It folds, it’s got a Brompton label on and is best used around the city… but this isn’t a bike we’re talking about from Britain’s foremost folding bike brand, it’s their first range of commuter clothing with “not a piece of Lycra in sight” for urban cycle trips where more technical-looking apparel isn’t essential.
Five of the best folding bikes
Brompton were inspired to create a range that looked casual but still had features to make it functional and comfortable: “Cyclists are normal people, and so wouldn’t they want normal-looking clothes to cycle in?”, they say.
The six pieces were made in partnership with Scottish performance cycling apparel brand Endura to ensure the right balance between casual and functional. The New York Insulated Reversible Gilet (£90, shown above) can be used as an outer layer or for in-between seasons, and like Brompton’s bikes it can be easily packed away when not required – although you might struggle to fit the bike in your jersey pocket.
The London waterproof jacket (£150) is made from a waterproof fabric with 15,000mm resistance, with fully taped seams and a breathable material with underarm vents to prevent overheating. There’s also the London Windproof glove (£40), the New York Multitube (£20) that can be used as a snood or headband and the Barcelona Coolmax Socks (£12), available in red or blue colourways; the latter being nice, but not quite as nice as our legendary road.cc socks of course.
We’re not sure if the new gear folds significantly faster or more easily than other garments, but we do know that you can head over to Brompton’s website now to browse the collection if any of it tickles your fancy…
8 thoughts on “Brompton launch their first commuter clothing range, with no lycra in sight”
except for
first ever clothing range..
Except for the jackets they sold a few years ago
Made for cities, made for men?!
This is so typical of the cycling industry, not one woman in any of the pictures. I guess cites are only for men.
cycling_woman wrote:
I’m not disagreeing with you, but that’s an interesting point: in my experience, the ‘typical’ Brompton rider does appear to be ‘a man of a certain age’.
Actually, I don’t actually think I’ve ever seen a woman riding a small-wheeled folder (Brompton or other brand)… Hadn’t thought of it before now, weird
That’s rubbish. I see quite
That’s rubbish. I see loads of women riding Bromptons in London.
Jem PT wrote:
Just because you see loads doesn’t make what Brooksby said ‘rubbish’. Both could be true. Maybe the cycling demographic is just different where they are.
Of course it’s also possible that they’re there, but they’re just not seeing them.
mdavidford wrote:
Thank you. I’ll grant that, it could be some form of confirmation/denial bias. I’m in Bristol, not that there London, and I’ve just never noticed women on folders. YMMV.
brooksby wrote:
I don’t see many Bromptons or other folders around in Bristol, but as I get the train in the morning there’s more opportunity to spot them there. As a completely unscientific guess, I reckon I see about twice as many men as women on them and they do seem to all be older rather than younger (Bromptons probably aren’t seen as cool).
There will be something
There will be something suitable for commuting in the large and affordable Endura range without the Brompton mark-up.