A LUDLOW bike designer is watching her business go through a major cycle of success as the orders speed in with a flood of buyers from all over the UK and Europe.

Isla Bikes, which is based at Brimfield, has increased its workforce from two people before the recession to 16, with new staff just taken on to cope with the Christmas rush.

It has found a niche as a specialist supplier of bikes for children and teenagers and as well as selling throughout the UK has a growing market in Europe – especially Germany and Scandinavia.

The company was founded by Isla Roundtree, 41, who has a passion for cycling and spent two years as a professional rider with Raleigh.

She designs the bikes, which are manufactured in Vietnam and returned to Ludlow in kit form, where a team of qualified bike mechanics assemble the machine before it is shipped ready to ride to the customer.

For the full story see the front page of this week's Ludlow Advertiser.