Brompton S2L Superlight folding bike review

Brompton has dropped the weight of its folding bike with a titanium build – Oswin Grady put it through its paces

Brompton S2L Superlight
(Image credit: Cycling Studio)
Cycling Weekly Verdict

Brompton has been the benchmark in folding commuters for some time, and has to be considered for anyone wishing to commute via public transport. The S2L Superlight does cost significantly more than a standard model, but for that money you do get a bike which is lighter, easier to carry and feels just that bit pacier than the standard version. Whether it is worth the extra investment will come down to personal choice, and weighing up intended use.

Reasons to buy
  • +

    Superlight frame makes for fast, agile ride 

  • +

    Ease of fold and carrying 

  • +

    Compact folding size

  • +

    Range of options to suit different sizes and riding styles

Reasons to avoid
  • -

    Cost

You can trust Cycling Weekly. Our team of experts put in hard miles testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.

Brompton has a reputation for setting the standard for folding bikes – easy to commute with, hardwearing and with a surprisingly good ride for a bike with 16in wheels. British designed and built, the Brompton has become something of an icon of British cycling and is seen in increasing numbers on the roads of many UK towns and cities.

As a Brompton owner – of the similar steel S3L model – I was very interested to see what difference the Superlight frame would make to the ride quality, portability and attractiveness of the bike as an option when considering which folding bike to buy.

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Anna Marie Abram
Fitness Features Editor

I’ve been hooked on bikes ever since the age of 12 and my first lap of the Hillingdon Cycle Circuit in the bright yellow kit of the Hillingdon Slipstreamers. For a time, my cycling life centred around racing road and track. 

But that’s since broadened to include multiday two-wheeled, one-sleeping-bag adventures over whatever terrain I happen to meet - with a two-week bikepacking trip from Budapest into the mountains of Slovakia being just the latest.

I still enjoy lining up on a start line, though, racing the British Gravel Championships and finding myself on the podium at the enduro-style gravel event, Gritfest in 2022.

Height: 177cm

Weight: 60–63kg