Updated with video: Brompton Junction store opens in London's Covent Garden

Can you imagine if you dropped in with your bike after an hour's sweaty ride in the rain to see if they had a spare 'something or other' to get you home. One of the staff would probably faint!

They're probably waiting for Rapha to come calling. A Rapha branded Brompton. How much would they charge for that....and someone would buy it (the bloke that bought the Rapha espresso tamper).

Added a folding bike to my fleet 18mths ago as I was spending more time with my bike on the train and didn't want the risk of not being able to get on if the bike section was full. I was pretty keen on the Brompton but the LBS (folding bikes being their specialist area) steered me towards a Mezzo D9. A better ride (9 spd) and cheaper when you find out that things like mudguards, rack etc on a Brompton are all at additional cost. The Mezzo won the contest when the LBS said the waiting list for a Brompton was 3 mths and described the supply of bikes as atrocious. The Mezzo is going strong and I can 'pimp it up' with standard parts rather than having to use Brompton specific spares. My 'rose tinted' view of the Brompton was somewhat modified.

British tea? Whatever next - coffee beans from the Highlands?

In all seriousness, I'm not that offended by it all and the point about selling Bromptons to non-cyclists is one I hadn't really considered. It's just the kind of shop that couldn't really exist outside the rarefied atmosphere of central London, which is a rule unto itself.

During some time in Montreal recently I used to pass a boutique du cyclisme that sold everything you could need as long as it was made by Argon 18 or Assos. It never seemed to have anyone in except the carefully sculpted assistants who would hover by the door like gatekeepers to the carbon kingdom beyond. I presume they must have sold things occasionally to stay in business

I think there is some soya kicking around can milk it for you but the tea the coffee shop uses is made in the UK(sort of cool?)

If anyone should be designing clothing for Brompton it should be Tom Ford.

from having managed 2 workshops in key Evans Cycles stores in Central London (dealing with huge numbers of Brompton repairs every week), something we understood is that most people buying Brompton are not cyclists?

first and foremost, they want a transport solution for commuting, often integrated with their season pass for rail travel into London

its a very different market to the "cyclist" or even arguably the commuter with a non-folding bike (used journey start to journey end), who are more familiar with the traditional bike shop

the new Brompton store in Covent Garden is fantastic, and should appeal to people wanting transport around London on 2 wheels.

If this gets people buying and riding bikes I am all for it, no matter how boutiguefied it might be!

Think Brompton need to get new marketing people. The all white Apple look is pretty naff these days (unless your apple).
Should have played to their uniqueness.
Think Brunel, think wood paneling, edison lighting, sepia photos and a touch of London steampunk.
So much more could have been done to promote such an amazing bicycle.

No. Stop right now with the whole boutique-ification of the bike shop... thing. With your oh so carefully coordinated colour matched component displays and infographic wall art.

While I appreciate that the dingy, cluttered slightly intimidating foisty atmosphere of bike shops of yore may not appeal to everyone, I also don't want to go into a minimalised retail space that says to the prospective browser "are you quite sure you can afford anything in here?", where black clad 'product gurus' hover around ready to offer an aromatherapy based saddle fit or body mass specific espresso.

OK, I'll take the espresso but you can stick the saddle fit up your.. er...