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Brompton Factory Tour

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One Millionth Brompton Tour

Bromptons have been on millions of epic journeys across the world. Now, we're ready to take the millionth Brompton on the most epic journey of all: from coast to coast, Atlantic to Pacific... follow along as we ride through some of our favourite global cities.

We'll ride through each city, meet our community and host local events. Exploring the culture and love for cycling everywhere we go! We kicked off our One Millionth Brompton Tour on 2 March 2023.

Check out our USA recap here!

Keep reading where we've been so far, and where we're going next.

London: 15 March 2023

We celebrated hitting the big 1,000,000 with friends of Brompton at our Junction store in Covent Garden. Later in the evening we held an insightful and passionate panel to discuss how we can re-imagine cities and change the future of transport.

Milan: 23 - 24 March 2023

The bike then spent some time at our Junction store in Milan, where our all could come and see it in all of its glory - before finally traveling down to Rome to visit our friends at Zio Bici - who are displaying the bike and hosting a group ride in celebration of our one-million-strong community!

Valencia: 21 April 2023

Hamburg: 9 May 2023

Berlin 10-11 May 2023

What better occasion could there have been than to combine the birthday of our CEO Will Butler-Adams with the arrival of the millionth Brompton in Germany's capital?

Munich 15 May 2023

Last stop in Germany for the time being: Munich! The starting point for the Munich Community Ride was our Junction Store. There the bike could be admired, ridden and photographed all day.

The community ride then took us along the river Isar, the Eisbach surf wave, through the English Garden and along Königsplatz. A wonderful conclusion to our first three tour stops in Germany where of course the obligatory pretzel and wheat beer were not to be missed.

Netherlands 19-24 May 2023

A journey through the Netherlands! Farm to table feasting, community ride outs & more… Continuing its extraordinary journey around the globe, the Brompton One Millionth bike rolled into Brompton Junction in Amsterdam, captivating passers-by from its window display and drawing visitors from across the city and beyond!

Paris 19 May - 14 June 2023

Bienvenue en France! The One Millionth Brompton was showcased to the French public for the first time at the "Velo in Paris" consumer show the 27-29th May. The Brompton community came together for a memorable group ride around the beautiful city of Paris.

The One Millionth Brompton has landed in Asia at its first stop - Beijing. Brompton joined forces with WallpaperSTORE* to create an immersive exhibition for the bike and the brand, incorporating the symbolic number "1,000,000" to establish a playful connection between Brompton and Beijing.

Highlighting eight different sections with the brand history and complete product line, we celebrated the Asian debut of Archive Edition, displaying the three Archive colours. A corner of Brompton's London Factory was also recreated in the exhibition!

There was a myriad of inspirations for a cycling lifestyle. As owners rode their Brompton bikes to and from the exhibition, they became a vibrant part of the urban landscape. Visualising their perceptions and memories of people, life and biking through a variety of colours.

The community were invited to share their own ‘1 out of 1,000,000’ colour to Brompton. The Brompton community from Beijing united in celebration of this special and marvellous "riding" moment!

Hong Kong: 11 - 13 July 2023

Led by our enthusiastic Hong Kong Brompton community, the One Millionth Brompton whizzed through various iconic landmarks and made pitstops at our dealers in Hong Kong and Macau over three days. The bike’s first pit stop was MT Biker and Brompton Station. 

The One Millionth Brompton then made its way to The Clock Tower, the only remnant of the original site of the former Kowloon station. We caught captivating views of the endless skyline at Star Ferry Pier, Tsim Sha Tsui, and stopped over at our retailers: MCBC, Bull Bike, and Flying Ball HK.  

Crossing over by ferry, the One Millionth Brompton then travelled to further landmarks and Victosports, our retailer in Macau.  

We were greatly heartened to see the community of passionate Brompton owners and to leave our distinct Brompton footprint on Hong Kong’s vibrant mosaic of cultural tapestry. 

Singapore: 19 - 23 July 2023

Singapore saw the largest community ride in the One Millionth Brompton Bike world tour – with a spectacular turn-out of more than 400 Brompton owners, to celebrate the arrival of the One Millionth Brompton Bike!  

Displaying the One Millionth Brompton, along with MK1 and four Archive Edition bikes in Funan Mall’s Atrium Space for five days, we ended our last day with the ultimate highlight – the community ride-out.  

We took a spin along Singapore’s bay area, from Marina Bay Sands to our Brompton Junction at Funan. It was a sight to behold with each Brompton owner riding their unique Brompton – and we loved watching our strong and passionate community come together, decked out in different colours.  

Our Archive Edition bikes showcased in Funan came in historical colours Baby Pink, Arctic Blue and Apple Green. But the cherry on top for all Brompton enthusiasts was certainly the launch of the APAC-exclusive series: the two-tone Apple Green with Arctic Blue bike.   

