Orange Mountain Bikes: A Very British Brand

Orange mountain bikes is a British mountain bike company which has come to be known around the world. Based in Halifax, in Yorkshire, the company started with humble beginnings but has no developed so much that in recent years it has sponsored two world champions: Greg Minnaar and Steve Peat.

Since the credit crunch reared its ugly head, a lot of importance has been placed on supporting British brands, which Orange mountain bikes undisputedly is. Lester Noble, one of the founders of the company was raised in Yorkshire and found his interest in mountain bikes as a young adult. At first he rode bikes made by a company called Muddy Fox but he moved away from the brand when he felt they were becoming more of an urban fashion statement than a serious off road bike company.

At this stage, still before Orange mountain bikes came into existence, lester Noble starting designing his own mountain bikes. He originally sourced bikes from the Far East to sell in the UK under the brand name Tushingham bikes. When he later met Steve Wade, they decided to set up a business together and have been business partners ever since. With him, Steve Wade brought his engineering background and his existing sheet metal company, both of which proved ideal for starting a bike business.

Originally they worked together assembling bike parts bought in from Taiwan but later began manufacturing. Orange mountain bikes, whose name is taken from 'All Round Range' came into existence. Nowadays all Orange mountain bikes are made in Yorkshire, with the exception of the cheaper, entry level range.

Sponsoring high profile bikers really gave Orange mountain bikes a head start in making its name. When the Animal/Orange team used the Patriot bike on British downhill courses. It also prompted the creation of the 222 downhill bike which brought about a storm of publicity overseas.

It's true to say that from simple and humble roots, Orange mountain bikes have come on a lot. Still a particular favourite of mountain bikers in Britain, they are also available in 26 other countries worldwide.