Orange mountain bikes is a British mountain bike company which has come to be known around the world. From little roots in Halifax, Yorkshire the company has become big enough and well respected enough to have sponsored two world champions: Steve Peat and Greg Minnaar.

Supporting British companies has taken on increased importance since the economic crisis and Orange mountain bikes is a very British brand. One of the company’s founders has lived all his life in Yorkshire and became interested in mountain biking after leaving school. In the early days he rode Muddy Fox bikes but fell out of love with the brand when he started to feel they were becoming preoccupied with urban fashion rather than serious off road biking.

Then Lester Noble started to design his own mountain bikes, although Orange mountain bikes still hadn’t been born, At the start, he bought bikes from Taiwan to sell in the UK using the company name Tushingham bikes. Later, when he came to meet his now business partner, Steve Wade, they decided to go into business together. 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. And so Orange mountain bikes was born, with a name taken from a shortened version of ‘All Round Range.’ 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. Further exposure was brought about by the use of the Patriot bike by the Animal/Orange team on British downhill courses. It was the production of the Patriot bike which led to the design of the 222 downhill bike which created much publicity and awareness abroad.
From humble beginnings in a northern town in England, Orange mountain bikes have come a long way. Still a particular favourite of mountain bikers in Britain, they are also available in 26 other countries worldwide.