Orange Mountain Bikes of Yorkshire, England, has issued a notice of intention to appoint an administrator. The firm was founded in 1988 by mountain bikers Lester Noble and Steve Wade; it was acquired by Ashley Ball of vendor Bairstows Sheet Metal in 2015.
Late last year the company announced that its mountain bike racing team — Orange Factory Racing — would not return for 2024.
“With so much uncertainty in the bike industry … and the sheer cost of running a competitive Factory-level team, we’re pressing pause,” said a company statement in December.
“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,” continued the statement.
Bairstows Sheet Metal of Halifax — owned and run by Ball since 2000 — was the manufacturer of Orange’s British-built bike frames.
When Ball took over Orange in October 2015 he said: “As one of Orange’s earliest fans it is important to me that the core values of the brand and its products are protected while embarking on a vision to broaden the range of bikes and establish the brand in new markets. To carry the mantle of Orange bikes is an incredible responsibility but also presents an amazing opportunity.”
The $61 billion, low-margin global bicycle industry sold millions of extra bicycles during the Covid-19 pandemic but has since suffered a precipitous fall in demand.
Ball—the sole remaining director of Orange Mountain Bikes Limited—filed an intention to appoint an administrator notice three days before Christmas. The company has been contacted for this piece.
