=4.3 m, 3rd=5.8 m) with Cleandrive® Chain Case, 12 Tooth Sprocket

Shifter Details:

Microshifter Half-Grip Twist on Right

Cranks:

Alloy, Forged, 170mm Length, 32 Tooth Alloy Chainring

Pedals:

VP Folding Plastic Platform

Headset:

Integrated Steerer, Sealed Cartridget, 1-1/8" Straight, Upside-Down (Adjustment on Bottom)

Stem:

Alloy, Integrated Handlebar

Handlebar:

Flat, Aluminum Alloy, 560mm Length

Brake Details:

Proprietary Hydraulic Disc with 140mm Rotors, Dual-Piston Calipers, Two-Finger Levers with Adjustable Reach

Grips:

Flat Rubber, Black

Saddle:

Velo Sport, Black

Seat Post:

Alloy with Forged Head and Telescoping Sleeve

Seat Post Length:

350 mm

Seat Post Diameter:

34.9 mm

Rims:

Injection Molded Magnesium, 5 Support Arms

Tire Brand:

Gocycle Branded Vredestein, 20" x 2.0" (50-406)

Wheel Sizes:

20 in (50.8cm)

Tire Details:

Reflective Sidewall Stripes, 35 to 60 PSI, 2.5 to 4 Bar

Tube Details:

Schrader Valve

Accessories:

T20 and 4 mm Combination Hex Wrench in Saddle Rail Holder for Seat Height Adjustment, Optional Integrated Light Kit $(160), Optional Front Pannier ($200), Optional Front Fender ($60), Optional Rear Fender ($60), Optional Lock Holster Kit ($170), Optional Frame Protection Kit ($25)

Other:

Maximum Rider Weight 220 lbs (99.8 kgs), Universal Vgonomic™ Frame Size (Stack and Reach Adjustment), 1 lb 2 Amp Charger or Optional 4 Amp Charger ($155), Proprietary Battery Management System (BMS), Internally Routed Cables, 30 Amp Controller

Electronic Details

Motor Brand:

GoCycle

Motor Type:

Front-Mounted Geared Hub
Learn more about Ebike motors

Motor Nominal Output:

500 watts (250 in Some Geographies)

Motor Peak Output:

750 watts

Motor Torque:

15 Newton meters

Battery Brand:

Panasonic

Battery Voltage:

21.6 volts

Battery Amp Hours:

13.34 ah

Battery Watt Hours:

292.14 wh

Battery Chemistry:

Lithium-ion

Charge Time:

6.2 hours

Estimated Min Range:

20 miles (32 km)

Estimated Max Range:

50 miles (80 km)

Display Type:

GocycleConnect® Bluetooth App (Android and iOS)

Readouts:

Ride Mode (Eco, City, City Plus, Custom), Battery Level (Infographic with Percentage), Peformance Stats (Today, Week, All Time), Speed, Average Speed, Cadence, Calories Burned, Trip Distance, Odometer, Average Power in Watts, Equivalent Liters Per 100K, Max Speed, Average Cadence, Pedal Power in Watts, Pedal Power Max, HIT (Avg Power Over 20 Seconds Max)

Display Accessories:

4-LED Battery Level Indicator on Handlebars

Drive Mode:

Advanced Pedal Assist, Trigger Throttle (NCTE Sensor, Wheel Speed, Cadence, Torque)

Top Speed:

20 mph (32 kph)


Written Review

To run the forums, host the website, and travel, I charge a universal service fee for my reviews. This in-depth review was sponsored by Gocycle. My goal is to be transparent and unbiased with you, this video and writeup are not meant to be an endorsement of Gocycle products. I welcome your corrections, additions, and feedback in the comments below and the Gocycle electric bike forums.

