Following a turbulent and challenging 12 months for the UK cycling industry, 2024 has begun with the ominously troubling news that Orange Bikes has issued a notice of intention to appoint an administrator – just weeks after the popular Halifax-based off-road specialist announced that it was winding down its Orange Factory Racing outfit due to prohibitive costs and the “uncertainty” surrounding the bike industry.
Rooted in mountain biking, while occasionally dabbling in the ‘dark side’ of road and cyclocross bikes, Orange Bikes was founded in 1988 by Lester Noble and Steve Wade, producing the iconic Clockwork hardtail and going on to establish a reputation as trusted, reliable, and successful, boosted by a glittering CV of top mountain bike race wins, including a number of downhill world championships.
In 2015, Wade and Noble sold the company to Ashley Ball, the owner of Halifax-based Bairstows Sheet Metal, Orange’s frame building partner since the company’s foundation.
However, despite the company’s integral part in fostering the UK’s mountain biking culture, on 22 December, according to caseboard.io, Orange Mountain Bikes filed a notice of intention to appoint an administrator.
The notice was issued just days after Orange released a statement on 18 December announcing the demise of Orange Factory Racing, the brand’s in-house off-road race team founded in 2020, which they said at the time would enable the company to refocus on “our main goal of creating world-class bikes”.
“Whilst we’re celebrating the successes of the team, we’re also drawing a line under this particular chapter of Orange’s history. Orange Factory Racing won’t return for 2024,” the company said.
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“With so much uncertainty in the bike industry, challenges around the future of the Enduro World Cup Series, and the sheer cost of running a competitive Factory-level team, we’re pressing pause.
“We’ll return when the time is right. But for now, we’re ending on a high and will take a break to focus on our main goal of creating world-class bikes.
“All that said, our passion for racing isn’t going anywhere and neither is Orange Bikes. We’ll continue to support a number of talented athletes around the World – look out for more news on that in the new year.”
Orange Bikes has been approached by road.cc for comment.
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The news of Orange Bikes’ troubles ensures that the issues that have plagued the UK bike industry in recent years appear set to continue into 2024.
In October, Wiggle Chain Reaction Cycles plunged into administration amid “severe liquidity and profitability challenges” for its parent company, with the extent of the money owed by online retail giant to brands across the bike industry laid bare in an administrator’s report published this week.
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And earlier in the year, FLi Distribution ceased trading with immediate effect, as the Huddersfield-based distributor’s director blamed the “red tape and barriers to trade” currently affecting businesses for his company’s demise, which came just two months after Livingston-based distributor 2pure entered administration.
Robert Johnson is a UK-based business writer specializing in finance and entrepreneurship. With an eye for market trends and a keen interest in the corporate world, he offers readers valuable insights into business developments.
