Brompton

Brompton is a British bike manufacturer based out of London that creates folding bikes and is currently the largest bicycle manufacturer in the UK by volume.

History

With congested roads and packed public transport, large cities can be difficult to travel through. At least, that’s what Andrew Ritchie thought when he moved to London in 1975, so he decided to come up with a solution: a folding bike. From that idea, Brompton was born in 1976.

It was a humble beginning, with Andrew hiring a workshop and working solo to hand manufacture every bike to order. That continued until 1987 when a happy Brompton customer, Julian Vereker, helped the company financially. This kickstarted a quick-fire period of growth and Brompton soon opened its first factory. By 1991, it had 56 outlets worldwide.

Despite the growth, the Brompton folding bike has essentially stayed the same over its history with modern models still based around Andrew’s first design which was originally patented in 1979.

Subsequent models have tweaked the successful formula, including the Brompton Superlight which was released in 2005. Many more models have followed, including the Brompton T Line in 2022. It tips the scales at only 7.45kg - Brompton’s lightest ever bike.

Revolutionising the urban and commuter bike industry, Brompton has won many awards over the years, including the coveted Best Product Award at the 1987 Cyclex Bike Show in London.

Did you know?

Highlights

• It took Andrew Ritchie and Brompton 11 years before its first big breakthrough in 1987 when Julian Vereker helped out. At the time Ritchie was still producing bikes from a rented workshop. Four years later the company had 56 outlets worldwide.
• Brompton has a cult-like following and in 2006 launched the Brompton World Championship. As well as a race, there are also prizes for the fastest to fold a bike and the best dressed at the ‘strictly no lycra’ race.
• In 2008, Chris Hoy rode a Brompton folding bike in the closing ceremony for the Beijing Olympic games.
• By the 21st century, Brompton was already a global brand, but it expanded into the Japanese market in 2011, opening its first store in the country in Kobe.
• The Brompton T Line became Brompton’s latest bike after being released in 2022. It weighs only 7.45kg.