Observations:

  • Made in the Gocycle traditon of being a brand new frame and bicycle design from the ground up, this doesn’t take existing frames or systems and components, but rather is a complete redesign of an ebike, the purpose of the GX here is to be a unique folding electric bicycle, different from many others in design and engineering
  • The frame is solid using an injection molded magnesium structure, this is very impressive, light, and sturdy, if you look around there are solid pieces, such as the one-sided fork, stem, and handlebars all being welded together, the welds are seamless and high quality too… very solid, something most would be proud of
  • In addition to the frame, the design and aesthetics are also very unique, Gocycle is known for their unparalleled engineering, one of their claims to fame is that the company was started by a former McLaren engineer, for those unfamiliar with McLaren, they are a highly successful automotive manufacture in the UK that is famous for their race cars and hyper sports cars

Pros:

  • A fully featured, lightweight, and unique design from the ground up folding electric bike from a company known for innovation and engineering, one of the sleekest and exotic folding bikes out there, a real head turner and joy to ride
  • The wheels are made of magnesium instead of traditional spokes, the magnesium wheel is superior since it needs no tuning or adjusting of any kind, these are also much stronger and handle weight better
  • For tires, the GX makes use of a set of these specific 20” x 2” ballon tires, These are very comfortable with a higher air volume and are perfect for the street with the included tread pattern, I also love that these have a reflective sidewall stripe for visibility and safety, very cool
  • The bike is comes in at around 40lbs which is pretty light weight, and that weight includes the battery, motor, and everything on the bike ready to ride, if you wanted to shed some weight for carrying it around or loading it on and off a rack, you could always remove the battery and stow it somewhere else
  • Has a lot of cool accessories, like battery integrated lights for both the front and rear, as well as this accessory bag that mounts in the front
  • The accessory bag is my favorite, it holds a fair amount of stuff while having a lot of different compartments, it has a really unique mounting system on the frame with a quick release tension arm, this makes the accessory fully removable
  • I have to mention this unique seat post setup, it has a sleeve as well, these two shafts offer adjustments and releases, that seat post is at a pretty diagonal angle, so extension will move it up and back or down and forward, with this, you can accommodate a fair amount of riders
  • Unlike most urban bikes, this actually has a rear suspension included, it has a travel of 25mm which isn’t a whole lot, but great for the city riding it is intended for and makes it much more comfortable than others
  • The double legged kickstand makes parking the bike easy and very stable, especially if you have cargo in the front you want to load in the basket, in true Gocycle fashion, the kickstand is unique in that it stows forward rather than backwards
  • The folding aspect is designed to be quite fast and speedy, once it is folded it is secure and easy to carry since it is pretty light weight, check the video for a demonstration, I found it to be quick and easy
  • It is tucked away under the ergonomic grips, but if you look closely, you will see a integrated bell underneath, just goes to show they covered everything from head to toe on this bike
  • Mechanically, the bike makes use of a Shimano Nexus 3 speed internally geared hub, this is operated by a smooth grip shift on the right handlebar, the system is reliable and pretty well protected
  • Gocycle calls the protection around the drivetrain “Clean Drive”, so not only is everything enclosed to keep you clean, but it has benefits for complete protection of the internals, some may say this would hinder maintenance, but the internal gearing system needs much less than a typical bike, I love that it can keep grease out of where you store the bike too like in the office or an airplane
  • Stopping the bike is a set of hydraulic disc brakes in both the front and rear, the rotor size for each of these is 140mm which is smaller than most, but since it is hydraulic as well as mounted on a small well, it still packs quite a punch for stopping
  • Driving the bike is a powerful front hub rated for 500 watts nominal and 750 watts peak, this is a lot of power coming out of a little motor and I was pretty impressed with how it did
  • Engaging the motor is done by using either the itty-bitty little red thumb throttle hidden in the handlebar or you can propel by the torque based pedal assist system, either work great and I had a lot of fun with both as they excel in smoothness
  • Powering the GX is a discrete 21.6V 13.34ah battery tucked away into the down tube, charging is done with the provided 2amp charger, to really care for this and other lithium-ion packs, I have heard that storing in a cool dry location vs. extreme heat or cold will extend the life and try to keep it about 50% full when not using for long periods so you won’t stress the cells, try not to let it run down to zero, because that’s really hard on the cell chemistry
  • The Gocycle GX uses a minimal display that really only shows the battery level in round LED ticks across the handlebar, however, you can connect your smartphone to the bike via an app that lets you configure settings and even has rubber mounting straps to use your phone as a full fledged display, make sure to watch the video review for more details and instructions on how to set the app

Cons:

  • I had a lot of fun with the bike, I have also tested many of the Gocycle models both past and present, in my personal opinion, I think the other models use the unique frame design better, if you can live without the folding aspect however, if you are really looking for a folding bike, this does extremely well
  • Very minor gripe here, the kickstand design is wonderful and sturdy, however, it did take me a while to get used to and I felt annoyed by it a couple of times, but if this was your daily, you would get used to it in a jiffy and should not be an annoyance at all
  • If you are uncomfortable putting your smart phone on the handlebars (the new iPhone’s cost over $1,000 and I would hate to crash with that out!), then the bike really has no real display at all, no speedometer or even a way of knowing what the assist is set at, just a set of battery LEDs, however, I am a minimalist, I liked to set it up in the app and just tuck my phone away and ride distraction free, so this could be a plus if you are like me
  • The seat and torque system are a little on the active side and pedaling, so if you are looking for a throttle cruiser, you may want to look at other options out there, this does have a throttle, but the bike shines for those that like a mix of both pedaling and cruising
  • Because of that single sided fork design, if the tires have low air, it will accentuate this feeling of lopsided steering that takes some getting used to, like I said, that profile isn’t as apparent if you have good air volume, but something to be aware of
  • I found all of the accessories to be incredibly handy so it was a shame to hear they didn’t come included with the bike and must be purchased separately, still the price is very fair for all the engineering and technology that came to gather to make this bike happen, just make sure to set aside a tiny bit if you want those lights and useful basket

Resources:

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Comments (8) YouTube Comments

Jeff Sims
4 years ago

I really liked this review. This particular GoCycle may not fold as easily and compactly as the others but with the 500 watt motor and the larger battery one gets better range/performance. When it is folded and Mikey is rolling it in the garage, that was pretty neat as it was easy to push and stear. GoCycle has done some great engineering in developing this bike!

  Reply
Court
4 years ago

Wonderful! Glad you liked the review here, Jeff. Thanks for sharing such an encouraging comment with us. And yeah, this is a big step for Gocycle that brings the price down a bit but still provides the unique style, high quality parts, and great user experience they are known for :)

  Reply
Tom
4 years ago

Mikey/Court, isn’t this a front-mounted hub motor? Your spec sheet has the following: Motor Type Rear-Mounted Geared Hub

The small front-mounted 500W motor seems pretty cool. I would be interested in seeing more details, however, as the motor appears to put out very little torque (15 nm). I’m also really surprised that such a small battery in terms of watthours can provide pretty good range. Must be the relative lightness of the bike itself.

  Reply
Court
4 years ago

Ahh, thanks for the attention to detail and help here Tom. I’ve updated the spec and will remind Mikey to keep an eagle’s eye out for the specs. Yeah, I think the front motor is just very “efficient” meaning kind of weak. I didn’t see or test ride the Gocycle GX but I have ridden other models, and I was impressed. The motor was a little loud, compared with some other Bafang, MXUS, Suntour models, but it did produce enough power to give me a sense of support. I feel like the Gocycles strike that balance of lightweight and efficient with just enough support to be helpful, but you still have to pedal along and be more active. It helps them keep the whole bike lighter and extends the range ;)

  Reply
John Macfarlane
4 years ago

Another great review, going to cost me more money (Trek FS Powerfly was my last purschase after reading one of your reviews. Test rode a GX yesterday and its perfect for my next folding ‘boat’ bike. I was surprised it rode so ‘normally’ with the single fork wheel-not sure what I expected, but I liked everything about the bike. Main motivation is for a light weight product, getting any bike on and off a boat is tough, but GX will be a breeze.

Court / Mikey, thanks again for another great review. You may cause me to spend money, but at least I know excatly what I’m getting;-)

  Reply
Court
4 years ago

Great choice on the Powerfly! How are you liking it? Yeah, these Gocycle models are perfect for boats. They definitely feel good, better than a lot of other folders that are heavy, flex, and just aren’t as efficient and “bike like” in my opinion. So glad these videos have helped and been positive for you, John. Thanks for taking some time to comment here :)

  Reply
George Perkins
3 years ago

I do not see any bosses for water bottle cage or a water bottle accessory. How can this essential item be missing on a $4-5K bicycle?
GoCycle owners, how do you stay hydrated?

  Reply
Court
3 years ago

It’s a good point, I notice this frequently with ebikes due to the battery positioning or frame layout. The Gocycle seems to optimize folding and may even be adhering to regulations about bottle cage safety positioning (apparently in some countries they may not be allowed to put them on the top tube due to stand over safety).

  Reply

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