40-535: Bike Friday is a manufacturer of folding , small-wheeled bicycles that is headquartered in Eugene, Oregon, United States. The company was founded in 1992 by brothers Alan Scholz and Hanz Scholz. By 2018, it employed 22 people and manufactured frames in Eugene. Alan Scholz also founded Burley Design Cooperative in 1978. Bike Friday was the only manufacturer of folding bicycles in the United States by 2018, and many of
80-463: A combined rear fold and suspension design. During riding, the main frame and the rear triangle intersect at a rubber block which provides suspension. The suspension block is kept in compression by the rider's weight. There is no suspension for the front wheel, although the titanium forks of the Superlight versions provide a small amount of spring. In 1976 Andrew Ritchie founded the company, named after
120-407: A folding steering column. Fold designs may use larger wheels, even the same size as in non-folders, for users prioritizing ride over fold compactness. Bikes that use this kind of fold include, Dahon , Montague and Tern . Instead of folding horizontally, this style of bike has one or two hinges along the main tube and/or chain and seat stays that allow the bike to fold vertically. The result leaves
160-500: A machine that weighed less than 10 kg (23 lb) (this was not achieved - the final weight was about 15 kg (32 lb)) and would withstand being dropped by parachute. In response, the Birmingham Small Arms Company (BSA) developed a folding bicycle small enough to be taken in small gliders or on parachute jumps from aircraft. This British WWII Airborne BSA folding bicycle was rigged so that, when parachuted,
200-448: A rear shock absorber forms the folding mechanism. The magnet connects and locks the back wheel section to the frame. To fold the bike in half, the magnet disconnects with one movement and in a second, and without having to use one's hands, the rear wheel rotates forward, and the bike folds vertically. This mechanism also enables one to roll the half-folded bike on its rear wheel. Bikes may partly fold and partly disassemble for packing into
240-410: A record monthly turnover of just under £1 million; the employees were rewarded with fish and chips . In the same month, the company stated that it was hoping to continue a 25% rate of growth; partially enabled by switching to just-in-time stocking for some of the parts being sourced from suppliers, and by having those suppliers hold the stock until it is needed rather than parts living for periods at
280-509: A standard or custom sized suitcase for air travel (e.g., Airnimal and Bike Friday). Other variations include: Bicycle Torque Coupling , a proprietary connector system that can be retrofitted to a standard frame; the Gekko, which folds from the seat tube like an upside down umbrella; the Giatex, which folds and retracts, adjusting to the size of the rider; the iXi, which literally breaks into two-halves; and
320-448: Is 349 mm (13.7 in), carrying tyres with 16″ tread diameter. The handlebars and some peripheral components are aluminium. A Brompton bicycle uses over 1,200 individual pieces, many of which are specific to Brompton. As of 2024 the combinations allow one-, two-, three-, four-(P and T line versions), six-speed or twelve gearing options to be factory-fitted, with higher or lower gearing available as an option. The Brompton uses
360-504: Is a bicycle designed to fold into a compact form, facilitating transport and storage. When folded, the bikes can be more easily carried into buildings, on public transportation (facilitating mixed-mode commuting and bicycle commuting ), and more easily stored in compact living quarters or aboard a car, boat or plane. Folding mechanisms vary, with each offering a distinct combination of folding speed, folding ease, compactness, ride, weight, durability, complexity and price. Distinguished by
400-427: Is easier to transport and store than a traditional bicycle. Folding mechanisms are highly variable. Many folding frames follow the classic frame pattern of the safety bicycle 's diamond frame, but feature a hinge point (with single or double hinges) allowing the bicycle to fold approximately in half. Quick-release clamps enable raising or lowering steering and seat columns. A similar swing hinge may be combined with
440-497: The A-bike is similar to the Strida but has tiny wheels and folds a bit smaller. Bikes with smaller than 410 mm (16 in) wheels are often called portable bicycles . These forgo the performance and easy ride benefits of their larger counterparts, acquiring characteristics similar to those of an adult folding kick scooter . Nonetheless, regardless of how each bike folds, the result
