T

housands of cyclists ride up Ditchling Beacon every year. A good chunk of them are complete novices – not your average Strava baggers – as it’s the infamous brute of a climb onto the ridge of the South Downs that seals the fate of many a rider on the annual London to Brighton charity ride. Few of them would realise, however, that just moments before commencing a losing battle with lactic acid, they had ridden past the headquarters of UK bike brand Orro.

Back in issue 25 (August 2014) I wrote about Orro as a newcomer to the UK market and I was full of praise for its range-topping Gold model’s refreshing approach to frame design. It was mindful of the conditions and demands of UK riding and delivered a polished performance for a relatively modest price. I said then that I thought we’d be seeing a lot more from the brand and, sure enough, in the two years since then Orro has remained true to its original ethos while its portfolio has matured and expanded significantly.

The Signature Gold STC Disc is its latest creation and by virtue of its custom paint scheme supersedes the standard Gold STC Disc model at the top of the range.

Carbon journey

The STC acronym relates to the material construction – Spread Tow Carbon. You may be surprised to learn that the carbon fibre is from a UK source, Sigmatex, based in Runcorn, Cheshire. The British carbon manufacturer is highly regarded and its list of customers includes the likes of Mclaren, Alfa Romeo and Boeing.

Orro’s Paul Butler tells us Sigmatex was seeking partnership with a UK bike designer to further its involvement in the sports industry, and having this collaboration has enabled the range of bikes to move in some exciting new directions. Spread Tow Carbon is essentially a weaving technique that reduces tow thickness, which combined with fewer interlacing points (evident by the broad chequerboard pattern