Brompton Bicycle

The Brompton Bicycle Limited is a company in the west of London in England, which manufactures a folding bike in many varieties.

On 21 April 2010, the birthday of Queen Elizabeth II, Brompton two Queen's Awards for Enterprise got into the categories of Innovation and International Trade.

History

The company was founded by Andrew Ritchie, who had studied mechanical engineering and worked as a programmer, as known to someone, his father made ​​him the mid-1970s, the capital of the British Faltradhersteller Bickerton was looking for. The construction of Bickerton made ​​by Andrew Ritchie's much to be desired opinion, to which he himself begang to construct and with 100 pounds sterling of 10 friends built a prototype. This and other prototypes built Ritchie in his bedroom. The company is named after the Brompton Oratory, looked at the Ritchie out of his apartment. In October 1979, he applied for his folding bike for a patent.

Ritchie offered bicycle manufacturers such as Raleigh Cycle Company in vain a license, but found 30 bicycle buyers around him who paid in advance. He made then a first edition of 50 pieces, which he set down within 18 months. Beginning of the 1980s, shareholders involved with 8,000 pounds, and Ritchie made ​​with a welder as the only employee 500 folding in two years. Finally, the company received a guarantee of 40,000 pounds and 50,000 pounds on shares. In 2005, there were nearly 100,000 of Brompton folding bikes. In 2013, consisted of supplying of Brompton market from 45 countries from America to Asia.

Technology

The difference of a Brompton to a more traditional folding bike like the Bickerton is that no joint in the center of the bicycle frame, but near the steering head is, and that the drive unit from the rear wheel, chain and chain wheel can be folded because of a suspension with swingarm. This combination promotes stability, comfort and pack size.

• Folding a Brompton

2 Front folded

3 Folded handlebar, seatpost sunk

Products

The product range consists of a single product - the Brompton folding bike. The Brompton is currently the folded smallest folding bike on the market and is very popular among users. It is built unchanged for decades by the frame shape and the folding mechanism substantially; Details and features are, however, changed, improved or replaced by new solutions again and again.

The Brompton is available in various designs and configurations, which can be partially combined. The main differences relate to the drive ( Eingangrad, Sturmey - Archer hub gears, a 2- speed derailleur or a 6 - speed gearbox from a combination of hub and derailleur ), the types of handlebars and the seat position, the lighting and the frame material ( steel or titanium). Next Brompton sells matching accessories such as luggage and transport bags, and most recently a garment; all these things can Brompton from suppliers such as Radical Design or Ortlieb produce. His bicycle frame sets forth Brompton itself.

Events

It will be conducted every year race with folding bikes from Brompton, Brompton World Championship ( BWC). There are also national championships, for example in Austria and Switzerland. The peculiarity lies not only in the fact that only folding bike Brompton are permitted but obliged in a dress code that male drivers to jacket and shirt with a tie or bow tie.