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#1732851007961480-598: The Birdy . Swing and flip hinges may be combined on the same frame, as in the Brompton Mezzo Folder and Dahon , which use a folding steering column. Folding mechanisms typically involve latches and quick releases, which affect the speed of the fold/unfold. Bike Friday offers a model, the Tikit , featuring a cable-activated folding mechanism requiring no quick releases or latches, for increased folding speed. A magnet combined with
520-581: The Brompton Oratory , a landmark visible from his bedroom workshop where the first prototypes were built. At the time he was working as a gardener. Ritchie obtained backing from friends and sought to license the design, but after five years began manufacturing the bicycle design himself. Production ground to a halt in 1982 after which Ritchie continued to explore possibilities for continued manufacturing whilst undertaking other jobs. Finally in 1986, again with backing from friends and former customers, enough
560-588: The D-Day landings and at the Battle of Arnhem . The 1970s saw increased interest in the folding bike, and the popular Raleigh Twenty and Bickerton Portable have become the iconic folders of their decade. It was, however, the early 1980s that can be said to have marked the birth of the modern, compact folding bicycle, with competing models from Brompton and Dahon . Founded in 1982, by inventor and physicist Dr. David Hon and his brother Henry Hon, Dahon has grown to become
600-441: The Strida , which has a triangular frame and folds to resemble a unicycle. Folding mechanisms may incur more cost and weight, allow folding smaller, and they tend to use smaller wheels. 610 mm (24 in) wheels are the largest for which flip hinges are generally used, but smaller wheels, typically 410 or 510 mm (16 or 20 in), are more common. Smaller size does not mean lighter weight, as most of these designs forgo
640-448: The folding bicycle are based on the same hinged frame and 16-inch (35×349 mm) tyre size . Components are added, removed, or replaced by titanium parts to form the many variations. The modular design has remained fundamentally unchanged since the original patent was filed by Andrew Ritchie in 1979, with small details being refined by continual improvement. Ritchie was awarded the 2009 Prince Philip Designers Prize for work on
680-692: The 1890s, and the French army and others deployed folding bikes for bicycle infantry use. In 1900, Mikael Pedersen developed for the British army a folding version of his Pedersen bicycle that weighed 6.8 kg (15 lb) and had 610 mm (24 in) wheels. It included a rifle rack and was used in the Second Boer War . In 1941, during the Second World War , the British War Office called for
720-519: The 2003 Eurobike trade show, Neobike exhibited their—now unsanctioned—clone of the Brompton, offering it to potential dealers within Europe. Neobike-produced copies of the Brompton bicycle were then imported into The Netherlands branded as the "Scoop One" and "Astra Flex V3". Later, Neobike's interests in its copy-bicycle business were transferred to an entity called Grace Gallant Enterprises, for sale under
760-568: The Brompton case this included the M-style handlebars, curved main frame tube and the cable-placement. Each of these were noted to be distinctive design decisions that another manufacturer could change without compromising the ability to create a functional folding bicycle. Such a level of perceived similarity was therefore likely to cause "confusion in the market" under the Dutch copyright law , Article 13. Neobike did not choose to appeal and Brompton Bicycle
800-648: The Brompton factory. The company was awarded The Queen's Award for Export in 1995. In the Queen's Birthday Honours of 21 April 2010, the company was awarded two Queen's Awards for Enterprise , in the Innovation and International Trade categories. This was the second time Brompton had won the International Trade Award, they first received it in 1995. It is very rare for a company to receive two of these awards in one year. Will Butler-Adams , Managing Director,
840-577: The East Asia market under the Flamingo and MIT brand names. Later iterations of the clones had their frames made of aluminium, rather than the steel frame of the originals. Following the expiry of the Brompton patent, Brompton Bicycle's legal actions against Neobike/Grace Gallant have all been brought on the basis of copyright - and industrial design-law . A court case was held at the Groningen civil court in
