Orbea Factory Visit

Mark and Enda were lucky enough to visit the Orbea factory in the Basque Country in Spain last year. What a place! It’s buzzing with hundreds of employees, working on design, production, painting, assembly... 

In 1969, Orbea became an employee-owned cooperative and that’s still the case today, with staff having the option to become part owners of the business and share in profits and corporate directions. This seems to be a business model that’s working well as by the end of the 20th Century, Orbea had become one of the world's leading race bike manufacturers, with victories at the Tour de France and the Olympic Games.   

Future Proofed
Orbea is steeped in history – it originally started life in 1840 as a gun manufacturer. Who knew that hunting in the hills would turn into biking in the hills?! But that’s the kind of innovation you get from this bike brand.

With so much history behind them, there’s no doubt they are preparing for the future too. The factory we visited was state-of-the-art. These guys have their finger firmly on the ethical pulse of today when it comes to manufacturing and design but with all the patents, research and advanced production techniques they have invested in, they are ready for the bikes of tomorrow.  

Collaborations 
One of the things we liked best was visiting the OOLAB – Orbea’s Opimisation Lab. It was great to see how Orbea work with the likes of Shimano to develop the whole electric side of biking. Take a look at the Orbea Diem in The Sports Room, next time you're in. This is a smooth looking, smooth running, next level e-bike. We’re excited to see what’s next!  

Design Your Own Orbea Bike 
While the Orbea team are busy designing and creating, you can also create your own style bike using Orbea’s MyO personalisation options. Not only can you pick your own colours and style combos, you can choose stem length, frame design and more. Your bike, exactly the way you want it. We’ve seen some unique styles leaving our shop! If you want to find out more about personalising your Orbea, give us a shout on 0404 62380.  

So what’s the right Orbea for you?  
Whether you’re looking for a speed machine or something for more leisurely bike rides, Orbea has you covered. If you prefer the excitement of the trails, check out their range of mtb bikes and gravel bikes. And if electric is your thing, they have that too – ebikes for road cycling or e-MTB. Oh, yeah, their range of junior bikes is super too – literally scaled down versions of adult bikes. All our kids had them and it makes cycling fun and easy. We often have the pleasure of hosting demo days with Orbea, so be sure to sign up for our newsletter or keep an eye on our Instagram for updates.