Brompton Beyond x Bear Grill C Line Explore sports paint scheme inspired by British woodlands

By Oscar Huckle

Published: Wednesday, 04 October 2023 at 15:00 PM


First spotted at Eurobike 2023, the Brompton x Bear Grylls C Line Explore has Tarzan-swung its way to BikeRadar HQ.

This special edition folding bike was made in collaboration with the adventurer and TV personality, and it’s complete with a woodland-inspired paintjob and matching bags to commute or head into the bush.

Brompton is hoping the collaboration inspires its customers to ride outside of the city, although it still has all the handy commuting trinkets for cycling to work.

Matching British woodlands

Brompton x Bear Grylls C Line Explore
A Brompton for the great outdoors?
Steve Sayers / Our Media

The folding bike’s frame is Moss Green with what Brompton calls a Mushroom Grey fork, rear triangle and handlebar stem.

Brompton says it decided on these colours because they match the natural tones of the British woodland and the matte finish gives the bike a muted appearance.

The dual colourway is livened up with Adventure Orange graphics.

Brompton x Bear Grylls handlebar bag
The handlebar bag has a small 1L capacity.
Steve Sayers / Our Media

The colour scheme continues on the two special edition, waterproof bags, which are also Moss Green with orange zips and come included with the bike.

The smaller 1L handlebar bag can double up as a saddlebag.

There is also a special edition 17-litre Brompton x Bear Grylls Waterproof Backpack, which can be used as a main bag and mounts onto the front carrier block.

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A familiar recipe under the hood

Brompton x Bear Grylls C Line Explore
6 gears is the most Brompton offers.
Steve Sayers / Our Media

Underneath the paintjob lies a fairly typical Brompton C Line Explore, which is designed to “commute, travel and run errands in style”.

The hand-brazed steel frame has a 6-speed drivetrain. The drivetrain consists of a 50t front chainring paired with two cogs and a three-speed internal gear hub.

Brompton x Bear Grylls C Line Explore
X marks the spot.
Steve Sayers / Our Media

Brompton specs the Bear Grylls bike with its M-type handlebar, which sits between the taller H-type bar and flat S-type bar.

Brompton x Bear Grylls C Line Explore
The Brooks C17 Cambium saddle is a plush upgrade from the standard C Line Explore saddle.
Steve Sayers / Our Media

The bike features a Brooks C17 Cambium black saddle and you can choose between a standard or telescoping seatpost at the point of purchase. Brompton recommends its telescopic seatpost for taller riders, which offers an extra 6cm of saddle height.

Brompton says the 16inx35mm Schwalbe Marathon Racer tyres are capable on roads and light gravel. The tan wall tyres complement the bike’s orange graphics nicely.

Brompton x Bear Grylls C Line Explore
The bike comes with tan wall tyres and mudguards.
Steve Sayers / Our Media

Although the frameset features brazings for a Brompton mini pump (these are manufactured by Zefal or Lezyne), the bike doesn’t come with one.

You do, however, get mudguards to protect you from the elements and a bell on the handlebar to signal your presence to any predators.

Oscar Huckle riding Brompton x Bear Grylls C Line Explore
Like the celebrity, the Brompton adapts to its habitat.
Steve Sayers / Our Media

The bike retails for £1,895 and weighs 12.04kg.