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#1732851007961880-580: The Netherlands on 24 May 2006, which ruled that the industrial design of the Brompton folding bicycle was protected by copyright. Additionally, the Neobike-provided manual had included direct copies of those drawings found in the Brompton user manual. The Brompton Bicycle Limited v Rijwielbedrijf Vincent Van Ellen BV ruling held that there was creative flexibility in the design for a bicycle beyond those choices made purely for functional reasons; in
920-700: The bicycle. Brompton is the largest volume bicycle manufacturer in Britain, producing approximately 50,000 bicycles each year. The company's bicycles are also available for hire. All Brompton folding bicycle models share the same curved frame, consisting of a hinged main tube, pivoting rear triangle, fork, and hinged handle-bar stem. The main tube and stem are made of steel in most models. The rear triangle and fork are either steel or titanium, depending on model. The T line introduced in 2022 has an all-titanium frame and other lightweight components. Steel sections are joined by brazing rather than welding. Wheel rim size
960-418: The bikes they made were custom. Some of the models produced include tandems , one that can fold into a backpack, commuter bicycles , belt-drive bicycles , cargo bicycles , a mountain bike , recumbents , and even a folding, recumbent, tandem. This article related to a bicycle manufacturing company is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Folding bicycle A folding bicycle
1000-428: The bracing benefits of the diamond frame and must compensate as a step-through frame does, with thicker metal. The step-through design is a boon to a wider range of rider size, age, and physical ability. Another system found on folders, such as Montague Bikes , utilizes the seat tube as a pivot point for the frame to fold. This system uses a tube within a tube design to give the bike more torsional stiffness. It allows
1040-508: The brand "Flamingo". Between 2004 and 2010, several batches of copies were imported into the European market: into the United Kingdom under the name "Merc", into Belgium, and into Spain as the " Nishiki Oxford". Taiwanese-manufactured clones bear the model numbers FL-BP01-3/FL-BP01-7 standing for Flamingo, "Best Persuader", 3-speed/7-speed. As of 2014, Grace-Galant continue to make clones for
1080-558: The complexities of their folding mechanism, more demanding structural requirements, greater number of parts, and more specialized market appeal, folding bikes may be more expensive than comparable non-folding models. The choice of model, apart from cost considerations, is a matter of resolving the various practical requirements: a quick, easy fold, a compact folded size, or a faster but less compact model. There are also bicycles that provide similar advantages by separating into pieces rather than folding. Military interest in bicycles arose in
1120-670: The distances among the center of bottom bracket , the top of the saddle, and the handlebars - the primary factors in determining whether or not a bicycle fits its rider - are usually similar to those of conventional bikes. The wheelbase of many folding designs is also very similar to that of conventional, non-folding, bicycles. Some manufacturers are producing folding bikes designed around folding systems that allow them to use 660 mm (26 in) wheels, e.g., Dahon , KHS , Montague , and Tern Bicycles . Advantages of smaller wheels include potential for more speed, quicker acceleration, greater maneuverability, and easier storage. For example,
1160-623: The franchise contract had been "under review", there having been quality issues with the Asian-built Brompton bicycles. Euro-Tai and Neobike failed to return the Brompton-specific tooling loaned by Brompton Bicycle. One week later after the expiration of the official licensing agreement Euro-Tai sold its controlling stake in Neobike to YTE Manufacturing, an aluminium supplier that was already involved with producing frames for Neobike. At
1200-422: The handlebars and seat were the first parts to hit the ground (as bent wheels would disable the bike). BSA abandoned the traditional diamond bicycle design as too weak for the shock and instead made an elliptical frame of twin parallel tubes, one forming the top tube and seat stays, and the other the chainstay and down tube. The hinges were in front of the bottom bracket and in the corresponding position in front of
1240-515: The saddle, fastened by wing nuts. The peg pedals could be pushed in to avoid snagging and further reduce the space occupied during transit. From 1942 to 1945, the British WWII Airborne BSA folding bicycle was used by British & Commonwealth airborne troops, Commandos, and some infantry regiments; some were also used as run-abouts on military bases. The bicycle was used by British paratroopers, Commandos, and second-wave infantry units on
