I was talking to one of Brompton’s brazers yesterday. Achieving quality on a consistent basis within a growing business in a very competitive industry requires a fine balancing act between the competing pulls of speed and perfection; as the company expands it is inevitable that there is not unanimity in people’s personal motivations, so it is essential for management to stress that ultimately people buy Bromptons because they are the best folders. Understanding human nature and forging work practices to direct people towards excellence is [...]

A special bike produced for designer Tom Dixon. DesignBoom reports: brompton bicycle has collaborated with british designer tom dixon to develop a prototype copper plated bicycle, on show as part of london design week 2010. the process involves a base nickel plating to offer a ‘key’ for the thin copper layer on top. followed by an electrophoretic lacquer coating of all the frame parts to seal the copper finish and add further protection from the elements.

A Japanese marvel, the Brompton model folds perfectly, down to the left hand pedal. Image by Joe Crumb