Brompton Unveils Concept Bike Café at Rough Trade NYC

NEW YORK, MAY 1, 2015 – Lovers of bikes, beats and beans rejoice. Just in time for Bike Month and on the heels of Record Store Day, Brompton Bicycle announces the arrival of the Brompton Bike Café at Rough Trade NYC, Brooklyn. The opening represents a stateside union for the two iconic British brands that got their starts in the West London of the 1970s.


“Rough Trade is a legendary music retail brand, renowned for its independent ethos,” says Brompton’s general manager for North America, Katharine Horsman. “So we were very excited to collaborate with them, in their stunning NYC store, to create a new kind of gathering place for New York’s cyclists – people who also know a thing or two about independence and doing things differently.”

Located a block off the Kent Avenue cycle thoroughfare in Rough Trade’s 15,000 square feet Williamsburg store, the Brompton Café brings some of the look and feel of the brand’s London factory to the shop floor with tables created from glass-topped shipping crates stocked with handmade neon and brightly colored Brompton frame parts. Other fun décor choices include murals on the outside walls, a photographic history of the Brompton World Championships and an original bike from the first 400 Bromptons made by inventor and founder Andrew Ritchie.

Brompton owners can stash their folded bikes in-store in lockable, custom Brompton cubbies, while outside a bike lock rail and wall-mounted electric bike pump are located for use by all cyclists, regardless of bike style. Coffee is supplied by Toby’s Estate.

“The Brompton Café is an inspiring, playful and dynamic addition to the store,” says Stephen Godfroy, Rough Trade’s co-owner. “Our customers are typically independently minded, whatever their age or taste in music. Consequently, having a Brompton element within a community hub environment that celebrates independent thinking and self-expression is an unpredictable yet natural fit. The fact that Brompton is another iconic British brand with a West London heritage makes this collaboration all the more special.”

Visitors to the store will also be able to take part in promotions and events run by both Brompton and Rough Trade. Brompton bicycles will not be sold in store at Rough Trade but customers will be referred to local retailers in the city.

For more information: STEVE GILL, 612 839 9730

About Brompton Bicycle

Made for Cities
§  Bromptons are sold in 48 countries around the world and over 70 percent of production is exported.
§  The company is on target to produce 50,000 bikes this year and estimate that over 300,000 have hit the roads since the first bike was made in the 1970s by the inventor Andrew Ritchie.
§  A Brompton is perfect for those that live, work or play in cities: One Brompton takes 6.2 tons less carbon than a car to make and 42 folded Bromptons can be parked in the space it takes to park just one car.
§  Brompton’s home city of London has seen cycling increase by 91 percent since 2003. Brompton is proud to play a part in this cycling revolution worldwide.
§  Brompton Junction stores are branded retail spaces, offering a personalized service, showing bikes which reflect the many colors and specification finishes possible, and have high caliber workshop facilities and specialist staff. There are currently eight worldwide, in Bangkok, Beijing, Milan, Hamburg, Shanghai, Amsterdam, Kobe, and the flagship in London.

Made for You
§  Brompton bikes are all custom-made, allowing customers to choose exactly the bike that suits their needs (riding style, route to and from work, wardrobe, budget).
§  A huge selection of accessories and luggage means you can add to your Brompton as you wish- it’s a complete transport solution and a lifestyle statement.
§  Bromptons fold up to a third of their size, and weigh on average a little over 24 lbs, making them suitable to take on all forms of transport – perfect for commuting on trains, popping in the trunk of the car and taking out of the city for some fresh air, hailing a cab when the weather changes or you want to get home late at night.

Made in London
§  Brompton Bicycle is the biggest bike manufacturer in the UK, with its factory in Kew, West London.
§  Brompton’s history can be traced back to 1975, when the British inventor, Andrew Ritchie, created prototypes of Brompton bicycles from his bedroom in South Kensington, London.
§  Brompton welcomes press requests to visit the factory in Kew, and to view the production process from start to finish. Please contact us to arrange a visit.

About Rough Trade

First opened in 1976 in West London, on the doorstep of punk, Rough Trade was as much a hangout for like-minded independent thinkers as it was a place to buy music. Finding itself at the forefront of the DIY music scene, Rough Trade launched an eponymous record label in 1978. Founder, Geoff Travis, left Rough Trade to manage Rough Trade Records in 1983, leaving Rough Trade employees to take on the ownership, and grow the retail seeds he had sown. Although they remain separate entities to this day, Rough Trade and Rough Trade Records are still very much akin. Today, Rough Trade currently operates three iconic UK stores, with plans for more across the U.K. (and beyond) over coming years. Follow @RoughTrade

About Rough Trade NYC

Rough Trade NYC opened in November 2013. A 15,000 square feet former warehouse building, with interior spaces constructed using 16 old shipping containers, the store is quite unlike any other. Featuring a dedicated venue space with balcony and bar, ping pong tables, exhibition room, #GuardianGreenRoom (a partnership with The Guardian Media Group), and Brompton Cafe, the store serves as an inspiring community hub for Williamsburg and wider NYC, as much as it does a place to discover and experience the most exciting new music. Follow @RoughTradeNYC


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