David Hellqvist

Mens fashion writer and features editor of PORT Magazine

“The first thing that strikes you about the Gocycle is the duality of its powers. In a way, it’s a collaboration between a bike and a scooter, taking in the best of both worlds.”

Speed is of the essence, so I’ll be quick. As a menswear fashion writer, collaborations are of major interest to me. I like it when two brands come together with different skill sets to create a new product. It fascinates me because it’s one of few new ways to propel menswear forward. I’m not knowledgeable enough about cycles and motor bikes to speak about brand partnerships in this field, but I’m clever enough to spot a good collaboration when I see one, even if it’s between modes of transport, rather than brands.

Naturally, the first thing that strikes you about the Gocycle, once you’ve got over the forward-thinking design, is the duality of its powers. In a way, it’s a collaboration between a bike and a scooter, taking in the best of both worlds. You can paddle if you want man-made power, though I struggled to come up with reasons why you’d want that, and you can use the throttle for artificial speed. And speed you get. Lend it to anyone and that’s the first thing they’ll comment on, the speed. It might not compete with motor bikes on the highway but the Gocycle is a new breed of transport, an urban scooter but with the agility of a bike. It’s what we’d get if Brompton met Vespa and had a love child.

Cruising down the streets of London is much fun, especially since you obey to cycle rules. The versatility of this thing is unheard of. Always use a helmet though. That’s how quick it is. Get one, get involved.