Packaway Pedal

Brompton Junction

In 1975, when Andrew Ritchie first put pen to paper to try and design a fully folding bicycle, one that would be large enough to hold an adult man, but small and light enough to pack away and carry under one arm, he couldn’t have imagined that nearly 40 years later his creation would have become such a global success. With rising fuel prices everywhere and an increasingly health conscious clientele, the stylish Brompton Folding Bike has become not only one of the great, award-winning British design success stories, but also something of an eco-iconic fashion accessory.

No surprise then that the company is now seeking fresh horizons to conquer, and flushed with success from ventures in Amsterdam, Hamburg and Kobe, China’s burgeoning leisure market and in particular Shanghai’s cycle-smart denizens are the latest to benefit from a concept store complete with a full range of bikes, accessories, clothing and after sales service. Tipping the scales at a featherweight 10kg for the lightest model, and featuring a set of tiny ‘rolling’ wheels, which means you don’t even have to carry the bike when folded, you’re going to be seeing a lot more of these amazing morphing machines. Pedal power!