Mountain biker wins 24ct-gold Brompton
A 24-year-old mountain biker from Woking has won a 24-ct gold Brompton bicycle in a prize draw.
Computer software developer Joseph Swallow was offered the chance to enter the prize draw in September last year when he got an online quote for cycle insurance at ilovemybike.co.uk
The cycle insurance company commissioned the one-off, 24ct-gold bike to publicise the forty per cent discount they offer on all folding bicycles (as an example, a £600 Brompton would cost £37.80 to insure for a year).
Joseph is new to folding bicycles – he currently rides a Specialized Rock Hopper and a Kona Paddy Wagon
How was the gold bike made?
The bike started life as a stock Brompton S2L, which was stripped down, polished, plated in copper and finally covered in 24ct gold (the plating company that undertook the work buys gold from small artisanal mines in order to minimise its environmental impact).
The bar-mounted selector has been replaced by a specially fabricated jockey shift gear change with a pool ball on top.
All cables are gold braid, the spoke nipples are gold. The plastic fittings you use to secure the folding frame have been replaced with stop cock handles.
Gold-plated cycle insurance
At no extra cost, every cycle insurance policy from ilovemybike.co.uk includes new-for-old replacement and accidental damage (race events included), third party insurance, personal accident cover and if you breakdown, they will even come out and recover you and your bike (this service alone costs £35 a year when bought separately).