The Brompton team also seized the opportunity to thank the Brompton community’s unwavering support, before revisiting and reaffirming our company's purpose to create urban freedom for happier lives. We marked this historic event, by pasting the exclusive Singapore city sticker onto the One Millionth Brompton. 

Together with local celebrities and industry heavyweights, our Brompton One Millionth Singapore event banded the #AllTogetherDifferent Brompton community. 

29 July - 5 August 2023

Annyeonghasaeyo! The One Millionth Brompton arrived in Seoul, South Korea for its next stop in late August and it was celebrated with the wonderful Wecle store team in Yeouido, the ‘Wall Street’ of Korea. The event showcased unique Korean history and how, together with Brompton, our lives are happier and different from the usual mundane urban life.

Over 150 Brompton riders from our community came together to celebrate how we are “All Together Different”, and enjoyed a ride from the iconic Seoul landmark of Gwanghwamun Square to Wecle Yeouido, one of the best places for Brompton riders in South Korea.

 The event was an opportunity for Brompton friends from all over the country to meet up and share their experiences. Not only for those in attendance, but it was also an opportunity for all Brompton riders in South Korea to celebrate our “All Together Different” Brompton lifestyles with hundreds of Instagram photos with Bromptons in different places that represent all aspects of the country as a part of the campaign.

Australia 

9th december 2023 - 20th january 2024.

A bit of wet weather wasn’t enough to dampen the spirits of everyone who turned out to help celebrate the One Millionth Brompton!    From as near as “just down the road” to as far away as Brunei, our group was as diverse as our Bromptons. After a short welcoming speech from our store manager, Dayna, forty-one riders then formed up and rode a lap of nearby Princes Park.

We were joined by the British High Commissioner to Australia, Ms Vicki Treadell and Consul-General to Melbourne, Mr Steph Lysaght who not only participated in the ride, but acted as impartial judges in selecting the Most Dapper and Most Elegant prize winners. Congratulations to Joy and Liz respectively!   Everyone in attendance received a coveted sticker and badge to commemorate the One Millionth Brompton's visit. 

The One Millionth Brompton made it's way to Sydney, with a ride out led by our Sydney dealer Omafiets.

On a balmy afternoon in late January, we led a beautiful shop ride around Sydney to celebrate the Millionth Brompton.

Starting in the leafy backstreets of Alexandria, a large group of customers and shop staff set out to see the city's sights with our Bromptons in tow. We took the scenic route along the harbour at Barangaroo Reserve, stopping for a stunning photo op near the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House.

Retracing our steps back up through the city, we wrapped up at the bike friendly York Lane Bar for some light refreshments, good times, and prizes!

We handed out awards for the most beautiful brompton, the best modded Brompton, and more. It was awesome to see so many Bromptoneers coming together to celebrate these incredible bikes.

The Millionth Brompton arrived in Adelaide ready for a roll out under sunny blue skies, headed up by Dave, the owner of Treadly Bike Shop.

The 35km route took in city alley ways past sandstone buildings, open roads and bike paths through open park ways heading for the final destination; the suburb of Brompton. 

After a quick pit stop for refreshments, the riders wound through the industrial old part of the city before hitting the parklands and following the River Torrens back into the city center.

There we visited the Local Loops Bike Punks pop-up; the Tour Down Under collaboration between Brompton Australia and Pedla, the Melbourne biking apparel company.

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The Brompton Story

Andrew Ritchie was a young engineer who thrived on solving problems. When he moved to London, he decided there must be a better way of moving around.

In 1975, in the bedroom of his flat overlooking the Brompton Oratory, he invented a bike with an ingenious 3-part fold. A lightweight vehicle that transformed into a small locked package in under 20 seconds. A bike that you could take anywhere. A ‘magic carpet for the city'.

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Miracles are handmade: Brompton factory tour

All recent months we’ve been tortured by the question “On what bikes do we go?”

We talked to many travelers in blogs and forums, took all kinds of bicycles for test-drive, posted a poll, and finally Tasha went to England, where she held cycling tests on the long and bustling streets of London. That put an end to all doubts – our journey is to be held on Brompton bikes!

About this bicycles you can read on “Our bicycles” page, and now we would like to tell you about how and where they are made. Very few global bike brands still manufactured in their city of origin. Tasha got a rare chance to visit Brompton factory and to share with you a story of this amazing bikes!

Brompton’s office is in the same building with the factory – on the second floor. But this is not the only thing which unites management and production.

Every new member of office staff undergoes a one month induction process where they work within almost all departments of the business. Part of this includes working on the factory floor and even brazing. Even for girls, yep! So, every member of Brompton team actually does make bicycles by him/herself! This is my Brompton guide Mike from the marketing department – he did that, too =)

This is a small Brompton museum, situated on the stairs between factory and office.

