Note: This transcript was exported from the video version of this episode, and it has not been copyedited

00:00:00:00 - 00:00:31:29
Juliet Scott-Croxford
Yeah. I mean, I can just sort of talk from my own experience of that. The days that I bike into the office, I genuinely feel, happier and more productive and more focused. So, and I think as a life hack, I love the fact that I'm managing to integrate some exercise into my commute time, particularly, you know, if you're a busy parent and a professional and, you know, I think it is it's a it's one of the best kept secrets in terms of a life hack, a daily life hack.

00:00:32:02 - 00:01:04:03
John Simmerman
Hey, everyone. Welcome to the Active Towns channel. My name is John Simmerman, and that is Juliet Scott Croxford, president of Brompton, USA. And we're going to be talking a little bit about the new and exciting, lines of Brompton that have recently come out. And also the really the role that the Brompton, that incredible folding bike that you all see me ride all around the world, can really have in helping displace short trips, that are typically taken in a single occupancy motor vehicle.

00:01:04:06 - 00:01:21:27
John Simmerman
So super exciting stuff. But before we dive into that, I just want to say, if you're enjoying this content here on the Active Towns Channel, please consider supporting my efforts by becoming an Active Towns Ambassador. It's super easy to do right here on YouTube. Just click on this support button or the join button right down below and join the YouTube membership environment.

00:01:22:03 - 00:01:41:03
John Simmerman
You will have early and ad free access to all the video content, or you can just click on the Active Towns link at Activetowns.org. Click on the support tab at the top of the page and there's several different options. Okay, let's get right to it with Juliette.

00:01:41:05 - 00:01:44:24
John Simmerman
Juliet, thank you so much for joining me on the Active Towns podcast.

00:01:44:27 - 00:01:47:12
Juliet Scott-Croxford
Thanks for having me, John. It's great to be here.

00:01:47:14 - 00:01:57:28
John Simmerman
So Juliet, one of the things I love doing with my guests here on the podcast is to give you the floor for the first 30s or so. Who the heck is Juliette?

00:01:58:00 - 00:02:25:25
Juliet Scott-Croxford
Well, yeah. Thank you. I'm Juliet Scott-Croxford. I'm president for the Americas region for Brompton, which is the iconic folding bike company from the UK. Originated in 1975. Living now live in New York, in Westchester County. Although you can tell from my accent that I didn't originate from New York. I grew up in southeast UK, lived in London for a number of years before relocating to New York in 2016.

00:02:25:27 - 00:02:32:01
John Simmerman
I love hearing the backstory. How on earth did you land at Brompton?

00:02:32:03 - 00:03:00:16
Juliet Scott-Croxford
It's a it's a good question. So in my head, I mean, it's definitely more of a zigzag in my career path. But it made a lot of logical sense to me. My background was in technology consulting strategy and business change. And I was advising, for a number of years across a number of different industries and then went deep in the media and entertainment sector at a point when, there was a huge amount of disruption going on, through emerging tech, in that sector.

00:03:00:16 - 00:03:26:04
Juliet Scott-Croxford
And, when I was working for the Guardian, I relocated to New York and then, subsequently took on a CEO role for another media brand, which was a turnaround, digital transformation, but very much about, very much about focusing on building communities, for a high net worth audience and one of our key content pillars, and a lot of the events that we did focused on sustainable cities.

00:03:26:06 - 00:03:47:15
Juliet Scott-Croxford
And during that time, I actually invited Will Butler Adams, CEO on, an event that we were doing, which was literally just through Covid and what the new normal looks like for cities. So we we got to know one another. Brompton is a brand and product that I've sort of known and loved and is, is fairly iconic.

00:03:47:18 - 00:04:14:10
Juliet Scott-Croxford
When you're in London, you know, it's a very normal thing to see as part of the fabric, like a red bus or or a, a mailbox. But yes. So, when I was talking to where we stayed in touch and about a year later he said, actually, we're looking for a new, regional lead, director to, build the growth and awareness of Brompton in the North America region.

00:04:14:12 - 00:04:33:06
Juliet Scott-Croxford
So, I threw my hat in. I was like, you know, I haven't got much experience and supply chain and logistics. Fast forward for five years. I've now got quite a lot of experience and supply chain and logistics. But at the time I was really focused on, okay, how do we build a brand, how do we expand through omni channel?

00:04:33:09 - 00:04:54:27
Juliet Scott-Croxford
How we expand both distribution from a wholesale point of view, but also from an e-commerce and own owned and operated retail point of view. So I took on the role, four and a half years ago. And, it's been a wild ride. It's still, you know, remains to be, I think, a fantastic product and transformative for people's lives.

00:04:54:27 - 00:05:22:19
Juliet Scott-Croxford
And when you talk to people in the Brompton community, you know, they'll attest to that. And, you know, that was all off the back of quite a challenging time in the bike industry. We had this huge boom, as you know, through Covid. And then, the the industry has gone through an incredibly tough time since, however, we've really tried to kind of appeal to, a, an audience that don't just cast them selves as cyclists.

