The highs & lows of life on the mag

Good news from Orange Bikes – after appointing administrators, the Halifax-based brand have restructured and merged with their frame manufacturers (previously a separate company) to bring the business under one roof, two miles from their current HQ. Hopefully this will secure the future of the classic British brand, known for their folded-aluminium frames and single-pivot suspension.

Rob Warner has been recognised. No, not by Thames Valley Police, hot on the trail of local mountain biking miscreants, but by the Marin Museum of Bicycling, which has inducted him into the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame, along with former partner in crime Shaun Palmer. His old mucker Steve Peat was similarly honoured in 2018, followed by the late Jason McRoy, trail centre guru Dafydd Davis and our own Steve Behr and Tym Manley in 2020, and Rach Atherton in ’21.

British cycling lost one of its all-time greats with the passing of Mick Ives, aged 84. Hailing from Coventry, Mick raced for more than 62 years and racked up some 1,500 victories across multiple disciplines – 136 of them in XC – including national and Masters world titles. He was rider/manager for the Ridgeback, Saracen and MI Racing teams, and took third in Vets at the 1990 World Champs.

Trials legend Hans Rey is doing a speaking tour of the UK. In Mishaps & Mayhem – a followup to his Riding Life shows of 2017-19 – Hans will take fans through career highlights, including his adventures across the globe. He’ll be stopping at 17 theatres from 5-30 March, from Bristol to Buxton, Shrewsbury to Stirling. Visit www.speakers fromtheedge.com for details.