The first one was thrown away and possibly ended up on one of the London’s junkyards… Perhaps, these days Mr. Ritchie couldn’t even think of his upcoming success. Among the documents on the walls of the museum you may find letters from well-known British bike brands, who refused to produce Andrews invention and by this encouraged him on opening his own manufacture. Isn’t it a great example of how failures come for good, if you don’t give up? By the way, we also sent the same companies a proposal to support our project and got polite refusals – but not from Brompton =)

Well, let’s go back to the factory. The first thing – is to get a badge and special safety shoes.

The motto of Brompton is “Handmade in England; build to last” – and it’s true! All of the Brompton bike is made by people, not by machines. I literally put my hand to the process and sent for further processing a detail, in which it is still difficult to recognize a part of a bike =)

Nope, it’s a brazer! What’s the difference? Here’s an explanation from Will Butler-Adams, Managing Director of Brompton LTD: “On traditional industries bicycle parts are connected by welding, and we use brazing. We use this type of soldering when the two parts of the same metal are joined togther by an entirely different metal – we use brass. And because of this we can use a lower temperature during operation.Because of the high temperature metal becomes brittle – so, the lower the temperature, the stronger the bike frame is. At low temperatures we can use thinner metal – which makes the bike more lightweight”.

I’ve already told you that every member of Brompton team goes through this brazing job. But real professionals deserve some special attention. Could I ever think that I will write about the art of brazing? Not unless I saw this:

I also took part, as you can see from the very first picture in this post )

Every specialist has a check-list, where he puts their personal signature on every step of assembly to guarantee its quality! But still the last step is the final inspection. The Inspector makes more than a 100 checks to make sure that nothing is overlooked! This attention to details makes Brompton error rate only 0,2%, while on conventional manufactures it is 2%!

The picture shows how the Inspector, who also put his signature on the check-list, is passing the bike to a packer…

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Design Circle Event SOLD OUT

Brompton Bike Factory Private Tour

A private tour of the Brompton Bike Factory exclusively for Design Museum supporters.

Tickets are now sold out

What to expect

The unique Brompton folding bike was designed and built in London in 1975 by Design Museum Founding Patron, Andrew Ritchie, in his flat in South Kensington. Still based in London today, Brompton makes over 45,000 bikes per year which are exported to more than 45 countries. Join us for an insightful tour of the factory in Greenford to discover the fascinating history and making of the UK’s largest bike manufacturer.

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Please be aware this event will be taking place off-site at:

Brompton Factory and Headquarters

Ockham Drive

London UB6 0FD

Due to the nature of the tour, late arrivals will not be admitted , and comfortable closed-toe shoes must be worn.

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The Brompton Folding Bicycle: A Factory Visit

I have a friend who owns a Brompton bicycle. When I meet him for a coffee, he invariably arrives at the cafe on his Brompton. He speaks lovingly about his travelling companion in the same way that I speak about my own bicycle, Reggie. People think that I am strange having a bicycle with a name (although I am not the only one out there…) and when I see my Brompton-loving friend I have to say that I think he is a bit strange for having chosen one. He even takes his folding friend with him when he travels abroad… Bromptons are just for the fanatics, no?

A couple of months ago, I published an article here about the growth of ‘bicycle culture’ in the UK . It made mention of Brompton bikes and, as a result of that post, I was contacted by the Brompton Bicycle Company . Did I want to come and visit their factory? Well, if nothing else, it would be an opportunity to find out a little more about the bicycles that I had previously categorised as (to say the least) idiosyncratic. So, last Tuesday, I boarded the train for London, destination Kew Bridge (or was it Brentford? Kew does sound better…) and the Brompton Bicycle Factory.

I’ll be honest; I have no intention of buying a Brompton bicycle. In my current position of a commuting cyclist who ventures across the countryside of South East Oxfordshire five days a week, my Ridgeback Panorama (Reggie) will do just fine. If you had asked me last weekend if I would ever consider buying a Brompton I would have smiled and said something along the lines of ‘ of course not.. .’. Ask me now, after seeing the care, attention and indeed the love that the people in the factory in Brentford put into making the famous, folding bicycles, my answer would be ‘ not yet. ..’. But when I have a job that requires me to have an exclusively urban commute, where I want the flexibility of being able to rock up at my place of work and carry my bicycle to my desk ( just like Lord Grantham in 2012 / WC1 ), I might just invest… Watch this space!

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Reblogged this on CyclingEurope.org and commented:

Here’s a post from 2014 about my visit to the Brompton factory in London. It was interesting to watch the documentary about building a Brompton bicycle this week on BBC1. worth a look. Here’s the link: http://bbc.in/2byn9rr

• Pingback: The Brompton Folding Bicycle: A Factory Visit | Up Hill And Into The Wind

Reblogged this on The Private and Public Life of a Brompton and commented: This man visited my birthplace…

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Inside the Brompton Bikes factory in London

• Brompton Bikes is the UK's largest bike manufacturer.
• It makes over  over 45,000 bikes per year.
• The Brompton was invented in 1975 and can be folded down in 20 seconds.
• Each bike is created by hand in Brompton's London factory. 