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1280-581: The time. For example, Transport for London allows folding bikes at all times on the Underground , but on buses it is down to the driver's discretion. Some transport operators only allow folding bicycles if they are enclosed in a bag or cover. Airline baggage regulations often permit folding bikes as ordinary luggage, without extra cost. Singapore has also implemented new laws to allow folding bicycles in its rail and bus transportation system, with certain size and time limitations. The first folding electric bike
1320-471: The two wheels side by side but is often more compact than a horizontally hinged design. The Brompton and Dahon Qix D8 both feature vertical folding. A hinge in the frame may allow the rear triangle and wheel to be folded down and flipped forward, under the main frame tube, as in the Bike Friday , Brompton Mezzo Folder, and Swift Folder . Such a flip hinge may be combined with a folding front fork, as in
1360-521: The user to fold the bike without "breaking" any vital tubes down, thus preserving the structural integrity of the diamond frame . This system is operated by a single quick release found along the top tube of the bike. The primary purpose of folding a bike is to increase its portability. This is so that it may be more easily transported and stored, and thus allow greater flexibility in getting from A to B. Many public transportation systems ban or restrict unfolded bicycles, but allow folded bikes all or some of
1400-562: The world's largest manufacturer of folding bikes, with a two-thirds marketshare in 2006. Folding bikes generally come with a wider range of adjustments for accommodating various riders than do conventional bikes, because folding bike frames are usually only made in one size. However, seatposts and handlebar stems on folders extend as much as four times higher than conventional bikes, and still longer after-market posts and stems provide an even greater range of adjustment. While folders are usually smaller in overall size than conventional bicycles,
1440-579: Was awarded Order of the British Empire in 2015. In July 2015 a plan to move the company from Brentford to nearby Greenford was reported. In February 2022 another move, from Greenford to Ashford, Kent was announced. In 1992, Brompton agreed with Euro-Tai in Taiwan to allow the manufacture of a licensed copy of the Brompton bicycle for distribution in Eastern Asia. A joint venture company called Neobike
1480-462: Was granted the right to have all of the imported bicycles destroyed with an injunction against future imports by Neobike's distributors. In June 2010, Brompton Bicycle gained a further injunction against the import of the unlicensed copy Brompton models into Spain, this time under the name "Nishiki Oxford Bicycle". The case was decided on the basis that Grace Gallant predecessors' had not returned all of Brompton Bicycle Ltd's drawing and toolings upon
1520-582: Was raised to resume production on a larger scale. With a bank loan underwritten by Julian Vereker (founder of Naim Audio ), production was restarted in a railway arch in Brentford . By early 1988, mass-production Brompton bicycles were once again in circulation. From 2002, when Will Butler-Adams joined the firm (he became Managing Director in 2008), to 2013, production increased from 6,000 to approximately 40,000 bikes per year. The workforce increased from 24 to 190. In March 2009, Brompton Bicycle achieved
1560-553: Was the Honda Step Compo in 2000. Many more were introduced in the next 20 years. Notable folding bicycles include: Brompton Bicycle Brompton Bicycle Limited , trading as Brompton , is a British manufacturer of folding bicycles based in Greenford , London. The Brompton folding bicycle and accessories are the company's core product, noted for its self-supporting compact size when stored. All available models of
1600-658: Was then established to manufacture them. Brompton Bicycle in the United Kingdom would loan tools and drawings, and be paid on a per-unit royalty basis. By mid-1992, Neobike had recruited three senior research and development employees from Dahon , another folding bicycle company, and had started to produce other designs and copies in addition to the official Brompton design. Brompton's licensing contract with Euro-Tai/Neobike lasted approximately ten years until it expired on 31 December 2002. By this time, five senior Neobike employees had been convicted and jailed for stealing trade secrets from Dahon and Ritchie had previously stated that
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