00:05:22:22 - 00:05:32:06
Juliet Scott-Croxford
But people that want to move around, their city, in, in a different way and in a more sustainable way and in a more active way.

00:05:32:09 - 00:05:56:25
John Simmerman
Yeah. That's brilliant. And you mentioned, Will Butler. Adam, who's Adam's who has been on the channel before. Here's him, you know, kind of talking a little bit about the the history and how he came to it. And I think that it was around this time when Brompton had hit, you know, a pretty major milestone in terms of, the one millionth bicycle, I think, had just rolling off the lines.

00:05:56:25 - 00:06:38:20
John Simmerman
And so he was super, super stoked to share that information about that. And then I had the opportunity to brush shoulders with him at the velocity conference, there in Europe. Soon after. And he and I were talking after his keynote presentation about how incredibly important it is for the bicycle industry to get engaged with trying to help cities, help encourage cities, help spread the awareness within communities of how important it is to create safer, more inviting bicycling environments to really be able to leverage what we're going to be talking about, which is an incredible tool in the tool chest, in the toolbox that people can, you know, reach for and be able to

00:06:38:21 - 00:06:45:05
John Simmerman
get to meaningful destinations under their own power or with a little bit of electric assist.

00:06:45:08 - 00:07:38:13
Juliet Scott-Croxford
Yeah, I mean, absolutely. Well, because while Europe, and Asia and probably many of the markets that you've visited, on bike, they've adopted cycling as a form of regular transportation, statistics show that less than 1% of commuters in the USA do so by bike. And about 50% of biking here is recreational. So it's a it's quite a different, mindset, I would say culturally, to encourage people to bike in the USA, particularly as a day of life and an active day of life and I think there is such an important connection with how, safe and how well biking infrastructure and protected bike lanes are created in cities to be able

00:07:38:13 - 00:08:18:18
Juliet Scott-Croxford
to assist with that shift to a more, you know, healthy, positive, sustainable way of living and, in an urban environment. So, yeah, I mean, I think we, I would say that Brompton is, is always is really the original city bike. We were a city bike before, you know, city bike existed. And, you know, right from its inception in 1975, our inventor, Andrew Ritchie, really invented this sort of iconic folding bike to really try and revolutionize not just bike manufacturing, but also mobile active transportation.

00:08:18:20 - 00:08:49:14
Juliet Scott-Croxford
And to to fast forward now, 50 years later, from, you know, commuters to adventurers to athletes to A-listers, I guess Brompton built an incredibly passionate following, obsessed with this balance of both function and quality and style through, you know, our standard 16 inch wheel folding bike, which we now have a 20 inch wheel version, which is a slightly larger one, which I think is made for this market, but also through electric as well.

00:08:49:14 - 00:09:07:00
Juliet Scott-Croxford
So really thinking about actually how can folding the ability for this portable folding bike unlock that multimodal first last mile and now with electric sort of first and last five miles, if you like, because you do tend to kind of go a lot further with it.

00:09:07:02 - 00:09:37:03
John Simmerman
You know, you just mentioned, you know, the 1975 edition and again, 50 years. I mean, that's a huge milestone that the bike company is celebrating here. And this is a throwback. This is like a nod, a hat tip to that 1975 edition. We won't spend a lot of time on this, but yeah, this is super cool. I didn't expect to see this, on the website to talk a little bit more about what this bike is all about, because it is that hat tip to the original bike.

00:09:37:06 - 00:09:50:00
Juliet Scott-Croxford
Yeah. I mean, it really is a note, like from all of its features and the serial plate. And actually we only made, 1975 of these bikes. So there's only,

00:09:50:02 - 00:09:54:08
John Simmerman
So it's nice round number. Yeah. That was.

00:09:54:11 - 00:10:21:26
Juliet Scott-Croxford
It is actually and and there's some really lovely details on it. In terms of, you know, the colorways that we've used in some of the original, colors that link back to some of our original models. So, yeah, this was launched in September. Really to commemorate our, 50 years, 50th anniversary. And, yeah, I mean, it's it's, proven extremely popular.

00:10:21:26 - 00:10:42:16
Juliet Scott-Croxford
And actually, going into the new year, we're going to be doing a tour, with, our, with some of our original bikes to really celebrate that. Not too dissimilar to the million bike Tour that, I think we'll probably shared with you a bit about when we produced the one millionth Brompton a couple of years ago.

00:10:42:18 - 00:10:58:05
John Simmerman
Yeah, yeah. That's fantastic. And you're right, there's there's such a it's been wonderful being a part of this family. I got my Brompton, which is kind of over my shoulder there. You just see the top of the Brooks saddle there in the background by my plan. You know, I've been a Brompton.

00:10:58:11 - 00:10:59:04
Juliet Scott-Croxford
Right.

00:10:59:06 - 00:11:19:02
John Simmerman
So it's, it's it's like from 15 years ago. So it's like the original, you know, sort of line. And you know, I've, I've since, you know, done, done some component replacement on it and fine tuned it and, and everything, but it literally travels everywhere I go. So I just got back from a two week trip to Colorado.

