Zwift’s latest update includes a new frame from London-based Brompton, and it’s sure to turn some heads! The first Brompton in game, the P Line, will feature in an upcoming Virtual Brompton World Championship series (watch Zwift Insider for a post with details). Here’s what it looks like IRL:
Brompton sells several models: an A, C, G, P, and T Line. The P line is a lighter, performance-oriented 4-speed titanium and steel build.
We’ll all be riding the P Line during the Virtual World Champs events, but you can purchase it to keep today. To do so, you’ll need to be updated to game version 1.101+. You’ll also need to be at level 10+ with 600,000 Drops to spend! Here’s how it’s described in the Drop Shop:
“Ride a British icon. The folding bike hand built in London since 1975. Portable, foldable, unstoppable. Probably not aerodynamical… but mega fun to ride!”
See our master list of all frames in Zwift >
It’s rated just 1 star for aero and weight, so we didn’t expect this frame to be anything close to a fast contender. Still, since the 4-star system isn’t the most granular of performance measurements, we ran this frame through our precise tests to measure performance at nerd-level detail. Let’s dive in!
Note: test results below are from a 75kg, 183cm rider holding 300W steady using the Brompton P Line wheels on the un-upgraded version of the frame.
Aero (Flat/Rolling) Performance
The P Line isn’t a terribly aero bike, and that’s reflected in its performance in our flat tests. It turned in a time 7.8 seconds slower than our baseline Zwift Carbon bike.
That makes it the third-slowest bike on Zwift, approximately on par with the Zwift Safety Bike.
Climb Performance
The Brompton’s climbing performance is, comparatively, much worse than its aero performance. Which seems a bit unfair, given this is the P Line with its lightened frame and a stated weight of only 21.8lb! That puts it just 20 seconds behind the Buffalo Fahrrad (which weighs around 50 lbs IRL, but is much lighter on Zwift) in a full climb up Alpe du Zwift.
It also means it’s the second-worst climbing road bike in Zwift (not counting gravel or MTB), with a time 96.5 seconds behind our baseline Zwift Carbon bike.
Upgrading the Brompton P Line
Like all frames in Zwift, your Brompton can be upgraded in five stages. It is grouped with entry-level road bikes, so only the first three stages yield performance improvements. The Brompton P Line’s upgrade stages are as follows:
- Ride 100km, pay 25,000 Drops for an aero upgrade
- Ride 130km, pay 50,000 Drops for a weight reduction
- Ride 160km, pay 75,000 Drops for a drivetrain efficiency improvement
- Ride 190km, pay 100,000 Drops to enable a 5% Drops bonus when riding this bike
- Ride 220km, pay 150,000 Drops to enable a 5% XP bonus when riding this bike
You can expect a fully-upgraded (level 3+) Brompton P Line to be approximately 28 seconds faster on a flat hour and 36 seconds faster on an hour-long climb vs the “stock” Brompton P Line.
Upgrading the Brompton P Line
Like Zwift’s mountain bike frames, the Brompton P Line can use only one wheelset in game, aptly named the “Brompton P Line.” So you won’t be able to upgrade the bike’s wheels for improved overall performance.
Conclusions
The Brompton P Line isn’t going to set any speed records on Zwift, but it sure will turn heads. With Bromptons being popular among commuting Brits, I predict we’ll see lots of IRL Brompton owners buying this bike as a fun addition to their Zwift garage, for use in non-competitive, easier efforts.
A Note About Colorways
Notably, Zwift has included two different colorways with your Brompton P Line purchase. (I’m not sure this has ever been done in the past.) You have the standard one-color look, which includes a color slider. Then you have a funky custom paintjob that includes the Tour de France logo on the top tube. See both below:
Questions or Comments?
What do you think of this new addition from Brompton? Share below…
Important note: this post contains speed test results for Zwift frames or wheels. These results may change over time, and a bike's performance relative to others may also change. We don't always revise posts when performance rankings change, but we do keep current, master versions of our speed test results which are always available. See the frame charts, wheel charts, and Tron vs Top Performers for current performance data.
There needs to be a bonus for folding on Tube & Subway segments. 😂
When I started with Zwift eight years ago I used it with a Brompton bike on a Kurt Kinetic Road Machine with a small wheel adapter.😁That was … something, but it worked … somehow.