The Brompton factory in London makes 1,000 folding bikes per week. The process starts with steel tubes, these tubes are cut to length and put into an auto-brazer. The auto-brazer attaches machined parts to each tube.

Each part is then cleaned in an agitator. Once cleaned they're bent into shape and joined together to form the frame. Each bike is hand-brazed, this is a similar process to welding but uses lower temperatures and doesn't melt the metal being joined together.

This process allows Brompton to use thinner metal and produce lighter bike frames. It takes 18 months of training to become a brazer at Brompton and each brazer stamps their initials onto the frames they work on. 

Each bike is made up of around 1,200 parts and each is assembled on site. Colours and features of each bike can be customised, from different gearing to the style of handlebar.

Brompton bikes are available from £840. 

Produced by   Charlie Floyd

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Brompton Bikes plans £100m wetland factory on stilts

Britain’s biggest cycle maker commissions circular factory over Ashford floodplain with capacity to make 200,000 bikes a year

Brompton has revealed plans to invest as much as £100m in a new UK factory that will secure its place as the UK’s biggest bicycle manufacturer. In an added twist it has decided to reject the normal grey shed, instead opting to build its plant on stilts amid a newly restored wetland.

The folding bike maker plans for the new site at Ashford in Kent to be open by 2027, on a 40 hectare (100 acre) floodplain. The stilts will be needed to prevent the factory being regularly inundated. It will also have no new car parking, instead relying on new pedestrian and cycle paths from the train station.

“The whole reason this works is everything about it is slightly mad,” said Will Butler-Adams, Brompton’s chief executive, speaking before the plans were approved by Ashford borough council’s cabinet on Thursday evening.

It is part of an expansion that will increase employee numbers from 850 to 1,000 in the next year. Butler-Adams said Brompton will also develop new products at the site, with an ultimate goal of building 200,000 bikes a year, compared with just shy of 70,000 in the year to March 2021, when Brompton made revenues of £76m (including a bike subscription service in some cities).

The company will move from a “nondescript great big grey box” in Greenford in west London to a custom-built facility that will also host a museum, visitor centre and café, Butler-Adams said. Brompton hopes the facility, designed by architect Guy Hollaway, will be distinctive enough to attract a small portion of the 4.5m annual visitors to the designer outlet next door. The Greenford factory will continue to operate until at least 2030 during a transition to the new site.

Part of the plan will involve restoring the new area to something similar to what it would be without human intervention: 24 hectares will be dedicated to a “rewilded public nature reserve” with a cycle path and trails open to the public.

The cost of the factory will be as much as 50% higher than building a new shed-style factory, Butler-Adams said. However, he hopes it will save money in the longer term and avoid competing for shed space against booming online retailers.

The company will also be able to spend on energy-saving measures such as insulation, ground source heat pumps and solar panels on its roof. Brompton has a net zero carbon emissions “ambition”, and so will aim to use materials with a lower carbon footprint.

The factory will not include the usual expanse of tarmac for car parking (beyond a few spaces for disabled employees). Instead, workers will be able walk or cycle directly along 4km of new paths from Ashford International station. Those workers who do drive will have to use existing parking around Ashford, possibly in the nearby shopping centres.

Hollaway, the architect, has also designed Ashford’s upcoming Newtown Works project, as well as galleries, a winery for English vintners Chapel Down , and even a multi-storey skatepark . Hollaway said he wanted the Brompton building to ask, “what is the factory of the future?”

The complex – with floor-to-ceiling windows around much of the circular main building, according to digital renders – is designed to celebrate manufacturing and inspire workers, Butler-Adams said.

“So much manufacturing is in some industrial estate hidden away, and nobody sees it,” he said. “It’s like an abattoir. It’s hidden.

“We want to turn normal upside down and redefine manufacturing. Everyone thinks it’s dark satanic mills and people with boilersuits and monkey wrenches. It’s not.”

In the shorter term Brompton is still coping with pandemic supply shortages, shipping delays of up to a month to add to normal 10-week lead time, and disruption caused by Brexit . Butler-Adams said he thought they were “over the worst of it” on supply issues.

“The Brexit situation has been a bit of a nightmare – that’s improving,” he added.

Brompton is sitting on an £11m cash pile, and it has not raised external capital in the 20 years Butler-Adams has been with the business. He said he would prefer not to raise new capital unless required, but added it would not be difficult if necessary.

When Brompton started talks with Ashford, the council had initially put forward the site that eventually became a vast lorry park to cope with extra Brexit customs checks. The council will provide undisclosed financial support for the new factory.

The Ashford site offers easy access to and from London, with its millions of commuters and potential Brompton customers, but Butler-Adams said the proximity of the Eurostar station would also allow the company to “engage with Europe really easily”.