00:11:19:02 - 00:11:49:21
John Simmerman
It was with me. I'm if I'm not in this environment filming, you know, videos. And interviews in this format, I'm on my bike doing on bike interviews and it is my filming equipment, internationally, it's traveled with me over to Europe, multiple times. And, yeah, it was really super fun to be, you know, in London filming, you know, near its birthplace and, and, and then seeing a whole bunch of other folks there.

00:11:49:28 - 00:12:14:16
John Simmerman
But you mentioned family, and I wanted to, you know, kind of point that out is that it was really, really fun to become a part of the Brompton family. I actually helped get a, at the time, a, bike shop in Hawaii established as a Brompton dealer. And you know, Laura and I purchased the first two bikes from him to get that, that established, that shop is no longer in existence.

00:12:14:16 - 00:12:34:05
John Simmerman
So I don't think that, that there is a Brompton dealer on that particular island right now, but, it's neat when you're riding around and you see that sense of family that takes place. Talk a little bit about that, because that doesn't happen with, I don't think, any other brand of bike where he had that sense of family.

00:12:34:07 - 00:12:57:17
Juliet Scott-Croxford
No. And there's a real sense of you're absolutely right. There's a real sense of familiarity globally with, with the Brompton, wherever you are, if you pass someone online, you know, there's a note or there's a ding of your bell, or, you know, if you're at the traffic light, obviously people like to stop and, and talk to you, but I think, I mean, our community is everything.

00:12:57:17 - 00:13:29:22
Juliet Scott-Croxford
And and it's really it's genuinely authentic and organically driven, which I think is what makes it so special. So, you know, I think probably originally it was a bit of a happy accident that this kind of, cult like following built around this, this wonderful, you know, folding product bike and, now we, you know, we distribute across over 40 countries globally.

00:13:29:24 - 00:13:56:07
Juliet Scott-Croxford
And there are, you know, Brompton owners, and what we call, you know, our Brompton community across, you know, all of the key cities across the world. And we have a combination of, we have in the US, about 100 retailers that distributes our, our products. And, you know, some of those are independent bike shops.

00:13:56:07 - 00:14:40:08
Juliet Scott-Croxford
Some of those are large, a kind of national multi store retailers. But the, the, the retailers really know the bike well and they know their city very well and they know their cars. And I think that sense of having somewhere to go and someone talk very familiar. Familiar and kind of expertly on the bike is, is very special, but also for the community, I think there is a sense of kind of relationships that built, particularly through Covid, you know, meetups kind of were self-organized and, people met up and, and a lot of it is, you know, combating loneliness, and just having fun, you know, I think the just riding

00:14:40:08 - 00:15:01:09
Juliet Scott-Croxford
a Brompton with others that know the brand and also have a passion for it, there's so much fun and joy that can be borne out of it when, you know, life is often way too serious. I think. So, yeah, the community is very special. And honestly, it they, they really feed into how we evolve the product and what we do next.

00:15:01:11 - 00:15:29:11
Juliet Scott-Croxford
And, you know, they love to, bespoke their bikes and put little trinkets on it. We do the Brompton World Championships every year. We're doing the next one in Shanghai at the end of this month, which I'm going to be, so yeah, it's just extraordinary to go to some of those larger events and see, you know, how how passionate, and how much of following, the Brompton has, which I don't think you can force.

00:15:29:11 - 00:15:49:07
Juliet Scott-Croxford
I genuinely think it is about, you know, both the quality of the product, the feeling that it brings you, and the stories that, you know, that the community has. But also, I think a sense of sort of belonging, if you like. And in a sense of familiarity wherever you go in the world.

00:15:49:09 - 00:16:10:18
John Simmerman
Yeah. That's fantastic. And, we see that, you know, this is a quick little map. We can zoom in on the map here. This is these are the stores in New York City itself. And we see, the fact that, we've got a gold, star store that's, identified in here. Is that the brown Brompton Junction experience?

00:16:10:18 - 00:16:12:28
John Simmerman
The the the gold star.

00:16:13:00 - 00:16:26:29
Juliet Scott-Croxford
The gold stream that is, where are we looking here? And, so we we have an accreditation. Yeah. So, so we've got, an owned retail store in, Washington DC.

00:16:27:01 - 00:16:28:09
John Simmerman
Okay. Yeah.

00:16:28:09 - 00:16:31:19
Juliet Scott-Croxford
And, we have one on Bleecker Street, which,

00:16:31:22 - 00:16:32:17
John Simmerman
We've just gone there.

00:16:32:17 - 00:16:57:03
Juliet Scott-Croxford
Yeah, exactly. And then we have gold, silver, bronze retailers depending on, the, you know, the, the product that they carry, and the volume they sell and also how they present the product and how they engage with the community and, you know, how they're doing servicing and things like that. So, yeah, we've got an expansive network of retailers across the globe.

00:16:57:06 - 00:17:23:27
Juliet Scott-Croxford
And, about 100 in the US, I would say 50 that are very active, that we're really trying to sort of hone in on, you're looking at your. Oh, yeah. And then, right, we're across about 50 of their doors as well. And, yeah, obviously that's a national retailer. We do still have a retailer in Hawaii, but I don't know what island it's on, actually.

