This is Brompton. Reinvented. Introducing T Line

SAUSALITO, Calif., Jan. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Brompton has reinvented every millimetre of its iconic design to create its lightest bike ever, weighing in at 7.45kg.

The product of three years of research and development, Brompton has brought its fold to life in titanium by forging new construction techniques, designing over 150 components and building a dedicated factory in order to create the ultra-light Brompton T Line.

At the new facility in Sheffield, the frame is precision-engineered in titanium, then orbital and tig-welded for strength. In Brompton's London home, the T Line is finished with new componentry and tuned for the city, setting a new benchmark for folding bikes in lightness, ride performance and robustness.

Ultra-light. As strong as steel.
37% less than the original all-steel equivalent and is just as strong. At 7.45 kg in total, the T Line is comparable to a carbon road bike. Yet, it can be comfortably ridden by a 110kg rugby player and withstand the punishing impact of the city.

Compact drivetrain, designed ground-up.
Nothing rides like it—the entirely new, patent-pending drivetrain, designed ground-up to sit inside the fold, to be as light as possible and for optimal city performance.

The carbon crankset gives greater power transfer. The 60-gram derailleur delivers smooth shifting in a small package. The new gear-ratio, tested from Amsterdam to San Francisco, perfected for city roads. 

Pioneering Carbon Seat Post.
The first bike in the world with a steel-armoured carbon seat post. Ordinary carbon seat posts are stiff, strong and lightweight, but they can't stand up to the daily use of a folding bike. Brompton's design engineers have developed a new process to reinforce the limitations of carbon with 0.3mm steel armour. The result is a superlight seat post that can take the abrasion of the fold, 110kg load and all-weather riding.

Every detail sweated
Faster to fold, easier to carry. Every interaction with the folded bike was studied and improved. New: self-aligning hinges, always set-to-go. A spring-loaded handlebar catch that effortlessly clicks. Larger diameter rolling wheels go with the flow—an easy-grab carbon saddle with an integrated nose handle. Nothing folds like this Brompton, not even other Bromptons.

A seriously fun ride
Brompton ride dynamics have always made owners smile, and now they're elevated in every way. Carbon cranks and cast Ti bottom bracket shift your power for a faster ride. Naturally, shock-absorbing titanium smooths out the road. The one-piece carbon fork and wider carbon handlebars make it stiffer and even more responsive. This is a serious machine that's seriously fun to ride. 

Commenting on the breakthrough launch, Will Carleysmith, Chief Design and Engineering Officer at Brompton said: "The only thing that has been carried over from our classic model is the brake system. Everything else has been finessed, pared back, upgraded. We have gone over this entire product in the minutest detail, looking for every single gram we can find to save on weight. What we've ended up with in T Line is the sense that when you leave the house you can go anywhere. All of those shared environments you experience when exploring a city, the bike is not going to be a burden, and you can do whatever you want with ease. That's a pretty amazing feeling!"

Paul Williams, Chief Operations Officer explained the challenges Brompton overcame to create T Line: "Whilst Titanium ore is a relatively abundant material, turning it into something usable for bike manufacture takes an extraordinary amount of effort. It proves worth it though, as it has the highest strength to density ratio of any metallic element, along with great impact strength and corrosion resistance, making it the perfect material to create the ultimate lightweight folding bike, able to withstand the punishing impacts of the city.

He continued: "Working with Titanium takes a high level of knowledge, experience and diligence, so finding the right partner who shared our vision and belief in what could be achieved with Titanium was critical. Our relationship with C W Fletcher, based in Sheffield started over 7 years ago and they have a long history in manufacturing going back over 100 years. With them we built Brompton Fletcher, a dedicated company with a purpose-built production facility and skilled team able to work with this demanding material and fabricate these fantastic titanium frames."

The new Brompton T Line is exclusively available via a ballot system on Brompton.com and through selected Brompton Junction stores in London, New York, Shanghai, Singapore and Paris. The bike will be available in two specifications, each with the option of a low and mid-rise handlebar fit:

T Line One – RRP: £3,750 / $4,795 / €4,360 / 7,465 SGD / 34,550 CNY
The lightest Brompton ever made. T Line in its purest form, the single-speed machine. Masterfully built to deliver an ultra-light, agile and responsive ride. This is the benchmark for freedom in the city.

T Line Urban – RRP: £3,950 / $4,995 / €4,590 / 7,865 SGD / 37,000 CNY
A complete ultra-lightweight performance package built to move around the city and beyond.  The all-new compact 4-speed gearing system optimised for city riding.
Faster, smoother folding mechanisms, with 110kg load carrying for you and your luggage.

To sign up to be notified first when T Line is available, and view exclusive content, visit www.brompton.com/tline, or follow @bromptonbicycle on Instagram and Facebook.

Notes to Editors
High res and social assets available here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ilffbv8b6ceskr6/AAB7lcAfblASQ4ledFFbGmtUa?dl=0

For more information, please contact:
Deena Gregory | [email protected] | 619.820.5005

Full specifications

Bike Specification – T Line One
The lightest Brompton ever made. T Line in its purest form, the single-speed machine. Masterfully built to deliver an ultra-light, agile and responsive ride. This is the benchmark for freedom in the city.

Bike Specification – T Line Urban

A complete ultra-lightweight performance package built to move around the city and beyond.  The all-new compact 4-speed gearing system optimised for city riding.
Faster, smoother folding mechanisms, with 110kg load carrying for you and your luggage.

About Brompton Bicycle:
Made for cities, Brompton bikes are sold in 47 countries around the world and over 70% of production is exported. The company produces over 70,000 bikes a year and over 500,000 have hit the roads since the first bike was made in 1975 by the inventor Andrew Ritchie.

A Brompton bike is perfect for those that live, work or play in cities: The bike folds up to a third of its size, and weighs from just 7.45kg and from 13.7kg for the Brompton Electric, which means a Brompton is suitable to take on all forms of transport – perfect for commuting on trains, popping in the boot of the car and taking out of the city for some fresh air, hailing a taxi when the weather changes or you want to get home late at night. One Brompton bike takes 6.2 tonnes less carbon than a car to make and 42 folded Brompton bikes can be parked in the space it takes to park one car.

Brompton products are available to buy from Brompton.com, 1,500 accredited retailers worldwide and 15 flagship Brompton Junction stores in London, New York, Singapore, Paris, Amsterdam, Shanghai, Beijing, Tokyo, Kobe, Milan, Hamburg, Munich, Valencia, Melbourne and Tel Aviv.

SOURCE Brompton Bicycle