More on this story

Bike maker Brompton to source fewer parts from China and Taiwan

Will Butler-Adams: Brompton Bicycle’s evangelist-in-chief

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Home » Travel Guides » United States » California (CA) » 15 Things to Do in Santa Clara (CA)

15 Things to Do in Santa Clara (CA)

Santa Clara is a city of nearly 125,000 residents that’s located in Santa Clara County, about 75 kilometers south of San Francisco .

The city was founded more than 200 years ago as a Spanish Mission. Now, it’s most well-known for its booming tech industry that’s commonly referred to around the world as Silicon Valley.

Though it’s common knowledge to most football fans, it’s a surprise to many to discover that the relatively small city is also the home of the National Football League’s San Francisco 49ers.

Visitors to Santa Clara have abundant activity options at their fingertips without venturing outside city limits, so staying engaged and entertained shouldn’t be an issue.

1. Levi’s Stadium

With a capacity of nearly 70,000, Levi’s Stadium on Marie P. DeBartolo Way in Santa Clara is one of the country’s premier professional football stadiums.

The 49ers play their home games here, and during the off-season, the stadium hosts a variety of annual events, including concerts featuring big names in the music industry.

Taking a family to a football game isn’t the least expensive activity option in the area, but for those who’ve never taken in a pro game, it’s an exhilarating experience that may be worth the cost.

Guided tours are also regularly available, and the bars and restaurants around the stadium are fun to visit year-round.

2. Ulistac Natural Area

Despite its large population and the overall hustle and bustle, the Bay Area features plenty of urban parks and natural areas that are convenient options for those interested in enjoying the great outdoors.

The Ulistac Natural Area is located on Lick Mill Road in Santa Clara. It is comprised of more than 40 acres that include a variety of distinct environments.

The natural area straddles the Guadalupe River and is home to an array of plants and animals that are well-suited to its riparian habitat.

A particularly popular attraction for bird watchers, it features a number of well-marked nature trails dotted with interpretive signs.

3. Santa Clara Art & Wine Festival

Californians take their art and wine seriously, and there’s no better way to combine the two than by visiting the Santa Clara Art & Wine Festival.

The event is held in the city’s Central Park and features nearly 200 vendors from across the country selling fine art and crafts, gourmet food, and a vast selection of California’s best wines.

Proceeds are donated to worthwhile causes that benefit residents in need. It all takes place in the early fall when the central California weather is perfect for outdoor activities.

Other highlights include live entertainment and lots of art-related activities for kids.

4. The de Saisset Museum

Though he’s not exactly a household name for those who don’t typically travel in West Coast art circles, Ernest de Saisset was one of the Bay Area’s most prominent artists in the 19th century.

Saisset was a French immigrant who enrolled in Santa Clara University and studied painting as a young man.

The museum that now bears his name is located on the university’s campus. It includes a collection of more than 100 of his most impressive works.

It’s as much a historical attraction as it is an art one, and it also has other works from European and American artists dating back hundreds of years.

5. Intel Museum

Intel is one of the titans of the tech world. Over the years, it has been responsible for some of the most significant technological leaps forward in computer hardware.

The Intel Museum is located on the campus of the company’s world headquarters in Santa Clara, and it’s regularly open to the public.

Even for those who don’t fall into the tech-savvy category, it’s a fascinating place that’s definitely worth an hour or two of time.

Though it may sound dry to technophobes, it’s packed with interactive exhibits for visitors of all ages, so it’s great for kids with short attention spans too.

6. Santa Clara Farmers’ Market

There’s really no better way to rub elbows with locals, enjoy pleasant weather, and have access to tons of great products you won’t find elsewhere than by visiting a farmers’ market.

The Santa Clara Farmers’ Market is open year-round and features a little bit of everything – from seasonal produce and fresh baked goods to health and body products and prepared food items.

Held on Jackson Street near the downtown area, it’s common to find different items each time you go.

Spending a few bucks is a great way to support local farmers and entrepreneurs, and don’t be shy about asking them for suggestions for things to see and do while in town.

7. California’s Great America

There’s no shortage of theme parks in the Golden State, but there’s one clear choice for those visiting Santa Clara.

California’s Great America is located on Great America Parkway just outside of town. It features tons of rides, dining options, kid’s activities, and a water park that’s a huge draw during the hot summer months.

Though Great America can really draw a crowd during peak times when kids are enjoying their summer vacations, previous guests have noted that wait times for rides weren’t overly long.

Many families choose to spend an entire day on-site to avoid wasting valuable recreational time in the car.

8. Mission Santa Clara

Mission Santa Clara is one of the city’s premier historic sites, and it’s now conveniently located on the campus of Santa Clara University.

The mission was established by Franciscans in the 1770s to spread Christianity to the area’s Native American population.

Sadly, things didn’t go according to plan; due to several natural disasters, the mission was forced to move from its original site to where it is now.

Over the years, it was also run by the Jesuits. Though it’s no longer functioning in its original role, it now doubles as a museum and chapel that are open to visitors.