00:17:24:01 - 00:17:24:11
Juliet Scott-Croxford
And, you know.

00:17:24:18 - 00:17:59:06
John Simmerman
Most likely it would be on Oahu. Yeah. 90%, 90% of the population is, on, on Oahu and Honolulu. You and I can talk later about how, I can help sell more bikes there on Island because I find it being one of the best types of flexible bikes. That really goes well with people who also are into boats and sailboats and, and yachts, the ability to, like, roll into a port and then be able to unfold your bike and take off.

00:17:59:06 - 00:18:20:12
John Simmerman
And I think that's just brilliant. Yeah. This particular shop that I'm honing in on here is literally walking distance from my house. And so cool. It's this is my local, bike shop. And I'm able to just walk down there and take a look at it. So I walk down and took a look at the G line. When the G line, was recently, released.

00:18:20:12 - 00:18:41:26
John Simmerman
This is you are rolling along, the waterfront here, with the G line. This is pretty special because this is like a step beyond what we typically think about when we think about a Brompton. Walk us through the decision to do the G line. And what is the real market that we're looking to achieve with this bike?

00:18:41:29 - 00:19:10:14
Juliet Scott-Croxford
Yeah, I mean it's definitely our most versatile bike yet. So it was really designed to go beyond just the city and allow, anyone to go off road and on trails and it's got obviously thicker, stable tires. It's got a 20 inch wheels, it's eight speed. The sizing is slightly different. So it comes in small, medium, large, hydraulic disc brakes.

00:19:10:16 - 00:19:32:06
Juliet Scott-Croxford
It's it's it. Anyone that rides it is that good. It just feels like a regular bike. And it's really intended to kind of go that bit further. And, you know, you can take it on gravel, I think for this market, certainly for, some the barrier of the 16 inch wheel and people not seeing themselves on that, was a bit of a challenge.

00:19:32:06 - 00:19:56:01
Juliet Scott-Croxford
So I think this is really opened us up to also lean more into that recreational market as well of people that may want to throw throw the bike in the back of their car and go off an adventure at the weekend, with a friend or a loved one, and explore trails or, gravel. So it's really intended to be that much more versatile.

00:19:56:03 - 00:20:21:03
Juliet Scott-Croxford
And then this month we've also just launched our G line electric, which, is a really special, e-bike. I'd say it's an e-bike first, but actually it happens two fold. And that's fantastic. And actually, that's the first one that we've built to a US spec. So it's at 20, 20mph rather than 15, UL certified, from a battery point of view.

00:20:21:06 - 00:20:26:09
Juliet Scott-Croxford
So that's been incredibly exciting to see, launch in this market.

00:20:26:12 - 00:20:42:05
John Simmerman
Yeah, yeah. And we've got that on screen right now and we can see that, it looks like it's coming in at a base price of, of 4950 currently out of stock. But that's probably because you probably sold out of your first run of them. I would say you're absolutely right.

00:20:42:05 - 00:21:06:09
Juliet Scott-Croxford
We did season it, which is a nice problem to have. And yeah, we've got, we've got more incoming. So and then, a number of retailers across the country also have have these in their stores as well. So, you can look on the store locator on the website and find, a retailer near you, if you want to go and test, ride test.

00:21:06:09 - 00:21:06:21
Juliet Scott-Croxford
Yeah.

00:21:06:23 - 00:21:45:11
John Simmerman
And they may they may actually have one in stock. This is the online, store that we were just looking at there. So, that's very, very exciting. I can't wait to give the g line a try. Honestly, I have found over the last 15 years with my Brompton that it handles remarkably well on, gravel roads and natural surface roads, and I've even joked in saying, yeah, I'm going to take it on, you know, the pump track and the and the kids, bike parks because I especially so many years of riding and I'm very, very confident and competent on it.

00:21:45:13 - 00:22:03:03
John Simmerman
And I just find that it's, it's deceptively stable for those 16 inch wheels. A lot of times you mentioned it's kind of the perception of people feeling like and not seeing themselves. I find it to be like riding any other bike. And since I'm oftentimes yeah.

00:22:03:05 - 00:22:32:01
Juliet Scott-Croxford
I do too. I mean, I my go to ride is that full speed line. Because I commute into Grand Central and then I'm whipping around New York and Brooklyn. And it's incredibly light. And it's fast. And so for me, you know, when you're kind of walking up and down the stairs at the train station and, throwing it above, above your head on the train and things like that, that that's, a really sort of easy one for me.

00:22:32:03 - 00:22:50:03
Juliet Scott-Croxford
But I do I, I, I agree, I think if you're used to it, that barrier is less of a thing. I think the intention with the G line was really to kind of break out and appeal to people that wouldn't necessarily think of Brompton as something for them. And it sort of has that extra stability, with it.

00:22:50:03 - 00:23:19:17
Juliet Scott-Croxford
But, yeah, it's an interesting one. I, it's definitely sort of trying to reach a new audience. And I think given that sort of, you know, recreational audience that we have in, in the US as well, and particularly in cities, you know, some of the more hilly, mountainous cities like Denver or Boulder or, Park City and, and, you know, the northwest, like Seattle and Portland and San Fran.

