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

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

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

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

This benignant of advanced-level repairability is par for the people for Brompton, and if you person your ain bushed aged folding bike, each nut, bolt, bracket, and accessory is disposable to order. If motorcycle attraction isn’t thing you’re comfy with, there’s a elaborate database of all Brompton stores and authorized dealers connected the company’s website, with astir 150 crossed the USA. In the 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 plan and attraction to item that has transformed the bicycle institution into thing of a planetary luxury brand. It’s a motorcycle for radical who wouldn’t needfully telephone themselves cyclists, with a azygous successful immoderate countries that’s much Lacroix than lycra.

“We're precise globally dispersed out,” says Will Carleysmith, Brompton’s main plan 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 marque goes overseas, with China taking 40 percent of our sales, interestingly with a 50-50 male/female split.”

In Asia, the Brompton is viewed rather otherwise than successful the 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, with the likes of Barbour, Palace Skateboarding, Liberty London, Tour de France, LINE Friends, and creation collaborations with Crew Nation and taste luminaries including Radiohead, Phoebe Bridgers, and LCD Soundsystem.

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

It’s not the lone cycling marque faced with post-Covid currency travel issues, but alternatively than being stuck with excess stock, its fiscal woes person been acknowledgment to a planetary driblet successful request and dense investment, archetypal with the Brompton Electric scope and the bigger, 20-inch all-terrain G Line, which WIRED tested astatine launch.