9. The Triton Museum of Art

Though guests tend to visit the Triton Museum of Art for the works in its collection, its stunning contemporary architecture usually makes a big impression as well.

The museum’s collection includes works from all over the country, but its emphasis is on pieces created by Bay Area artists using local people and scenery as inspiration.

The grounds also include a sprawling outdoor sculpture garden spread over nearly seven acres, and a home from the mid-1860s that’s among the most well-preserved examples of historic American architecture in the area.

The museum is located on Warburton Avenue, and most visitors spend a few hours on-site.

10. Santa Clara Players

The Santa Clara Players traces its roots all the way back to the early ‘60s, when a group of local performers began putting on small shows for the community.

Now nearly seven decades later, they’re still going strong. Their annual performances run the gamut from dramatic theater and mystery to satire and humor.

The players are part of a community theater group staffed by talented volunteers dedicated to providing high-quality, family-friendly entertainment at a reasonable cost.

They’re located on Don Avenue in Santa Clara and offer lots of volunteer opportunities for budding actors and stagehands.

11. Central Park

Featuring lots of wide-open spaces and massive swimming and community rec centers, Santa Clara’s Central Park is a go-to destination for activity minded visitors looking to make the most of their limited vacation time without traveling to more distant attractions.

The park is centrally located on Keily Boulevard, has ample parking, and features lots of outdoor amenities and recreational activity options.

From tennis and basketball to softball, lawn bowling, and a big playground, there’s really no excuse for getting bored while on-site. For those looking to spend a relaxing afternoon, there are a lake, built-in BBQs, and public restrooms.

12. The 49ers Museum

Even for those who won’t be in Santa Clara during the regular season, the 49ers stadium and museum are fun attractions worth visiting for sports-minded visitors.

The museum is located inside Levi’s Stadium and features nearly a dozen distinct galleries that are open to the public year-round.

It’s a fun and educational experience for visitors of all ages. In addition to football, its exhibits touch on science, technology, and art in a way that engages and entertains young and old minds alike.

Most guests check out the introductory video in the visitor’s center before showing themselves through the impressive collection of trophies, balls, and Super Bowl memorabilia on display.

13. The Santa Clara Fire Museum

The Santa Clara Fire Department’s roots run all the way back to the 1850s when it was founded.

The museum is now located on Walsh Avenue in an unused training center behind the city’s new fire station.

It sports an impressive collection of equipment and historical memorabilia that give visitors unique insights into the lives of fire and rescue personnel in years past.

The museum’s highlights include a fully restored Model-T fire truck that served for two decades, beginning in the 1920s.

The knowledgeable local volunteer staff also offer regular programs geared at educating the public about fire safety and prevention issues.

14. Edward Peterman Museum of Railroad History

The Edward Peterman Museum of Railroad History is run by a local historical society. It is housed in the depot of a now-defunct railroad on Railroad Avenue in Santa Clara.

Like many local historical attractions, the museum is staffed by local volunteers who love answering questions and showing first-time visitors around.

The museum’s exhibits include a variety of railroad equipment and memorabilia, including signals, safety equipment, and historical photographs dating back over 100 years.

The museum is regularly open to the public. It maintains an extensive library of books relating to railroad development and local history as well.

15. Voyager Coffee

Though it has only been around since 2016, Voyager Coffee’s owner and staff are dedicated to the noble pursuit of making their customers happy.

They do this largely by providing world-class coffee, but also by offering a comfortable space in which guests have opportunities to build relationships with like-minded customers.

Many of their coffees sport internationally influenced flavors, and they’re often infused with things like orange essence and cherry blossom water.

Don’t worry if you prefer your coffee straight-up, because they’ve got more traditional brews as well.

They offer fresh pastry and baked goods, tea, and other non-coffee drinks too.

15 Things to Do in Santa Clara (CA):

• Levi's Stadium
• Ulistac Natural Area
• Santa Clara Art & Wine Festival
• The de Saisset Museum
• Intel Museum
• Santa Clara Farmers’ Market
• California's Great America
• Mission Santa Clara
• The Triton Museum of Art
• Santa Clara Players
• Central Park
• The 49ers Museum
• The Santa Clara Fire Museum
• Edward Peterman Museum of Railroad History
• Voyager Coffee

electric scooter

Yadea factory tour: the surprises i found at the world’s largest electric vehicle maker.

I recently took a trip to China, where I had the opportunity to visit one of Yadea’s several global factories used to produce a wide range of light electric vehicle models and styles. As the world’s largest electric vehicle manufacturer, it was a chance to see how the most popular forms of EVs – namely e-bikes, e-scooters, and electric three-wheelers, are built in sophisticated factories featuring high-level quality control processes. The experience was thoroughly eye-opening, and blew my expectations away!

In fact, one of the biggest surprises of my time at the factory was just how much effort is put into quality control along the way. It was a magnitude that, frankly, I was surprised to see.

