When it comes to downhill riders, there’s none finer than the British. However, when it comes to bikes, we don’t have quite the same domination. Often our quickest riders will be lured by frames from the US or continental Europe, and not since the glory days of the Orange team of the early noughties, has a British brand truly been a class apart.
However, that’s not to say we don’t make a heck of a lot of gorgeous bikes, so here’s seven of the best downhill bikes made by brands from the British Isles.
Orange 324 Factory
It’s easy to look at the Orange 324 and write it off as a crude piece of engineering thrown together in a shed, especially when it’s pitted against the carbon superbikes of today. However, this is a bike that lets its speed do the talking.
Incremental improvements have given the 324 spot on angles and its aluminium construction gives the perfect balance of flex and stiffness. With the right spec this is a killer bike.