And now the circle is compleat. 😁
this over the cruiser any given Sunday
“The first Brompton in game…”
Implying we’ll get a G Line?!
It would be handy if you included miles and kilometers for the bike upgrade distances. I have to do the mental gymnastics every time
You should thank him for keeping your brain active into your dotage! 😉
Guessing its a distance frame to upgrade :
level 1 – 100km, 25k drops
level 2 – 130km, 50k drops
level 3 – 160km, 75k drops
level 4 – 190km, 100k drops
level 5 – 220km, 150k drops
Yes, all that info is in the post above. Dan just wants it in freedom units. 😂
In fact my Zwift Steel has similar colorway options. Standard with slider + an 80s flou custom paint
So I guess for the Virtual Brompton World Championship series you will not need to own a Brompton. But to be competetive you will need to own one and have it upgraded?
Since Zwift will apparently put all riders on the same bike, I assume it won’t put you on your own upgraded Brompton but a fresh one.
Actually, I think if you HAVE upgraded your Brompton, those upgrades will apply. But it’ll be tough to upgrade it very far, since the event is less than 2 weeks away!
cue a lot of zwifters doing crazy miles #holdmybeer ^^
173km today =)
…and 175km Nov 12th, just a few laps next ride w/ Yumi and my Brompton is race ready ^^
…and 179km, so my Brompton is race ready at L3 =)
Would the brompton get some draft with robopacers?
Yes, it’ll draft like a regular bike in game.
Drafted with other Bromptons in the race.
I’m slightly disappointed that it’s not classified as a TT bike with better performance than the Cadex Tri. 😀
I rode Stage 5 long route of Zwift Unlocked yesterday. New York feels like a commute to work, so I chose the Brompton. Zwift Power says I came in 48th out of 51th. Commuter speed on a commuter bike.
I love that this is possible. Seeing forward to the moment someone rides past me on a Brompton and leaves me behind with no chance of catching up. 😂
Bet they go through a RED Light as well. 😉
I love my Real life Brompton. I like to ride it along my local canal paths and also cycling paths. It’s a fun bike to get out on recovery rides when you just want to spin the legs and not put in any effort.
I don’t think I’ll be buying the Zwift ones based on your performance tests.
I really don’t understand why Zwift introduce this kind of gimmicks, I prefer zwift to be a platform for people that like to perform serious, and not fall into a total game madness.
Advertising income for Zwift is better than rate increases from subscribers.
If you don’t want to partake in it, there is no pressure.
Which is fine, but the beauty of life is that the world is a varied place with different people who have different ideas. Some people like to train AND have their avatar riding a novelty bike or wearing a stupid hat. It’s not compulsory.
In fact, with the novelty bike, you could argue that they are actually taking their training more seriously than you are, since they have to work harder to cover the same distance. Don’t tell anyone, but IRL they are actually using the same “serious” trainer/bike that they would use if their avatar was riding an SL8.
agree!
This is the first bike Zwift has that looks like one of my IRL bikes — I’m excited to look more like me when I’m riding, at least some of the time. I mostly do workouts on Zwift, and I don’t really care about whether I go a few feet further during a workout because I used a “fast” bike or not; my power and HR data are all that really matter, the visuals are just to give me a little distraction from the effort.
Lighten up, Francis. (apologies to anyone actually named Francis).
You can still pedal through Zwift with a serious expression and make sure you don’t get distracted by anything. Just close your eyes so you don’t see the dinosaurs, yeti, the inside of a volcano, water tunnels, etc. In fact, I’d avoid Watopia completely if I were you, ’tis a silly place.
I wonder who else is old enough to understand your “STRIPES” movie reference.
Don’t hate other people’s fun, unless it impinges on your rights.
relax. You’ll live longer.
My Parlee has two totally different colorways
I took the Brompton up Alpe du Zwift on the 11th November. Was this the first 🙂
“Yes, no, exactly, brilliant!”
You may be cool on your Brompton, but you will never be Peter Gabriel riding a Brompton while singing Solsbury Hill in front of a standing room only crowd.
https://youtu.be/eMwn_hnoS5Y?si=DwKkllQbU_PaSR5h
You have to wonder if he actually rode up Solsbury Hill on his Brompton! That track is one of my favorites when climbing in the London world.
The man’s aerobic capacity must be off the charts to sing while bouncing as he used to annd singing while biking is sth else. He still lives in the area, so it’s possible.