All things Orbit

raidan73

Moderator
Archivist
Retrobike Rider
BoTM Triple Crown
BoTM Winner
Gold Trader
PoTM Winner
98+ BoTM Winner
Rocky Mountain Fan
Brodie Fan
Feedback
View
I decided to start this thread to try and collate all things Orbit in one place. I've had a few chats with Doug at Orbit over the past couple of weeks and he is interested in putting together a bit of a history of the brand and finding out what people know, seeing any old catalogues they might have etc. Doug has been at Orbit since 2002 and took over the company in 2007.

I will be pointing him in the direction of this thread so feel free to post up anything you might know, catalogue scans, bike photo's etc.

I have posted links below to any relevant threads I could find including was8v's recent thread which includes scans of a catalogue from around 1991 courtesy of Stu.

I will add my own to the thread in due course.

So without further ado..........show us your Orbits!

http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewto ... highlight=

http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewto ... ight=orbit

http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewto ... ight=orbit
 
Coincidently just flicking through an MBI from 1991......got an Orbit 531 Frontier tested......will get the pages scanned in tomorrow :D
 
Antstark":43oz55x6 said:
Coincidently just flicking through an MBI from 1991......got an Orbit 531 Frontier tested......will get the pages scanned in tomorrow :D

Excellent!
 
Orbit review :D
 

Attachments

  • orbit3.JPG
    orbit3.JPG
    101.4 KB · Views: 2,374
  • orbit2_933.jpg
    orbit2_933.jpg
    114.9 KB · Views: 2,374
  • orbit1_126.jpg
    orbit1_126.jpg
    95.6 KB · Views: 2,373
Strange one this...

Orbit have been through so many changes in ownership [let alone places of build - ie. not Sheffield as they like to claim] that the suggestion of any kind of linear / continuous history could almost be suggested as a fabrication...

Seems a little like creating a history in order to underline the traditions of an established framebuilder in order to sell frames to 'informed' punters...

There's a vague suggestion through their website that they have been hand building frames in Sheffield for over 30 years, which is [simply put] untrue...


BB
 
^^^

But aside from that [and it was not aimed to be derogatory] it sounds like a fun project, and it's always good to have comprehensive histories of frame builders...

Good luck with it!
 
I think they were originally Sheffield based, then the Midlands in the '90s, and now Sheffield again.
 
I think they buy in their frames now from Poland or the Czech Republic.

I seem to recall someone like Fort make them.
 
Says Dudley in the article I scanned in. That was 91

was8v":1mvk13up said:
I think they were originally Sheffield based, then the Midlands in the '90s, and now Sheffield again.
 
Back
Top