The most surprising thing about the Gocycle – other than the from-the-ground-up, strikingly modern and innovative design – is the quality of the ride. Forget about the small wheels and tall handlebar steerer, this beautifully packaged futuristic bike is a nifty performer too.
The fat 1.75in Vredestein round-profiled tyres on the 20in magnesium alloy injected wheels roll particularly well, with excellent grip for cranking the bike over – although, beware of pedalling through tight corners as the inside pedal grounds out.
So assured is the ride that we even found it confidence inspiring for a ride through heavy falling snow one dark, winter night. Thanks to the small wheels and commendably light weight – 16.2kg (35.7lb) – it's quick to launch from traffic lights.
It’s a long time since we’ve seen so much bike design innovation on one bike – from the magnesium wheels to the hinged single rear swingarm with a simple plastic suspension shock and damper that’s held together with the integrated but removable cable lock.
And that’s even before you get to the electric assistance. There’s 250W of power on tap here from the Gocycle’s compact front motor, but the power doesn’t kick in until a few seconds after you set off, even if you’re squeezing all the blood out of your thumb on the little handlebar-mounted power button.
But that’s just one more element to the Gocycle’s genius – the small wheels and light weight mean accelerating from a standstill is a doddle anyway, and only having the power assistance kick in after you’ve already set off also means you’ll waste less battery juice.
One of the most enjoyable aspects of the Gocycle is before you even ride it. We haven’t taken so much pleasure unpacking and assembling a ‘toy’ since we first got Meccano for a birthday. Opening the unbelievably small, car-wheel-sized box it arrives in is like opening the biggest, best Kinder Egg ever.