You might recall me mentioning that bike I commute with. The one I folded up in 10 seconds and popped into a suitcase and brought on the plane with me to Aspen, and that I think is so wonderful? The Brompton? Well, there was a nice article in the Observer about its inventor, Andrew Ritchie, this Sunday. It's a very well known type of story: The obsessive and eccentric British inventor, unable to sell his wonderful design and idea. Gets his friends and family to fund his tinkerings with the prototype in the bedroom....We've all been there!
Except that, for a change, it paid off. Several people fall in love with the thing and buy it. It works wonderfully and makes sense. Reading what he says in the interview (coupled with the fact that the interview is in the newspaper's business section) it seems that he's looking to sell the company. So much for the "mom and pop" TLC treatment of every customer.... What's the betting it won't be a British company shortly? Sigh. -cvj
