Instalment Three / Bromptonからの手紙 その３

BromptonからProject Xについての第三報が届きました。早いもので東京でのBromptonが傍らにある生活も3ヶ月が経過しました。よく走ってくれます。困ったらぱっと折りたたんで公共交通機関に逃げられる点は他の自転車が持たない利点であることが、よくわかります。特に私のように、復路のみ自転車という我が儘な希望を叶えるにはBrompton以外には考えられなくなっています。

さて、BromptonのProject Teamからのメールをざっと読んでみただけですが、短い文章の中にBromptonのConceptが改めて明確に示されているように感じられます。開発方針にブレがなく、Bromptonを乗る人たちの要望、願いを確実に拾い上げているようです。どうやら、Xとは、現行の軽量チタンフレームの-xよりもさらに軽量化を目指しているようですね。現状の-xでもやはり毎日持ち運ぶには重いという感覚は否めません。

私はこの三ヶ月間、東京の道路を行き交う自転車を眺めてきましたが、折りたたみ自転車を比較的頻繁に見かけるにもかかわらず、Bromptonが非常に少ない事に驚きました。日本国内での販売価格の高さもさることながら、BromptonのConceptと日本国内のユーザーの生活との間の乖離があるのではないかと感じています。

下のBromptonからのメールの"Size"の部分を読むと、Bromptonの長所としてコンパクトさを挙げ、収納袋に入れて電車に乗ったり、職場のデスクの下に置いたり、タクシーに乗ることも可能であり、屋外に自転車を置いておく必要がないと説明されています。

しかし、東京で通勤する私が、私以外にBromptonを車内に持ち込む姿を見かけた試しがありません。以前書いたとおり、都内の通勤電車でBromptonを持ち込める程度に空いている電車は限られます。従って、多くの人たちは、都内で自転車で通勤、通学する場合、必然的に往復とも自転車に乗ることが求められます。となると、敢えて高いお金を支払ってコンパクトに畳めるBromptonを買おうとは思えないのでしょう。

海外での事例を全て国内に持ち込むことは難しい、とは分かっていますが、何故、UKでBromptonがこれほどまでに愛されているのかをもっと日本でも紹介して欲しいと思っています。具体的な事例を挙げてロンドンでのBromptonと暮らす人々の毎日を紹介して頂ければ、その中から自分に合ったスタイルを見つけられる人たちが現れてくるのではないかと思った次第です。。。こんな感じで

It is such a good news from Brompton that the project X is making progress.  I am not sure what this really is but seems like New style Brompton will be much lighter than ordinary ones and Its' size, originality, durability remains the same.


I was bit surprized that there are only a few Bromptons on the street in Tokyo, Japan.  The price, relatively expensive than other bicycles, is one of the key issues but I think there is another reason.


In my case, Brompton's portability is essential to be chosen from among many kinds of bicycles.  I prefer to take (over or under)ground trains on the way to the office since I don't want to be late and I don't want to sweat too much before work.


But as I wrote previously, commuting trains running into Tokyo are usually more than "crowded".  And there is no doubt that it is hard (almost impossisble) to find room to place Brompton in the commuting trains.  I was one of the exceptions that can carry Brompton by trains.


In most cases in Tokyo, if people prefer to choose bicycles by means of commuting, they have to ride bicycles for their whole distance.  On the way and on the way back.  Those people are not motivated enough to buy Bromptons only because Bromptons can be folded.


If we can see how people in UK enjoy their life with Bromptons, more Japanese cyclists become Brompton fans........such a movie like this

INSTALMENT THREE

Hi, 

As progress on Project X continues apace we thought it would be a good opportunity to discuss the considerations of Will and the design team as they develop a new product:

Weight
The Brompton has always been designed to be light enough to be genuinely portable. In any case where the total weight of the bike would increase, there has to be a very strong argument for improving the performance or function of the bike. Our designers are always striving to reduce the weight without compromising strength or durability (the lightest spec of Brompton, an S1E-X, currently comes in at 9.0kg).

Project X will be the lightest product of its kind, yet it will out-perform all its competitors.

Brompton S1E-X	Brompton Pentaclip

Size
Along with weight, another key criterion the design team considers with any improvement is whether it will increase the size of the folded package. Brompton bikes are renowned for their compact fold; this makes them easy to slot into luggage racks on trains, under the desk at work, in a late night cab, indeed anywhere where space is at a premium. One rarely (if ever) needs to lock up a Brompton outside; you can pretty much always take it with you. Project X will not, in any way, increase the size of the folded Brompton package.

Originality 
Ever since Andrew Ritchie built the first prototype, the Brompton way has been to never adhere to convention. Each product is carefully thought out and designed with the user in mind. This can often mean taking a totally new approach but the end result is a well thought-out product that offers a new and improved take on what has gone before.

Functionality & Durability
A Brompton should be accessible to as many people as possible. This means that any improvements are also user-friendly and intuitive. It is for this reason that products such as the Pentaclip (the connector between the seat post and the saddle) were introduced; it offers an unlimited range of positions and angles for any rail saddle (including the Brompton standard saddle) so it can be adjusted to the preference of each individual. A Brompton is also built to last. The bike, components and accessories are designed with long-term, rigorous use in mind. A large number of parts are fatigue-tested to destruction to ensure no part on the bike is unable to stand up to the conditions of everyday use. All new products and improvements have to be able to stand the test of time and, where possible, must be retro-fittable to bikes already in use. 

By the time Project X goes on general release, it will have undergone thorough testing both in the workshop and the field. Its initial launch will be limited to a few hundred exemplars in a unique colour before it becomes available as a B-spoke option widely available to consumers; the retrofit option will follow a year later.

Until next time,

The Brompton team