NEW PRODUCTS THE ORIGINAL. JUST BETTER
DMR’s Deathgrip has been a stalwart in the UK MTB scene since its introduction in 2017. Now, the brand has unveiled an all-new Deathgrip 2. Head of marketing Mark Noble talks BikeBiz through the details.
How do you reflect on the original Deathgrip and its success? Safe to say that it’s been a huge success through the years, for us as a brand, for our team, our riders, and dealers stocking the grips – without doubt it’s become a staple product, a go-to choice for bikers. They’ve kinda become
like Levis 501s in many ways, the grip all others are compared to. When Brendan
(Fairclough), Olly (Wilkins), Damian (Mason) and co designed the original Deathgrip back in 2016/7, there was nothing like it. The
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original thinking behind combining patterns along the grip surface, the single-collar clamp-on, the ideal length of not-too-short-not-too-long, and the unique tapered core meaning that Deathgrips mount more securely than any competitor grip – it was a design that became an instant hit and has stayed that way ever since. We then added choice in
more colours, collar colours, added super-soft Race compound, a Gum compound, thick or thin versions… and truly set the standard for MTB grips. I’ve actually lost count of the amount of product
group-tests that DMR have won with Deathgrips over time. Deathgrips have also put more riders on podiums over the years than anything else – and continue to do so, to this day there are Elite WC DH riders who choose to ride Deathgrips and make podiums – the same, widely available and affordable grips that any rider can buy from any bike shop and ride up the local woods. That’s what makes Deathgrips so great.
How do you react to the many copies/fakes that have been released in the last few years? Haha, it’s amazing really – we
see them all the time. The combination of mushroom for comfort, the diamond pattern for grip, the finger/ waffle bars underneath, our tapered core… we see Deathgrip influence on everything, from OEM grips to big-brand grips to core-brand so-called- signature grips being launched… but they’re not the same as the original and best Deathgrip for sure. It’s the sincerest form of flattery of course, like someone copying our homework on the bus to school in the morning. It’s annoying and yet flattering at the same time.
What can you tell us about the new Deathgrip 2? So, we’ll keep Deathgrip in the DMR range going forwards, and the all-new Deathgrip 2 is an additional grip. We took years of experience from riding Deathgrips, evolved the design and improved fundamental features to create Deathgrip 2. We kept the best features that people know and love – the combo of mushroom for comfort, diamond texture and waffle grip for pure grip, the compound, our tapered core – and for Deathgrip 2 we refined the flange design, we
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