Collaborating since 2018, Brompton and CHPT3 have unveiled the fourth iteration design of their special edition folding bike.
The Brompton x CHPT3 Version 4 has once again seen the historic British folding bike brand team up with former British professional David Millar to create a bike “founded on fun, practicality, and high performance”.
At the idea’s conception the CHPT3 Brompton was an attempt to build a version of the folding bike that would appeal to a “a die-hard roadie”, however the latest design seems chiefly inspired by the freedom of disconnecting and discovery.
Read our full review of the Brompton x CHPT3 Version 4
“I wanted the CHPT3 Brompton to be like the BMX I had as a kid, to go and discover things,” said Millar.
“In the digital world, we’re supposedly more connected than ever. But often we find ourselves in social places, alone and uninspired. Contrast this to an analogue bicycle, which at first glance seems simply like a vehicle for one; personal transport. A solitary pursuit? Sometimes, but often not. Bikes bring people together like nothing else. Mechanically propelled to in person meet ups; rides together; spontaneous diversions off the commute.
“It’s time to celebrate life offline, to get out on your bike, meet up with friends, go for a ride. Connect with real people and real places.”
That want to disconnect is exemplified in Brompton’s new short film ‘Unfollow’, shot in New York City alongside cycling community the Knight Ryders. New York was the “perfect setting to test the urban performance creds”, said Millar.
The bike’s core build is the same as Brompton’s P Line; a steel main frame paired with a titanium fork and rear triangle to create a lightweight build that is “assembled for speed without loss of comfort”.
Like previous editions, the V4 makes further weight gains by losing some of Brompton’s practical additions to its bikes, making the case further that this is a Brompton built for performance rather than a convenient commute. Its “stripped back” build, removing the mudguards and front carrier block, means that compared to the P Line, at a claimed 9.99kg, the Brompton x CHPT3 V4 weighs a claimed 9.5kg all in.
The V4 features the same 4-speed gearing as the P Line too, which Brompton says was “chosen to cover all bases, from quick sprints and sustained speed to steep climbs”.
Of course a bike built for speed needs some slick tyres, and the V4 is given the Schwalbe One tan wall tyres with lightweight inner tubes on top Brompton’s own wheels.
The most noticeable customised features of the Brompton x CHPT3 V4 are external. It has been given a new paint job, with a light grey on the mainframe and fork paired with the emblematic CHPT3 red remaining in place at the front end of the frame. The red is complemented by the Ergon GE1 grips and the Fizik Terra Argo gravel saddle, and juxtaposed with a blue accent on the front frame hinge.
There’s some new graphics on show as well, with both the Brompton and CHPT3 logos receiving a glitch graphic effect across the main top tube of the frame. On top of the new design, the V4 features a “limited-edition Frame Pouch Bag” as standard, carrying a spare tube.
The Brompton x CHPT3 V4 is a limited release and is available to buy now from global Brompton Junction shops and via www.brompton.com. The V4 is priced at £2,595 / €3,150 (Europe excluding France) / €3,249 (France only) / $3200.
