― An Open Letter ―
Over the following pages, I set out the more significant product developments being introduced to the
Brompton range from 1 January 2009.
Those familiar with our bicycles and our history will know that we approach our research, design and
development activities in an unhurried manner: elegant design solutions rarely come quickly when the
conflicting requirements of compactness and light weight have to be balanced, and we insist on testing any
product thoroughly before making it available to the public. In short, our approach might be described as
“cautious but constant innovation”, distinct from the marketing- and trend-led approach favoured by some
bicycle companies.
The upside of our approach is that Brompton possesses a deep reservoir of loyalty and trust among
consumers and dealers alike, built up over years of restrained product-launches (i.e. only when the
products were ready to be used by demanding consumers, not before), a focus on improving the functional
(rather than superficial) aspects of our products, and ensuring that every improvement on our bikes is
capable of being retrofitted on older Bromptons (i.e. we do not build in obsolescence).
We hold true to that approach today just as we did in 1988, when full-time production of the Brompton
began in a railway arch about a mile from our current factory. But we recognise that our approach has a
downside – we struggle to make our ever-evolving range of bikes stand out amidst the flamboyantly-
launched annual ranges of our competitors.
To better communicate what we do, we will henceforth launch all our product developments
and improvements for a given year on 1st January, with an announcement of those changes in
September (of which this is the first), timed to coincide with the autumn shows.
The product announcements over the following pages come in addition to the improvements introduced to
our bike range over the course of the past nine months – dual compound tyres, new polymer suspension
blocks and improvements to brakes, cranks and to our gear-free hubs; in addition, a stiffened version of the
new suspension block will be available from January for heavier riders, or those who prefer a firmer ride.
Our designers and engineers are already applying themselves to the innovations and developments that will
be launched in January 2010; in the interim, should you have any questions about the developments for
2009, our products or our company, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me or my colleagues in the
Marketing team.
With best wishes
Emerson Roberts
Marketing Manager
Brompton Bicycle Ltd
e: emerson@bbicycle.co.uk
w: www.brompton.co.uk
Brompton Wide Range Hub
The new configuration for 6-speed Bromptons will feature a wide-range hub of our design, manufactured by Sturmey
Archer; the present 6-speed arrangement, employing a SRAM hub, will be discontinued from 1 January 2009.
We believe that the Brompton Wide Range Hub [BWR], together with Brompton's derailleur system,
sets a new standard in folding bike gearing systems. It offers:
An evenly-stepped gear range (302%) that is comparable to the leading 8-speed hubs; but
It uses only a single epicyclic gear train (instead of three), thereby maximising efficiency;
At 0.94kg, it weighs almost half as much as other hub gears;
It comes in the same small package as the current three-speed hub, allowing existing owners to upgrade easily; and
It is typically-Brompton: robust and built to last... owners can expect the same reliability as with the classic three-
speed hub.
This represents a gear range (top gear/bottom gear) of 302%; by comparison, the current SRAM 6-speed arrangement
offers a range of 215%. * Like our existing 6-speed offering, however, the gearing may be raised or lowered by fitting a
54-tooth (+8%) or 44-tooth (-12%) chain wheel in place of the standard.
The graph on the next page illustrates how the new Brompton 6-speed offering fares against competitors’ products and
how it performs in the wider context of bicycle gearing. The gear range is almost identical to that offered by Shimano’s
Nexus 8, as employed on the Birdy and Dahon Ciao, while it is superior to the range offered on the Dahon Curve,
Dahon Boardwalk, Ori/Mezzo d9 and the Birdy with 9-speed derailleur.
While the new 6-speed Brompton offering naturally cannot compete with the gear range found on modern MTB and
road bikes (or with the heavy 14-speed Rohloff), it represents a significant advance for those would-be Brompton-
owners who wanted the advantages offered by our bikes but were put off in the past by concerns about the Brompton’s
ability in very hilly/mountainous terrain.
9 8.78
8.57 8.62
7.93
8 7.74
7.34
6.98 7.02
6.86 6.78
7
6.06
Metres Travelled
3
3.03 3.03
2.84 2.71
2.63 2.55 2.55
2 2.31 2.39
2.23
1.92
1.68
1 1.36
BWR 44t BWR 50t BWR 54t Dahon Ciao - Dahon Curve Dahon Ori/Mezzo Birdy - Birdy - 9- Birdy touring Birdy - 14- Modern Modern road
CW CW CW Shimano SL - Sturmey Boardwalk - d9 Shimano speed - Shimano speed Rohloff mountain bike
Nexus 8 5-speed 'Neos' 7- Nexus 8 Shimano Intego (3x8) hub bike
speed derailleur
† The exact final weights for the new parts will not be known until the production parts arrive and we conduct our annual re-weighing of the
product range.
New Non-Folding Pedal
The non-folding [NF] right-hand
pedal is another feature of our
bikes that has attracted some
criticism over the years. Seeking to
keep costs and weight down, we
used a hard plastic pedal that
suffered from wear and tear and
was aesthetically displeasing.
The existing NF pedal will be
replaced from January by a new
Brompton-designed lightweight
aluminium pedal that offers
improved grip over the plastic
model, better durability and
integrated reflectors that will not
break off.
This new NF pedal will be fitted as
standard on all bikes. The weight is
the same as the plastic pedal it
replaces.
Other Changes
Two further changes will be introduced in January, though we await the arrival of production samples (hence the
absence of photographs).
Luggage
The Brompton’s luggage solution has been much-admired from the outset; so much so that competitors have sought to
offer their versions on our theme. However, the luggage itself (S Bag aside) has begun to look dated and overpriced. For
January, we are therefore:
a. Launching an updated cloth pannier with a more modern design, featuring a comfortable and stowable shoulder
strap and a practical 'courier bag' style flap closure; the general quality is also improved with better materials
and finish;
b. Offering our rain-proof cover free of charge with all our front luggage options.
S Type handlebar
The S Type bar length is being increased in response to feedback from riders; extra length will make the ride more
stable and allows the use of longer and more comfortable grips. By using special lightweight grips, the new longer bar
(with grips) is actually even lighter than the weight of the current bar (with grips).