Brompton W12 Special Edition.

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OP
OP
Kell

Kell

Veteran
I don't disagree with any of the above.

I mean I'd still rather they concentrated on developing OEM discs...
 

chriscross1966

Über Member
Location
Swindon
I think the issue Brompton has is that of market saturation. Every multimode commuter in the UK knows it is the best tool for the job, but there's only a big recruitment of them when the congestion/pollution charging schemes push people out of their cars at the city end (whichever city), and their other big market in the Far East they are the aspirational brand, so they dont have much chance to affect customer recruitment there as it is a local financial situation issue.... so they need to find more customers somehow, and they've chosen the basic strategies of ebikes and the specials. Looking around I'm aware of how big the ebike market is getting, mostly amongst older riders, and that's an important market to Brompton as the WOOPies (well off older people) might well be living in retirement flats and have the same space constraints as the Far Eastern mini-velo crowd, but they have disposable income and they appreciate buying British, the urban trendies who go for the specials once again are far more likely to resemble the Far Eastern mini-velo crowd too, disposable income, limited storage space in a city flat... the fact that Brompton are moving beyond a market they dominate is a good thing.... i own a couple of disc braked bromptons and I would love it if it was a standard option, but it would be a chunk more expensive so they'd need to keep the calipers and their current calipers are very good, yes , five years down the line you're swapping out a disc rather than a rim, but if it adds 100 to the sales price then they sell fewer bikes, if it's a 120 option they wont sell in large quantity, I'd buy one, many wouldn't and the first bikes to get it would likely be the electrics...
 

Pale Rider

Legendary Member
Shovelling the bike into Halfords is an interesting one from a marketing point of view.

The brand is diminished - Halfords offered me £100 off without being asked - and while it's good to see shops with 10 bikes in stock, the bespoke appeal is also diminished.

The high second hand value of Bromptons will also take a knock, further diminishing the overall appeal of the brand.

Brompton must be aware of this, so they've obviously decided to swap some brand cachet for the increase in sales numbers that Halfords will bring.
 
In my opinion, Brompton needs to come out of their very narrow niche, and offer some other folding designs aimed at different riding (a ‘la Bike Friday and even Moulton) if they wish to survive, let alone flourish. They clearly consider themselves an urban, commuting bicycle company but should start re-thinking that and become more of a folding bicycle company. Of course to that, they would leverage their good reputation and craftsman manufacturing.

The bike market has evolved dramatically since the birth of Brompton....they havent evolved to keep up.

Thats not to say anyone would expect the same fold, etc. as the “Brompton” offers, but for different purposes say a small, folding gravelbike wouldnt need to fold as small or as quickly as one made to carry onto public transportation.

But I’m not running Brompton so my ideas are just that...my ideas.
 

Cycleops

Legendary Member
Location
Accra, Ghana
Their R&D dept must be smaller than their washroom. While other folding bike companies come out with new designs all the time Brompton stick with the same old same old.
I think the problem is they are not a bike company but a facilitator of urban transport and having thought they have invented the perfect solution are content to find new markets rather than innovate.
 
Location
London
While other folding bike companies come out with new designs all the time Brompton stick with the same old same old..

Not all bad cycleops - the brommie is the result of years of shed tinkering pre launch I think.

I have one and love it.

I also have a Dahon folding sports bike - love that in its own mad way but I fear the spec was changed so often even dahon doesn't know quite what I am riding.

As for "special edition", must admit I haven't delved into it but I wouldn't touch any product with that label on it.

brommie

https://www.cyclechat.net/media/brommie.10611/

also been to same spot on the dahon but I'd rate my chances of getting back on the brommie more
 
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u_i

Über Member
Location
Michigan
the brommie is the result of years of shed tinkering pre launch I think.

I have one and love it.

It is a marvel of thought and engineering design. When you try to improve it here or there, for your own purposes, you find it hard because so much thought and optimization went into it that usually you first spoil this or that because you did not realize that designers were 2-3 steps ahead of you. At times I just go and admire and caress it, not because it is pretty - it is usually all cover in mud - but because I find it a monument of thought.

Other bikes may have one or two good things but their rest is average rushed into production. Dahon or Bike Friday are junk in comparison, as far as my book is concerned. They are usually good on absolute scale, but a comparison to Brompton's design devastates them. OK, I said it.
 
It is a marvel of thought and engineering design. When you try to improve it here or there, for your own purposes, you find it hard because so much thought and optimization went into it that usually you first spoil this or that because you did not realize that designers were 2-3 steps ahead of you. At times I just go and admire and caress it, not because it is pretty - it is usually all cover in mud - but because I find it a monument of thought.

Other bikes may have one or two good things but their rest is average rushed into production. Dahon or Bike Friday are junk in comparison, as far as my book is concerned. They are usually good on absolute scale, but a comparison to Brompton's design devastates them. OK, I said it.
Brompton is a “one trick pony”, it’s a good trick. A compelling one.
But the “special editions” dont expand their repertoire and that is something they need to do.
 

12boy

Guru
Location
Casper WY USA
I like mine very much but there are a few things I would see as improvements...... a QR on the brakes so as to be able to install wheel with an inflated tire, a stem that would take a threadless stem, more easily replaced rear hinge bushings, a 3 speed shifter instead of just a two, perhaps room for slightly wider tires and a switch to chromo insteadvof hi-ten. I would probably consider buying a new one with those improvements before a trick paint job and new decals/name badge. The basic design is excellent.
 

u_i

Über Member
Location
Michigan
I think that once you go down the route of unique optimized parts you are faced with the issue of supplying a narrow market. It becomes very hard to offer a variety of options, that again involve custom parts for an even more narrow market, at an affordable price. After all you can see how much unique aftermarket parts for Brompton or other folders cost. I do not think that the manufacturers of such parts particularly want to gauge the market - their prices simply reflect the costs of small volume manufacturing.
 

12boy

Guru
Location
Casper WY USA
The aftermarket products are indeed expensive. The things I mentioned would be the new standard...widening the rear triangle, using chro-moly instead of high ten and having pop-in, pre reamed bushings for example are ver large changes in an already well designed machine.
 
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