Brompton - The British Bike that Can

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Brompton. All opinions are 100% mine.

Transportation is an issue for people of all ages. It seems like the cost of gasoline keeps rising while a convenient, cheap parking place is becoming harder to find. Maybe it's time to think of another way to get around. Maybe a folding bicycle is the answer. Even though I no longer need to commute to work on a daily basis (now I work from home), I don’t need or use a bicycle for commuting, but I still have my eye on a Brompton bike. Just something about being able to take a bike with me, wherever I go, no matter what other type of transportation I use, that is hard to resist. That is why the Brompton is such a great find.

I was impressed with the quality, but even more impressed with how cleverly a folding bike like a Brompton bike is engineered. A folding bicycle is an impressive feat of engineering. It needs to be easily collapsible yet maintain alignment to offer a comfortable and speedy ride – it’s a daunting task for any entrepreneur. Such was the conundrum that Andrew Ritchie wrestled with in the mid-70s. Ritchie, trained as an engineer, but working as a landscape gardener, was intrigued by the idea of designing a bike so small “it could fit in your pocket”. He began working on his own prototypes and by 1976 had formed a company, Brompton, named after the Brompton Oratory church opposite his home. Despite the bicycle’s ingenuity and Ritchie’s enthusiasm, bike manufacturers showed little interest, forcing him to go into production for himself. He had no problems selling his bikes, but between Ritchie and his single employee, he couldn’t build more than 300 a year from his little workshop in London. Now the company has a turnover of £10million and is growing about 25% a year. About 70% of the bikes are sold abroad, particularly to the Netherlands, Germany, the USA and Japan. Amazingly, manufacturing still takes place in London. Maybe, we could even be the Undiscovered Business Entrepreneurs and start this business of folding bikes

The Brompton folding bike was built by a British man. It is a two wheeled wonderful bike that is capable of folding down. It cycles well and easy to get around the area on. It has the ability to stand up on its own. When you fold this cycle it is very simple to figure out how. If you haven't seen a Brompton folding bicycle in person they are definitely worth taking a look. You will be impressed. And, if you come on by and check them out they can show you how easy they fold and how fun they are to ride! It took less than a minute to unfold the bike and be ready to go and it had a handle and a case that made for easy carrying.