I think some of the orange hardtails might now be made in taiwan, but the full suss and top spec hardtails are UK built, i think. Back when i had an orange clockwork in 1994, that was UK built for sure.
The Empire stuff is mental, and amazingly innovative. There are quite a few "boutique style" bike manufacturers coming out at the moment, especially in downhill, where the technology can still really evolve.
Other very notable UK bike co's are Hope Technology (http://www.hopetech.com/) - respected worldwide for their braking components, and Pace - but they're not as big as they used to be. http://www.pacecycles.com/
Good point about independent bike shops though. It must be pretty tough when you've got businesses like Chain Reaction online, and I know quite a few people who will go to an independent for advice, but then actually buy the stuff online to save (a considerable amount of) money. I try to support my local bike shop when i can, and you absolutely can't beat the service that you get from a indie good bike shop.
The Empire stuff is mental, and amazingly innovative. There are quite a few "boutique style" bike manufacturers coming out at the moment, especially in downhill, where the technology can still really evolve.
Other very notable UK bike co's are Hope Technology (http://www.hopetech.com/) - respected worldwide for their braking components, and Pace - but they're not as big as they used to be. http://www.pacecycles.com/
Good point about independent bike shops though. It must be pretty tough when you've got businesses like Chain Reaction online, and I know quite a few people who will go to an independent for advice, but then actually buy the stuff online to save (a considerable amount of) money. I try to support my local bike shop when i can, and you absolutely can't beat the service that you get from a indie good bike shop.