A Brompton Reborn: How to Future-Proof a Decades-Old Foldable Bike

And that’s precisely what happens. A speedy blowtorch to nan backmost framework loosens nan bolts, and Pala is capable to switch nan original portion for a state-of-the-art titanium rear triangle successful conscionable a fewer minutes. Instead of nan original hefty aged Sturmy-Archer three-speed gearing, Brompton has developed its ain caller 12-speed system, which has a mini four-speed cassette connected nan outside, and 3 successful nan soul hub.

“Because nan dimensions are nan same, we’re going to beryllium capable to portion nan motorcycle backmost completely,” enthuses Pala. “We’re past going to rebuild it astir nan main framework and fork.”

Now, while WIRED appreciates this is going to beryllium a Brompton stowed safely connected nan Ship of Theseus, it remains an impressive, decade-spanning illustration of bully design, and nan value of considered, alternatively than reactionary upgrades.

This benignant of advanced-level repairability is par for nan people for Brompton, and if you person your ain tired aged folding bike, each nut, bolt, bracket, and accessory is disposable to order. If motorcycle attraction isn’t thing you’re comfortable with, there’s a elaborate database of all Brompton stores and authorized dealers connected nan company’s website, pinch astir 150 crossed nan USA. In nan UK, particularly astir London, there’s plentifulness of scope for repairs, and Brompton offers a complete service astatine 1 of its dealerships for £295 (less than $400.)

It’s this familiarity of creation and attraction to item that has transformed nan bicycle institution into thing of a world luxury brand. It’s a motorcycle for group who wouldn’t needfully telephone themselves cyclists, pinch a azygous successful immoderate countries that’s much Lacroix than lycra.

“We're very globally dispersed out,” says Will Carleysmith, Brompton’s main creation and engineering officer. “The UK is our astir commuter-focused audience, but it represents conscionable 16 percent of our business—the remainder of what we make goes overseas, pinch China taking 40 percent of our sales, interestingly pinch a 50-50 male/female split.”

In Asia, nan Brompton is viewed rather otherwise than successful nan UK, wherever it’s typically seen arsenic a applicable instrumentality for municipality commuting. “It’s a ace social, highly desirable instrumentality that’s overmuch much astir self-expression,” claims Carleysmith. Collaborations are helping to underline this “style” narrative, too, pinch nan likes of Barbour, Palace Skateboarding, Liberty London, Tour de France, LINE Friends, and creation collaborations pinch Crew Nation and taste luminaries including Radiohead, Phoebe Bridgers, and LCD Soundsystem.

But for illustration immoderate bully 50th birthday, location person been some happy and sad tears. In 2022, Brompton sold its 1 millionth bike. During Covid lockdown, request accrued five-fold, but arsenic a consequence of proviso concatenation and shipping bottlenecks, rising costs, and dense finance successful caller designs, pretax profits plunged by 99 percent to conscionable $6,335 (£4,602, aliases astir nan costs of a azygous Brompton T-Line One Speed) for nan twelvemonth ending March 31, 2024.

It’s not nan only cycling marque faced pinch post-Covid rate travel issues, but alternatively than being stuck pinch excess stock, its financial woes person been acknowledgment to a world driblet successful request and dense investment, first pinch nan Brompton Electric scope and nan bigger, 20-inch all-terrain G Line, which WIRED tested astatine launch.