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Brompton is celebrating 50 years since its founder, Andrew Ritchie, created the first of its iconic folding bikes from his Kennington flat overlooking Kensington’s Brompton Oratory in 1975.
Since then, over a million Brompton bikes have been designed, developed and made in its London HQ, reaching 47 different countries. In London alone, there are over 80,000 Brompton bikes on the roads.
In a community now estimated to be 500,000 strong, Brompton estimates that a collective 27,500 hours were spent socialising in groups on Bromptons in 2024 alone, leading to 3.1 years of riding and 8.2 million calories burned.
An open door celebration
Brompton is marking its 50th anniversary by opening the doors to its factory on 19th June, giving its community behind-the-scenes access to how its iconic folding bike is made, from concept to distribution.
The tours take place in the run up to the brand’s largest ever Brompton World Championship, a one-of-a-kind, lycra-free cycling race with enjoyment and community at its core, taking place in Coal Drops Yard, Kings Cross, London on June 21st 2025.
After selling out in record speeds, Brompton is adding additional dates to its factory tours. Members of the public can get on the waitlist by signing up via the Brompton website.
Will Butler-Adams, CEO at Brompton, is passionate about bringing the community together to mark the brand’s milestone. Talking about hitting the big 5.0, and plans to celebrate in style, Butler-Adams comments:
“Since Andrew first created the Brompton, aside from it being an ingenious product, our biggest strength has been the people who have believed and embraced what our small folding bike can provide.
It starts with our factory team in London, handcrafting the highest quality bike in the world, and ends with our community of riders who use the Brompton as a real-life cheat code. From beating Beijing’s morning commute traffic to discovering the streets of Berlin, Brompton opens up a whole new world of mobility. One that offers urban freedom to riders and ultimately, happier lives. It’s this shared understanding that brings our communities around the world together every week.”
In addition to its factory tours, Brompton is set to launch a limited edition 50th anniversary bike, followed by the largest technology upgrade in its history.
Of that teased technology upgrade, Will Carleysmith, Chief Design & Engineering Officer at Brompton, notes:
“Over the past ten years, our capacity for innovation has grown massively. We’ve never had a more exciting line-up of ideas in the works. We’re developing more products than ever, aiming to meet a wider range of needs and help even more people enjoy the freedom and fun that comes with owning a Brompton.”