00:23:19:17 - 00:23:32:09
Juliet Scott-Croxford
I think it's just it's just a really great addition to our catalog, if you like. And it sort of starts to sort of go beyond, just about being a commuter bike.

00:23:32:12 - 00:23:52:18
John Simmerman
I like that, too, because, you know, that that point that you're making, that you're kind of leaning in on this being the sort of like the it's like a, an electric bike first, you know, or folding bike second. Or you know, this concept of, of being able to say, hey, yeah, you're going to be able to extend your range, get up some of those steep hills.

00:23:52:24 - 00:24:16:04
John Simmerman
And that's really what we're seeing, in the bike industry. And what I'm seeing in, communities globally is we're seeing the electric assist as being just a barrier, breaker and taking away friction points for people who would not otherwise ride. Suddenly they're like, oh, I can do this, I can this opens up my world for me.

00:24:16:04 - 00:24:23:25
John Simmerman
And I can do this, this trip now. And I think that's really, really exciting for the future. And it's great to see Brompton getting into that game.

00:24:23:28 - 00:24:49:21
Juliet Scott-Croxford
Yeah, 100%. And I think, you know, the the folding bike makes commuting easier by letting by letting people bike part of their journey and then fold the bike, you know, whether it's for public transit or office storage or whatever. And I think, you know, it reduces that burden of needing to find somewhere to park or store or lock it up and then be, you know, worried about theft or safety or, you know, time.

00:24:49:21 - 00:25:17:13
Juliet Scott-Croxford
You know, I think it's a real convenience factor as well. But there's this amazing stat that many the daily daily trips in the US, like the majority of them are under three miles the that the majority of car trips. So I think if a if a Brompton or you know anybody can make these quick trips convenient, even with train delays or busted with it, it really does make sense.

00:25:17:13 - 00:25:41:17
Juliet Scott-Croxford
And I think in us introducing the electric model, the intention there was to help riders tackle longer commutes or more hilly terrain or, you know, make cycling a more realistic alternative to driving, to reduce that kind of car dependency in cities. But as you know, I think there are some cities that are really starting to embrace it in this country.

00:25:41:17 - 00:25:59:08
Juliet Scott-Croxford
And I think there's probably some cities that, less likely to embrace it. You know, when you kind of compare it to some of the European cities or Asian cities. But, I think there are some cities that have made some fantastic progress. This is still a long way to go, you know?

00:25:59:15 - 00:26:26:16
John Simmerman
Yeah, yeah. But and what are the things that I try to emphasize too, is that when, a bicycle brand can, like, create products that really address the needs of people who are not already riding currently? That's a huge market, because when we look at the the data, the stats, you know, it's somewhere between 50 and 70% of people, you know, say that they would ride if it felt safer to do so.

00:26:26:23 - 00:27:02:08
John Simmerman
And so, you know, it's like that partnership of, of building a product that can help with some of those three mile routes of shorter car trips and so having a functional, pragmatic option for mobility and then having safer environments within the communities, and that's kind of gets back to what Will and I were talking about there at velocity was that concept of, of really trying to help embrace and help, support cities to try to transform their built environments into safer, more inviting environments.

00:27:02:14 - 00:27:27:03
John Simmerman
It's going to be good for everybody. It's a win win win all the way around, including, you know, bike builders that are building wonderful, comfortable, pragmatic. I like to say comfortable upright bicycles. That, you know, you can wear your normal clothing in and and make it to your destination. You're dressing for your destination, not your journey.

00:27:27:06 - 00:28:02:04
Juliet Scott-Croxford
Yeah. No. Absolutely. And I think also there's that real obvious benefit that we feel and experience through writing, our prompt and, and you know, not just from a, I guess, convenience factor, but also from a happiness and health factor. And I think when you when you aggregate that data for a city, there's some extraordinary stats, around how it can help reduce chronic stress and mental health and you know, how it can combat loneliness.

00:28:02:04 - 00:28:27:04
Juliet Scott-Croxford
And, you know, when you're looking at some of the data, from that recent major report around the physical activity decline and in use in this country. And, you know, 70, I think it's something like 70 more than 70% of kids don't meet daily physical activity recommendations. And I think the US kids ranked 47th out of 50 countries in aerobics, fitness.

00:28:27:04 - 00:28:51:12
Juliet Scott-Croxford
And, you know, there's, you know, we've got a challenge with diabetes. And, you just kind of start to aggregate all of that data. I'm not sure we've done the best job, but then articulating it for me, you know, what are the health benefits and the economic benefits of creating better cycling infrastructure and encouraging people to move in this way?

00:28:51:14 - 00:29:15:08
John Simmerman
Yeah, I like to, you know, point to to this and say that, you know, it's it's not just one thing. It's not the public health benefit. It's not just one thing. It's not the the benefit to the environment and climate change. It's it's like it's beneficial across the entire spectrum of things. And you mentioned it earlier, you know, addressing some of the loneliness epidemic, issues that we have.

