Quick-folding, powerful, fast, and long-lasting. Those are the reasons the Gocycle G4 is such a wonderful Saturday afternoon cycle. As a fold-up electric bike, the G4 has all the features you need for a fun zip around an urban area or even a longer excursion on bike trails.
I first heard about Gocycle quite a few years ago now, covering it for my Inc.com column way back when. I liked it then and I like it now. But here’s why it has stuck with me all this time.
For starters, this is a fast little ride. I love pumping it up to 20 miles per hour and then (when the motor deactivates as it is supposed to) you can still pedal your way to faster speeds. On the left handle, there’s a tiny little switch you can use to enable the motor without pedaling, which is still quite unique even after testing several other electric bikes.
Why use that? For me, it was on bike rides where I was tired after work or with a group of people. I bike 10-15 miles per day on a Specialized non-electric I own, and if I doi my ride in the morning, then at night it is fun to go easier and just enjoy the nice weather.
The big feature on the Gocycle G4 is that you can fold it up so quickly and take it with you wherever you go. I have an office across town, and the Gocycle G4 fits nicely in the trunk of my car. It even came in a carrying bag. Charge time was not too bad, usually a few hours depending on how much charge was left. For range, i found if I pushed the speed and used the third gear (which means the motor works harder), I could easily go about 10-15 miles.
Now, if the goal is to have incredible range, the fold-up concept is not a good fit. The battery has to be a bit smaller because the idea is to be able to carry the entire bike with one hand. On one trip, I packed the charger and worked at a coffee-shop across town, charging up for my return trip. I also kept the bike in an office on a second floor building, carrying it up a flight of stairs by hand. The charger is small and portable enough that I could pack it in my water bag.
Usually, I bring up the price with all electrics. The G4 costs $4,000 and is worth that for the versatility, fun ride, fast operation, and cool extra features. Not many electric bikes can fold up like this and fit in a carry case. Gocycle offers a free app you can use as well. It shows your speed, range remaining, distance traveled, and a bunch of other cool features. To use the app, you attach your phone to two small elastic bands on the handle.
Long term durability would be amazing on this bike. The front fork that houses the battery is actually made of carbon fiber. I never felt like the fold-out was not stable or solid to ride, which is also based on the construction mechanics. It’s not at all cheap. Don’t bother searching Amazon for a fold-up electric because, while a few models exist, they are el cheapo.
I had a blast testing this bike, and I always seem to enjoy the stability, speed, and dependability. There were no surprises this time, other than (since reviewing the Gocycle long ago) the machine still is one of my favorites and the best fold-up electric out there.