I don’t mean that as a slight. It’s just that, like most people, I was probably a bit misinformed before this trip. The term “Chinese manufacturing” makes most of us in the West think of cost reductions and competitive pricing – not heavily automated manufacturing and multi-tier quality assurances. But with Yadea’s massive size has come the opportunity to deeply invest in the hallmarks we previously associated with a bygone era of Western manufacturing.

And I’m not exaggerating when I refer to Yadea as “massive.” This was just one of eight global factories, and this one spanned over 1,000 acres (that’s around 750 American football fields). And this is just Phase I of the factory, which was only built a few years ago. Phases II and III are going to be even bigger, adding much more manufacturing capacity.

Yadea is already a household name all over Asia, where it dominates the markets for scooters, bikes, and other micromobility devices. Last year, over 16 million two-wheeled EVs rolled off the company’s production lines. Yadea refers to itself as the world’s largest electric motorbike manufacturer, but it is also the second-largest motorbike maker, period. With 16M annual production volume, that puts the company within striking distance of overtaking Honda’s 18M annual units. And that’s even more impressive considering Yadea exclusively produces electric vehicles, unlike Honda which nearly exclusively produces combustion engine motorbikes.

Yadea now has a growing presence in Europe and has recently set its sights on a major expansion into North America. That means that Americans are set soon to get access to some of Yadea’s impressively designed and built light electric vehicles (though mostly starting with lighter electric bicycles and scooters).

Check out my video below to see inside Yadea’s factory yourself and to join me for my test drives on several of Yadea’s e-bikes, e-scooters, e-mopeds, and e-trikes. You’re not going to want to miss it!

My tour started in just one corner of the sprawling Jinzhai factory, where I watched as rows of plastic injection molding machines worked in rhythm to pump out various scooter-shaped bits and pieces. This is where many of the body panels, shrouds, and other molded components of Yadea’s electric scooters and e-mopeds are produced. Many smaller companies outsource the production of these types of components, but Yadea does it all in-house to maintain better control over the processes and thus the quality of the parts.

The machines run largely autonomously, though a few workers monitor the machines and can respond to any area, if necessary. I poked my head into a few of the lines and saw some machines churning out recognizable parts like shrouds around the handlebar displays and cargo areas under moped seats, with each completed component moseying down a conveyor belt towards a finished parts pile.

The building was massive and already housed 24 injection molding machines, each the size of my college dorm room. However the area of the building that was currently storing stacks of just-produced parts was already taped off with sections where more injection molding machines would soon be installed. They told me that there are plans to operate 60 of these massive machines here. Yadea continues to roll out new EV models and increase its sales around the world, and that means it is always ramping up its own internal component production capacity to match.

From there we hopped aboard a cute little electric shuttle bus and moved to another building in the complex where welding takes place.

This particular welding building was set up for Yadea’s three-wheelers, which are basically the lightweight farm trucks of China. In the same way you see a bunch of clapped-out F-150 pickup trucks all over rural America, you see these electric three-wheelers all over rural China. That’s why, despite Yadea’s scooters and mopeds being built largely for both the domestic and international markets, their three-wheelers are pretty much only sold in China.

I think they could be incredibly powerful utility vehicles in the US, but that’s another issue for another article. For now, I got the chance to see how these local versions of a pickup truck are made. And I was surprised by just how automated the production is.

Robotic welding seems to take care of most of the fabrication, with the vehicles going from steel tubes and sheet metal to mostly formed trikes without ever touching the ground. Laser cutting ensures each raw sub-component is cut to the exact right size and has smooth finished edges. The pieces are passed from machine to machine, sometimes by robots and sometimes by human hands, until full frames come out the other side.

When the frames are finished being welded, multiple steps of electrophoresis for corrosion resistance and then robotic painting await the finished pieces.

I wasn’t able to go through the actual painting area because it’s closed off to ensure a clean environment for the robotic painting machines, but I did get to see the massive environmental protection equipment that filters the air leaving the painting section of the factory, ensuring that any harmful emissions from the aerosolized paint and treatment chemicals are scrubbed and don’t just get pumped out into the atmosphere.

Again, I definitely went into this tour with some preconceptions that turned out to be false. That doesn’t mean there isn’t polluting heavy industry in some areas, but modern factories like Yadea’s take great pains to reduce emissions. The air around the factory was perfectly clean, the grass was greener than my grass back home, and the courtyards around the building were so nice I would have sat and had a picnic in them if there was time. The effort made to create a clean and comfortable work environment pays dividends now and into the future.

Next, we moved on to yet another massive building in the factory complex, this time where assembly of several different electric scooter and e-moped models takes place. It’s a bit hard to gauge scale inside these huge buildings, but I’m told the building was around 450,000 square feet, or roughly 10 acres. It had a legit football field inside of it, but more on that in a moment.

