It has taken little more than 40 years for the Brompton brand to have established itself as effectively as it has. Brompton Bicycle by David Henshaw explains how (inevitably) it wasn’t always a straightforward journey – but also that there is good reason for such success. This book will also help any owners get the most out of their bike – and there’s nothing better for a brand than customers enjoying your products.

Brompton is one of those brands with a lot of immensely loyal customers, and products that are sufficiently unusual to justify most of the attention that it receives – it’s why books such as this can succeed.

It wasn’t long ago that we reviewed The Brompton book, which was mostly about the business side of the company. In it I mentioned the earlier editions of the Brompton Bicycle book, suggesting that they would be of more practical benefit for Brompton owners.

This latest update reinforces that view: if you’re looking to buy a new (or used) Brompton, reading this book first will help you make much more informed decisions. Tyres and handlebars are just two of the areas where there are choices to be made, and the information here will go a long way to making sure that you can decide what is best for you.

Then, once you have a bike, there’s a lot of useful information about its special features, and tips to help you get the most out of the machine.

Obviously a Brompton needs the same sort of maintenance as a normal bike, but its foldability introduces a few new requirements, especially around the frame itself: Henshaw covers ‘a number of ailments common to all Bromptons, many of which can be cured with a drop of oil or a minor adjustment.’

Be warned though: you will discover that one of the downsides of Brompton ownership is that Brompton often introduces little updates or upgrades – so there always seems to be a slightly better version of your machine available. For example, gearing options alone seem to provide a non-stop source of temptation to anyone looking for an opportunity to tinker.

However, credit where it is due, despite (or because of) the uniqueness of the machine, most of these improvements can be retro-fitted to existing bikes. So it is that I am now attracted by the integrated gear levers that appeared shortly after I bought my bike – or perhaps one of the many useful new luggage accessories?

The first edition of ‘Brompton Bicycle’ appeared in 2009, and the subsequent editions in 2011 and 2020 have focused on bringing the story up-to-date. Very little is removed with each update.

It’s the same this time around: the page count has increased by almost 60% compared to the first edition. Not surprisingly, the weight has nearly doubled – with some of that increase coming from the larger page size, which has been put to good use with minor changes to the layout to improve the presentation.

Essentially, there won’t really be any advantage to having a previous edition if you have this latest one.

Recent additions include the new naming protocol, the arrival of titanium and the increasing activity surrounding the electric versions. You will also be reminded of Brompton’s addiction to special editions, from Royal Weddings to David Millar. Beyond the official factory limited editions, there’s a flourishing industry of specialist brands allowing for further customisation.

The author David Henshaw is the founder and editor of the informative A to B magazine, which gives him a good overview of Brompton’s place in the market – and he must have some preferential access to the inner workings of the brand: Brompton Bicycle may not have originated from within the business, like The Brompton book did, but it’s thorough enough to be a credible reference book about the company.

I was pleasantly surprised at the quantity and (less so) quality of images to which Henshaw had access, especially from the early years before digital photography was so convenient: even the more official book, ‘The Brompton’, doesn’t do any better.

You can be sure that Brompton will soon make any new edition out-of-date. In fact, it has already done so with this one, following the announcement of the G Line.

Although he wasn’t able to include it, Henshaw does comment that ‘given the clear demand for bigger wheeled Bromptons, it’s certainly conceivable the company itself could produce such a machine’.

It’s worth noting that even though you are now getting a lot more book for your money, the price has only gone up by £1 over the past 15 years! That’s unusual, and commendable – just like the bikes.

Verdict

There’s not much that will augment Brompton ownership more than this book