FEATURE


chain guard design developed by US-based company Insane Chains. This enhancement is now being rolled out across the entire first pedal range, which includes the Frog 44 & Frog 47.


to 2025 for the UK bike maker, with its profits dropping 99% from £10.7 million to under £5,000. In the 12 months to March 2024, the UK fabricator put out just shy of 85,000 units, which by some margin holds its crown as the largest volume producer and exporter of bikes and e-bikes made here. That said, following a general industry trend, the prior year saw 91,875 units made. While that gap may not sound enough to see the profits of Britain’s foremost bike maker dip so sharply, operating costs rose 15% on account of adding staff, plus marketing drives for new product. With sales down to £122.6 million, sharply below budget and increased costs, the CEO seemed to indicate the bike industry was nearing a post-Covid bottom, all the while saying some sticky stock remained. In its 50th year, Brompton will push on with some refreshed product lines. One of those is the G Line, and Brompton’s fortunes may well already be pivoting on this model, and it told BikeBiz that “Interestingly, we see a far higher proportion of sales for the G line electric versus the non-electric, a trend across the industry.” The headwind Brompton will face is greatly increased competition in the electric bike arena from brands that have opted to build from the ground up, rather than rely on an iconic frame with electronics added, Cambridgeshire’s Flit being a prime example.


Frog Bikes Set to reveal new models in the summer of 2025, Frog Bikes has navigated the choppy waters of the post-pandemic period, returning itself to consistent production, albeit at what they say is a moderate level compared to the peaks it saw around 2021 to 2022. The firm told BikeBiz, “As a result, Frog Bikes has now returned to a healthy and sustainable inventory level, maintaining approximately two months’ worth of stock, which is a position that enables both agility and responsiveness to market demand.” Just ahead of Christmas, the Welsh kids’ bike brand launched a significant update to its first pedal range with the introduction of the Frog 38. This model features a new


52 | June 2025


Orange Bikes One year on from nearly losing the jewel in the UK mountain bike manufacturing crown, Orange Bikes is back on course and turning out bikes and e-bikes, now with full ownership of its long-time frame manufacturing partner, consolidating the process into one more efficient business This change brings under one roof the fabrication of the frames, assembly of the finished bikes and the marketing team for the first time, all under the guidance of Ash Ball. The new West Yorkshire location, two miles down the road from the former plot, streamlines the manufacturing process by pulling in deliveries of aluminium at one end and rolling finished bikes out the other end.


Enigma Bikes


Life as a titanium framebuilder has always had its challenges, whether it be finding the skills to weld the tricky material or predicting the demand for the desirable metal. Jim Walker endures after nearly two decades, despite what he says feels like competition steadily building. “When I started the Enigma business almost 20 years ago, there were maybe ten competing titanium bike brands, but when I did a brand counting exercise the other day, I got to 43 and was still counting! Of course, the majority of the 43 will all be based on Chinese-made frames as the Chinese will supply anyone,” he said, adding, “To me, speaking about our sector, it now appears to be a race to the bottom with retail prices getting ever lower, and that’s not healthy. Thankfully, because Enigma makes things here in Sussex, we are different and we have been able to maintain our margins. We’re still investing in our business, and I’m confident about the future. In my opinion, the buy British and ‘Made in Britain’ message needs to be promoted far more than it is; there has never been a better time.” 


INTRODUCING THE BACK BRITISH BIKES CAMPAIGN


A new UK-made campaign group has recently emerged, already earning meetings with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Jonathan Reynolds, on issues like the unexpected removal of anti-dumping duties on all but electric folding bikes from China.


At the time of writing, founding members of the group appear to include Brompton, Frog Bikes and Raleigh UK.


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