 Brompton All Bromptons are designed and built in the factory in West London and have been in full production since 1988. The company has come a long way since its initial production facility in a railway arch, and the current site occupies some 2,000m2. The company remains in private hands and is now led by Will Butler-Adams, though the Brompton’s inventor, Andrew Ritchie, continues to act as Technical Director. Private ownership has played a big part in making Brompton successful as they have always been able to focus solely on the bike, never the demands of corporate shareholders. The philosophy that underpins everything done at Brompton has not changed since the first bikes emerged from Andrew’s bedroom almost 30 years ago. In his own words... "Like many others, I use my Brompton a lot. I ride mine, a P2L-X, some five thousand miles a year, and fold it two or three times a day. It's my daily transport to work and around London and I'm seldom without it on a train or on holidays; a couple of Bromptons invariably come in the car when away for a weekend, often never used, but fun now and again for a day's biking.
That's the joy of the Brompton; though it's become a way of life, I don't have to use it. And when I do, the sense of independence is great.
Our brief is no more than to make products which are functional and a pleasure to use. In particular, the bikes themselves should be as light as practical without compromising handling or safety, and the folded package has to be easy to carry and difficult to damage. Aesthetics are not a design consideration… although sound design usually looks good, and I think it's fair to say that this applies to the Brompton."
That’s as close to a mission statement as Brompton Bicycle will ever get; they are uncompromisingly an engineering-led company, and marketing waffle is given short shrift. The Brompton is a personal transport solution, allowing people to rethink and vary and adapt their journeys at will; their Brompton sets them free from the constraints imposed by the combustion engine, city planners, the weather, public transport administrators, bike thieves and countless other layers of complexity. The Fold
A key feature of the Brompton is the compactness and practicality of its fold. With a little practice, this is achieved without any difficulty in 10 - 20 seconds. The dimensions of the folded bike are: 565mm high x 545mm long x 270mm wide (22.2" x 21.5" x 10.6").
When folded, a Brompton stays locked together, making an extremely compact package little larger than its wheels. The folded package may be picked up without any risk that the bike will unfold - reassuring when running for a train or handing it to a cloakroom attendant! There are no projections or loose parts with the folded package and, using the frame or saddle as a handle, it carries like a small suitcase, lightweight and easy to manage. The fold is designed to keep vulnerable parts, like lights and cable-runs, out of harm's way and, by folding them in, to keep the greasy chain and gears away from clothing and luggage. Small rollers allow the bike to be pushed into inaccessible corners. |
