NEW YORK, NY.- Brompton Bicycle, the UK’s largest bike manufacturer, today announced that its folding bike was accepted into the permanent collection of Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. The Brompton bike was conceived as a product to help improve city living. It has established itself as the ideal choice for all those who are living or interacting with cities. The bike can be folded to a third of its size in a matter of seconds and is small enough to be taken on all forms of public transport.

The Brompton included in Cooper Hewitt’s collection is a Superlight model with a Raw Lacquer finish, featuring a titanium fork and rear frame, its steel main frame is coated in a pigmentless powder coating so that the hand-brazed detail is visible. The bike is fitted with the lightest 2-speed gearing system, S Type flat handlebars and Brompton’s unique front luggage system, including the brand new Waxed Cotton Roll Top bag.

“Cooper Hewitt was eager to acquire a lightweight folding bicycle for its collection. Brompton’s ingenious designs, superb craftsmanship and engineering prowess culminate in exemplary solutions that address mobility needs of today’s growing urban populations worldwide,” said Cara McCarty, Director of Curatorial at Cooper Hewitt.

In 2015, the Brompton bike was also recognized with a place in the permanent collection of the Design Museum, London’s museum of international contemporary design. Further to this inclusion, the earliest Brompton prototype in existence will be featured as part of the Cycle Revolution show from the Design Museum London which is scheduled for a major global tour in 2017, giving even more people worldwide the opportunity to see the iconic bike for themselves. More details will be announced by the Design Museum about their Cycle Revolution tour in the US and other markets in coming months.

Katharine Horsman, General Manager of Brompton Bicycle Inc said: “As cycling continues to grow in popularity to navigate urban environments, it’s clear that today’s cyclists are as demanding on design as they are for performance and reliability. At Brompton, we pride ourselves on offering all three and it’s fantastic to have been recognized for this across the world.”

Visitors who are inspired by Brompton’s design accolades can create their own Brompton to their own exact specification from color, materials, gears, handlebars and accessories by visiting www.brompton.com/build.