There were 18 assembly lines in the building, each producing a different model of e-bike, e-scooter, or e-moped. Racks of frames that have been welded in another part of the factory roll in at one end of each production line, where they are scanned and loaded onto the line. The bare frames move along the line as workers install all of the components.

In a matter of minutes, the empty frames receive their motors, controllers, batteries, wiring, lights, body panels, seats, and more. A ballet of suspended racks of components automatically lower themselves from the ceiling at precisely the right location for workers to pluck the parts from the air and install them on the scooters. Everything is designed to be as efficient and comfortable as possible, with very little need to bend over or strain.

From what I could tell, a new electric bike rolled off the line around once every 25-30 seconds or so, while an electric moped rolled off the line every 40 seconds.

It looked like it took around 20 minutes for a bare moped frame to work its way down the assembly line and roll off the ramp at the end as a fully functional electric scooter.

The three-wheelers seem to take longer, with one e-trike rolling off the line around every five minutes.

From there, still, more workers receive the scooters and begin going through a several dozen-point inspection to ensure that everything has been assembled correctly and all of the scooter’s functions are working properly. Things like wheel alignment, torque spec, electrical connections, lighting/sound levels, and many other important areas are all examined as part of the end-of-line quality inspections.

Once the vehicles get the seal of approval, they’re walked over to yet another aerial lift that slowly plucks them from the ground and soars them through the air to another part of the factory.

Each of the buildings is connected by a series of catwalk-style sky bridges. There, the tracks suspending the finished vehicles can pass from building to building without actually going outside. In this way, parts and vehicles can move between different areas of the sprawling complex even while it is raining or snowing.

I mentioned a football field in the middle of this factory building, and I wasn’t kidding. There’s an entire turf field in there. In fact, it used to be real grass, but that required opening the skylights for good sun exposure, which the workers said made the building quite hot in the summer. So instead, they turned it into a turf field.

It gets used for a number of different events, from playing sports on breaks to hosting company events and unveiling. When I passed through, there were several models of electric scooters still set up on the field from a recent event. You can see the field in my video at the top of this article.

There’s also a library at the end of the field, featuring around a dozen shelves of books set up in a rectangle to create a little reading room complete with tables and chairs. Workers can read the books there or they can take any books they like (there’s no charge and the books are regularly replaced by the company).

The last area I had the chance to see in the factory was a staging zone for finished three-wheelers that were ready to be trucked away to local stores (Yadea counts over 40,000 brand stores around the world). There was also a display set up showing raw materials from various stages of production, from bare steel tubes to coated frame members and painted panels. They highlighted the quality of each step, such as how the bare frame tubes are laser cut so precisely that the edges are smooth and feel like a factory edge.

Despite wearing my journalist/YouTuber hat most of the time these days, I do in fact have a mechanical engineering degree on my desk that I occasionally get a chance to dust off. As a younger man, I also spent years working as a machinist in a machine shop and I previously ran my own manufacturing operations, so I have at least a cursory knowledge of what I was looking at for each production step around the factory.

I can tell you that of all the light electric vehicle factories I’ve visited in several countries around the world, I’ve never seen an operation run more professionally than what I saw at Yadea. The attention to detail, the level of automation, and even the consideration of workers’ needs, it was all simply above and beyond anything I’ve seen before.

And that was all before lunch!

With the first part of the tour finished, we headed to the employee cafeteria where I got to choose whatever I wanted from a wide a la carte menu. This also surprised me.

While I didn’t expect the workers to be eating gruel, I was caught off-guard at just how good the food was! And this wasn’t some visiting guest cafeteria (many factories have VIP cafeterias off to the side, and I’ve eaten in those before). I was eating where all the factory workers eat, the people’s cafeteria, the great equalizer. And I know that because my entire lunch was spent with hundreds of people staring at me as the only white guy in the room. I definitely caught a few folks taking pictures of me. It’s cool though, I just told them I’m Keanu Reeves.

After lunch, and having already seen how and where Yadea’s vehicles are produced, I had a blast spending the rest of the afternoon test-driving most of them!

The factory tour was impressive, but it’s on the company’s vehicle testing area and proving grounds that I had the most fun! To hear how that went, you’ll have to stay tuned in for Part Two of this story, coming in another couple days (or you can just watch the video at the top of this article, which includes both parts together for a major sneak peak!).

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Micah Toll is a personal electric vehicle enthusiast, battery nerd, and author of the Amazon #1 bestselling books DIY Lithium Batteries , DIY Solar Power,   The Ultimate DIY Ebike Guide  and The Electric Bike Manifesto .

The e-bikes that make up Micah’s current daily drivers are the $999 Lectric XP 2.0 , the $1,095 Ride1Up Roadster V2 , the $1,199 Rad Power Bikes RadMission , and the $3,299 Priority Current . But it’s a pretty evolving list these days.

You can send Micah tips at [email protected], or find him on Twitter , Instagram , or TikTok .

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