Manufacturer Brompton makes its lightest ever bike at base in Yorkshire

Brompton has reinvented its famous folding design to create its lightest bike ever – weighing in at just 7.45kg.

It is the product of three years of research and development.

Brompton says it has forged new construction techniques, designing over 150 components and even building a dedicated Yorkshire factory in order to create the Brompton T Line bike.

At the new facility in Sheffield, the bike’s frame is precision-engineered in titanium, then orbital and tig-welded for strength. The T Line is then finished off with new components at Brompton’s home in London.

The manufacturer says the ultra-light bike is also faster to fold and easier to carry. The bike will be available in two specifications, each with the option of a low and mid-rise handlebar fit.

Paul Williams, chief operations officer at Brompton, said: “Whilst titanium ore is a relatively abundant material, turning it into something usable for bike manufacture takes an extraordinary amount of effort.

“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 CW Fletcher, based in Sheffield, started over seven 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.”

Will Carleysmith, Brompton chief design and engineering officer, added: “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.”