00:29:15:08 - 00:29:40:08
John Simmerman
And we do see that in communities that, embrace cycling and active mobility at high levels. We see that level of of cohesiveness within communities. There's like the familiar stranger that you run into on your bike commute that you just kind of like to a head nod or whatever, a wave. And it's like it's it's it. It helps combat the loneliness aspect of of what we're at.

00:29:40:15 - 00:30:03:16
John Simmerman
And we do see that level of of intervention or interaction that we have within people who are riding bikes. And, there's been some great, data out of the Netherlands that look at the fact that you have all this sort of body language communication that's happening out there. I want to go back to this, this image that we had up earlier, which is the the Brompton lines.

00:30:03:16 - 00:30:19:12
John Simmerman
Now, earlier you mentioned the T line. We were just talking about the G line. Mine is an old one. So it's similar to the C line. But why don't you just walk through each of these real quickly of, you know, the lines of Brompton that are out there and right now.

00:30:19:15 - 00:30:46:17
Juliet Scott-Croxford
Yeah. No. Absolutely. So, so I'll go from left to right. So you see line is our classic, original, fold if you like. So, that is, steel. It also comes in electric. It comes in the widest range of different colorways as well. And all of them have kind of three, different handlebar types. So low, medium and high.

00:30:46:19 - 00:31:24:09
Juliet Scott-Croxford
Obviously all of them fold in under 20s so that the fold is the kind of the consistent thing throughout, all of these, and yeah, I'd say see line is kind of our, the original, if you like, which is the one that you have, I think, John, by the sounds of it. And then we have the g line, which we just talked about, which is our larger wheel, 20 inch, really designed to kind of be more versatile and go beyond the city and, you know, go on trails and gravel t liners all are all titanium.

00:31:24:11 - 00:31:53:10
Juliet Scott-Croxford
So that happens to be obviously a lot, lot lighter. So it's, around 15 pounds and that comes in a four speed and a 12 speed. Then you've got your, the P line, which is lighter weight than the C line. So if you kind of thing. Okay. C line and then p line. So some aspects of it are titanium but it's, it's super light but not quite as light as the T line.

00:31:53:12 - 00:32:17:08
Juliet Scott-Croxford
And again, that comes in a four and a 12 speed and also an electric. And then A-line is our entry level model. So we start retailing at around, I think it's 11 1250, 1300 a thing. And so A-line is kind of your starter starter, one if you like. And then it goes up from there.

00:32:17:11 - 00:32:40:24
Juliet Scott-Croxford
And then obviously we have the electric. We have actually just announced, our upgrade on our electric models for our C line. P line. And so you seem to be T line as well. So that's exciting. And it will be, in market in the US at the end of January. So yeah, those are the lines, obviously all have that kind of unique fold to it.

00:32:40:29 - 00:32:44:20
Juliet Scott-Croxford
Yeah, I don't do in the same way. But yeah.

00:32:44:22 - 00:33:01:23
John Simmerman
That's fabulous. Well, as somebody who's turned 60 years old and who's been looking at my, my, my, my c line for many, many years, that 15 pounds of the T line sounds very, very attractive. That's, that's a, an extraordinary accomplishment, I think.

00:33:01:25 - 00:33:33:00
Juliet Scott-Croxford
Yeah. No it is and the innovation is extraordinary with it. I mean, I think the more the more you talk to people and understand, you know, what the what the benefits, of the bike, the weight comes up a lot. And, and it is that kind of combination of, portability and power. And I think obviously layering and electric, the power aspect is incredibly important, but we don't want to do that.

00:33:33:00 - 00:33:56:08
Juliet Scott-Croxford
We don't want to compromise the portability, too much. So, yeah, this is the T line that you're seeing now on the screen. And I think it's, it's, it's it's the one I, right, the, the most and I absolutely love it. And I think actually, it feels like, you know, it worked very works very well for New York City.

00:33:56:11 - 00:34:14:04
Juliet Scott-Croxford
That's actually my commute in the morning going over that bridge. And then, yeah, that comes in a four and a 12 speed. But I find for like a city that's fairly flat, I, full speed works for me. I think if I was in San Francisco, I'd probably want a 12 speed, but yeah.

00:34:14:06 - 00:34:39:22
John Simmerman
That was going to be my question for you. So my, you know, original, the classic is I have this the six speed and I have it geared 12% lower so that I can carry the heavy loads, you know, because when I'm traveling, I typically when I take off traveling, like, this summer, when you and I were trying to coordinate in New York City, I was traveling by Brompton and Amtrak, and so I was hitting multiple cities.

00:34:39:22 - 00:35:05:25
John Simmerman
I've got all my luggage, I attach all my luggage to the Brompton, get off the train, go to my hotel or my Airbnb or wherever I'm staying, you know, attending the conferences and doing, you know, profiles of cities, whatnot. So I found that having that 12% lower gearing was fantastic with six gears. It sounds like the titanium with 12 gears is going to totally meet my needs.

00:35:05:28 - 00:35:22:06
Juliet Scott-Croxford
Yeah, I would have thought so. I would have thought so. And we do the 12 speed and CP and T, so, you know, you could try you could try all of them. And P is obviously a bit lighter than the one that you've got. Obviously with a bit more gearing it will add to it. It will add a little bit of weight.

