Orbea is a bicycle manufacturer based in Mallabia, Spain. Founded in 1840 by the Orbea brothers, Juan Manuel, Mateo, and Casimiro Orbea, the company initially produced firearms. In 1930, Orbea transitioned to designing and producing bicycles. Orbea is part of the Mondragón Cooperative Corporation and is known as Spain's largest bicycle manufacturer. The company manufactures and assembles bikes in its factories in Spain and Portugal.
Orbea designs and manufactures a variety of bikes, including road, mountain, triathlon, urban, and electric bikes. Popular models include the Orca and Avant road bikes, the Rallon and Occam mountain bikes, and the Ordu time trial/triathlon models. Orbea began participating in the Tour de France as early as 1934. In 1969, the employees formed a cooperative and purchased Orbea from the Orbea family. As of June 2023, Daniel Martínez is the CEO of Orbea. Orbea has approximately 568 employees across 5 continents.
Orbea faces competition from major global brands like Specialized, Trek, and Canyon. Orbea's annual sales in 2022 reached $438 million, with 85% coming from export markets. Orbea is known for its deep cycling heritage, performance engineering, and European design. Orbea's headquarters in Mallabia, Spain, serves as the central hub for its global operations, including design, research and development, manufacturing, marketing, and administration.
In February 2026, Orbea recalled its entry-level Avant road bike models due to concerns that the suspension forks could fail prematurely. Orbea is committed to sustainability, including using recycled carbon fibers and eco-friendly packaging. The company has also been recognized as Bike Brand of the Year in the 2021 BikeBiz Awards, in part due to innovations in the e-mountain bike market, particularly the Rise model.
