SALT LAKE CITY (BRAIN) — Gregory Mountain Products, best known for its technical backpacks, is getting deeper the mountain bike hydration pack market. The company offered its first mountain bike-specific models last year and has added more models for the 2018 season, for a total of 10 packs.
The company said it leveraged its experience with backpacks to develop specialized back panels and shoulder harnesses on its mountain bike packs.
John Sears, Gregory's vice president, said the company's office near the Wasatch Range in Utah is close to bike trails and the staff includes many mountain bikers.
"As pack connoisseurs we found ourselves not fully satisfied with our current MTB packs," he told BRAIN. "We realized that Gregory's long history of experience and innovation in pack fit, dynamic body motion, suspension systems and trusted trail comfort had the potential to contribute new solutions to fit, comfort and ride stability in MTB packs."
Sears said the mountain bike packs are being sold through Gregory's existing sales channels in the outdoor industry and via the company's own website. He said Gregory plans to expand its mountain bike product line in coming seasons but declined to say what types of bike products the company is developing.
The bike hydration market seems to attract more brands every year, with Thule jumping in last year. Osprey, also an outdoor industry packmaker, began offering bike-specific packs in 2009. Protection brands like Evoc, Leatt, Fox and POC also have entered the market in recent years.
"It is a crowded market, but we believe the market will continue to grow and we feel like the market is full of very similar — if not identical — products when it comes to performance, " Sears said. "We feel strongly about entering new product categories only when we have a unique and superior product to offer the end consumer," he said.
The current line of packs feature Gregory's Shift RS Suspension System, which has an adjustable hip belt that can be shifted vertically so the pack rides higher or lower on the back, depending on the rider's preference and conditions. The pack's 3D Hydro reservoir dries quickly thanks to a self-supporting, baffled construction and a built-in drying hook. "It is a cleaner and easier option relative to what's on the market," Sears said.
He noted that Gregory designed both the pack and the reservoir. "The reservoir isn't just a reservoir, it's an integrated system that is designed in concert with the pack. This isn't possible if we only design one or the other, so once again, it's all about providing a better solution to a common problem on the trail."
The new additions to the line for 2018 include the Gregory Endo, a men's pack and the Avos, a women's version. Each is available in 10 liter and 15 liter versions. They both include a tool pouch and organization features to keep tools, tubes, pumps, and an extra layer separated and close to the rider's center of gravity. All the packs in the brand's mountain bike line range in price from $99 to $129.
Gregory was founded in 1977 by Wayne Gregory. Black Diamond Equipment bought the brand in 2010 and sold it to Samsonite in 2014. After the sale, Gregory remained in Utah, moving about a mile down the road from Black Diamond. Sears, who has been with the brand for 16 years, said Samsonite allows it to operate autonomously.
"I'm happy to say that since the acquisition we've been thriving globally and are very optimistic about what the future holds for our brand, our customers and our employees," he said. Gregory's global sales last year were $51.8 million, up more than 17 percent from the prior year, according to Samsonite's annual results.
More information: gregorypacks.com/hydration/mountain-biking.
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The Gregory Endo 15L.