00:35:22:06 - 00:35:51:03
Juliet Scott-Croxford
But I would have thought so. Yeah. I would encourage you to do a demo on the 12 speed t line. Maybe, because it is, it is super fun. And as you know, I mean, you can attest to this. Traveling with them is super easy. You know, you can, throw it in the overhead bin if you're flying or check it in, and it's a joy to be able to come out of a train station or a airport and just be able to unfold and go.

00:35:51:05 - 00:36:01:15
Juliet Scott-Croxford
And I think that's the other thing, is the attachments that come with it, like the accessories in the bags, because you can actually fit quite a lot in those, in those bags that clip on the front of the bike.

00:36:01:17 - 00:36:27:04
John Simmerman
Yeah, yeah. In fact, I tell people, you know, a, I do produce some videos about traveling with my Brompton and how I accomplish that. So I encourage people to go to my Brompton playlist. You can see how I've packed my bags. I am working currently working on a more detailed version of how I actually travel by train and by plane with my Brompton, and so that that is forthcoming.

00:36:27:07 - 00:36:49:18
John Simmerman
But I also point out that, you know, I'm not traveling light. Laura, my my partner, you know, she jokes with me. She's like, you are not a light traveler. And I'm like, no, I'm not. I'm carrying a whole bunch of camera gear with me because I've got just not only my camera gear, my cameras, but I also have all my wireless lavalier microphones that are, you know, out there producing this stuff.

00:36:49:18 - 00:36:54:00
John Simmerman
And I tell people it's it's a workhorse. It's it's a fantastic.

00:36:54:00 - 00:36:54:19
Juliet Scott-Croxford
Absolutely.

00:36:54:21 - 00:36:56:08
John Simmerman
Bike for this purpose. Yeah.

00:36:56:10 - 00:37:22:28
Juliet Scott-Croxford
And I think that is part of the appeal. It's the you know, most people do their research before choosing a Brompton because it's not you know, it's it's on the higher end from a price point point of view. However, the, you know, when you start to understand the way it's made and, you know, there is a lot of aspects of it which are literally, you know, handmade in London.

00:37:23:01 - 00:37:53:28
Juliet Scott-Croxford
It's not it's not manufactured in, you know, in a, in a low cost manufacturing market. It's actually, you know, in London, which is one of the more expensive places to manufacture, and our factories in west London, in Greenford. So, you know, beyond Ealing and out, as though you're going towards Heathrow Airport, but we've got such an elite team of engineers and braises that, you know, ensure every detail is, is is, focused on and not overlooked.

00:37:53:28 - 00:38:25:07
Juliet Scott-Croxford
And I think, you know, whether it's from the ingenious folding system or the accessories that attach in the panniers, but, yeah, I mean, you you also know when you're doing your research that the quality of it and you've got the seven year warranty, it's a, it's a product that lasts you a lifetime. And you can also, you know, it's relatively easy to maintain and, you know, a lot of people I speak to, I've had this for 30 years.

00:38:25:14 - 00:38:42:25
Juliet Scott-Croxford
So I like to kind of think about it as actually it's a sort of something that lives with you in grace, with you. And, as we're still, you know, making sure that when we're having kids and things, they know how to ride a bike, I like kind of thing. Okay, you know, when am I sons going to have their first Brompton?

00:38:42:25 - 00:38:58:27
Juliet Scott-Croxford
And maybe I'll hand hand one of mine down to them. But yeah, I think that quality piece, when you start to research it, it's whilst it's not whilst it's quite expensive if you like actually it's good value for money. It's an investment choice.

00:38:59:00 - 00:39:28:08
John Simmerman
Yeah, yeah. And we're looking at some video here of the actual manufacturing process. And you will and I talked a little bit about, you know, the ethic and the, the commitment that the company has to sustainability and you just mentioned there that these things are built to last. And so it is assumed that this is going to be passed down to the next person or, you know, whether I, you know, sell mine to somebody who's I've already had multiple people say, when are you going to sell yours and buy a new one?

00:39:28:10 - 00:39:50:15
John Simmerman
So I want it. But talk a little bit about that, that ethic that you all have as a company to, sustainability and the environmental approach and, and really how your company is structured to being good stewards, you know, within the industry and within the global business market, too.

00:39:50:18 - 00:40:13:24
Juliet Scott-Croxford
Yeah. I mean, we're certified B Corp. So we certified, as a B Corp, a few years ago. And that, I mean, anyone that's gone through that process knows that, you know, you it's very data driven. So you have to demonstrate where you are and you get a score, but you also have to maintain your score because you get, restored, every, every couple of years.

00:40:13:24 - 00:40:45:03
Juliet Scott-Croxford
So, that notion of us not being just for profit, but also for the people in the planet, is incredibly important. I would say the sustainability aspect of, of what we stand for is, is very much in built in the DNA of the company and the DNA of the product. But I think what the B Corp does is really keeps you honest and true with, with that mission.

