The British folding bike manufacturer Brompton can look back on a 50-year success story in 2025. In 1975, founder Andrew Ritchie developed the first prototype of the folding bike in his flat overlooking the Brompton Oratory in London. This idea gave rise to a company that has produced more than one million folding bikes to date and exported them to 47 countries worldwide. According to Brompton, over 80,000 of the compact bikes are now in use in its home city of London alone.
Brompton anniversary celebration in London
The highlight of the anniversary celebrations was the Brompton World Championship, which took place in London last weekend. The event was the largest of its kind and brought together members of the Brompton community from all over the world in the vibrant Coal Drops Yard in King's Cross. Instead of classic racing bike clothing, the participants competed in creative and individualised outfits.
Focus on innovation and growth
Will Butler-Adams, CEO of Brompton, emphasised the importance of the community to the company's success: "Since Andrew invented the Brompton, our greatest strength, apart from the ingenious product, has always been the people who have believed in us and enthusiastically embraced our little folding bike."
For Butler-Adams, the Brompton is a real "life hack" for escaping rush hour traffic in metropolises like Beijing or rediscovering cities like Berlin. In his opinion, the folding bike opens up a whole new world of mobility, giving urban freedom and ultimately making life more enjoyable.
Technical development and new product lines
Chief Design & Engineering Officer Will Carleysmith emphasises the technological development of the brand: "Our innovative strength has grown enormously over the last ten years. We've never had so many exciting ideas in the pipeline." Carleysmith did not provide specific details on new products, but indicated that customers could look forward to innovations.
Global expansion and increase in production
Brompton's success story is also reflected in its production figures. According to its own statement, the company currently manufactures around 100,000 bikes per year in its London manufacture. 80 per cent of the bikes produced here are exported abroad, with China now becoming the brand's largest market.
From a single model in the founding year 1975, the product range has now grown to eight models. These include both classic and Electrical versionsan ultra-light titanium model and the 2024 presented Brompton G Line with larger 20-inch wheels.
Community as the key to success
Brompton estimates that around 500,000 riders are active in Brompton communities worldwide. In 2024, 1292 Brompton events took place in 98 cities worldwide. The company assumes that a total of 27,500 hours of collective riding time was accumulated - that would correspond to around 3.1 years of social riding and around 8.2 million calories burnt.
Global presence through flagship stores
Brompton now operates 19 flagship stores worldwide to bring the brand to life in bricks-and-mortar stores. These shops, known as "Brompton Junctions", are located in metropolises such as London, Berlin, Amsterdam, Paris, Washington D.C., New York City, Beijing, Shanghai, Tokyo and Singapore. They serve as a point of contact for Brompton enthusiasts and new customers alike and emphasise the global orientation of the brand.
Maik Schröder
Editor