00:40:45:06 - 00:41:13:00
Juliet Scott-Croxford
And it has, you know, forced us to really look at everything through, you know, our supply chain and logistics and, we're by no means perfect, but you also identify, okay, where can we improve? And I think with that notion of who they're built to last. So we're not trying to, be sort of mass consumerism.

00:41:13:02 - 00:41:40:28
Juliet Scott-Croxford
You know, many owners report that their bikes function well, well beyond 20 years. And the frame is extremely durable. But I also think one of the things that we've done and we've really driven from this market is our renewed program. So obviously, as a retailer, you naturally get, returns and you get damaged products. But there's, there's it might be a blemish or a scratch.

00:41:40:28 - 00:42:10:12
Juliet Scott-Croxford
There's really nothing wrong with it or we have, you know, very expert mechanics that and retailers that know how to rebuild or refurbish a bike. So, to your point about, you know, when are you going to sell it? The second hand market, is actually quite hot from ten. And our renewed program was really designed to refurbish bikes, and, sell them, obviously at a slightly lower discount.

00:42:10:15 - 00:42:31:05
Juliet Scott-Croxford
Some around I think under a thousand. But that was really designed to kind of, you know, from every use and sort of circular point of view so that we're not wasting, product. So that kind of, I think really speaks to the sort of core of, what we stand for as well, from a sustainability point of view.

00:42:31:07 - 00:43:00:23
John Simmerman
I love that it's the whole recycle bike mantra of, yeah, let's, let's do the and I will, you know, and I'll say this to folks, you know, bike parts do wear out over time. And yeah, I completely rebuilt my Brompton, two summers ago prior to my 2024, European tour. Or know just after because people were teasing me about I had a squeak in there and I had to replace my pivot bolt, at the Brompton Junction in Amsterdam.

00:43:00:29 - 00:43:33:02
John Simmerman
And so I got that squeak done. But that was like a sign to me that, yeah, you probably, you know, this has been like 13 years, you probably need to rebuild this bike. And I did. So that was fantastic. Is there anything that we haven't discussed yet that you want to share with the audience about the Brompton and how versatile this is for, you know, people around the globe, you know, in terms of, you know, helping with what we were talking about earlier shifts, some of those trips that could easily be shifted to a bike.

00:43:33:02 - 00:43:52:24
Juliet Scott-Croxford
Yeah. I think I think all I would say is, if anyone's on the fence, like, you know, it's something that they've maybe considered they might do, but they're not quite sure. I would encourage people to test ride one. And, we do do a program called Brompton Burro, which is kind of a longer test ride.

00:43:52:24 - 00:44:19:21
Juliet Scott-Croxford
So you can take the bike home with you and really experience living with it. And we do that out of, Washington DC junction store as well. But I would, I would really encourage people to go to any retailer that, that sells Brompton and, and do a test ride and really try it out because I think that gives you a really good feel for how you can live with it and how it rides.

00:44:19:21 - 00:44:51:00
Juliet Scott-Croxford
But also if there's any intimidation around, you know, how to fold it or anything like that, you can overcome that as well. So I would say if you're on the fence about it, give it a go and test ride. You know, you don't have to commit. But I think, I think that that would be, my one bit of advice and then, yeah, I mean, I can just sort of talk from my own experience of that the days that I bike into the office, I genuinely feel, happier and more productive and more focused.

00:44:51:00 - 00:45:10:28
Juliet Scott-Croxford
So, and I think as a life hack, I love the fact that I'm managing to integrate some exercise into my commute time, particularly, you know, if you're a busy parent and professional and, you know, I think it is it's a it's one of the best kept secrets in terms of a life hack, a daily life hack.

00:45:11:01 - 00:45:23:03
John Simmerman
Yeah. Fantastic. I love it, I love it. Juliette Scott Crawford, thank you so much for joining me on the Active Towns podcast. This has been absolutely fabulous. And,

00:45:23:05 - 00:45:24:09
Juliet Scott-Croxford
Very nice to meet you.

00:45:24:11 - 00:45:27:00
John Simmerman
Yeah. I can't wait to ride with you in person.

00:45:27:02 - 00:45:31:21
Juliet Scott-Croxford
Me too. Me too. We'll, we'll we'll get on our bikes together next time. We have to do that.

00:45:31:22 - 00:45:48:06
John Simmerman
Hey, everyone. Thank you so much for tuning in. I hope you enjoyed this episode with Juliette Scott Oxford. And if you did, please say give it a thumbs up. Leave a comment down below and share it with a friend. And if you haven't done so already, be honored to have you subscribed to the channel. Just click on the subscribe button down below and ring that notification bell.

00:45:48:11 - 00:46:12:15
John Simmerman
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00:46:12:20 - 00:46:36:17
John Simmerman
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00:46:36:17 - 00:46:57:12
John Simmerman
Or you can buy me a coffee. Well, that's it for now. So until next time, this is John signing off by wishing you much activity, health and happiness. Cheers. And again, just want to send a huge thank you to all my Active Towns Ambassadors supporting your channel financially via YouTube memberships YouTube super! Thanks. As well as making contributions to the nonprofit and joining my Patreon.

00:46:57:19 - 00:47:02:03
John Simmerman
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