With the reworking of the iconic Deathgrip mountain bike handlebar grip, Merlin Cycles sit down for a coffee and a chat with Mark Noble from DMR to go over all things about the brand and to look at some of the details of the new Deathgrip 2.
Mark, great to catch up with you. For those that don’t know, give us a bit of background on the history of DMR.
DMR was the brainchild of two bike-mad Sussex schoolmates almost 30 years ago, Damian Mason and Matt Ryley – they’re both dirt bike lovers, riders, product designers and DMR is all for people who just want better bike product. Matt and Damo set about designing parts, finding and working with factories and engineers overseas, making better and longer-lasting mountain bike product for a new, more hardcore, tougher style of mtb riding. And they haven’t rested since – making more product, continually refining bike parts, working with riders and teams and media and making sure DMR is right where it needs to be and making the best stuff. People know and trust our products, these are all products which have won countless awards and tests… plus, with the team and sponsored riders we work with, there’s always something new going on, something fun somewhere. We all love bicycles and dirt, and that’s what DMR’s about.
And when was the first grip produced by DMR? Was it the first product from the brand?
The first DMR product back in the day was a Chain Tug! A small, yet tough little device to keep correct chain tension on a dirt jump bike with slotted dropouts. Easy. As for DMR grips, they came shortly afterwards with simple push-on dirt jump grips for the trail riders. DMR grips have gone through many iterations since then – we still have a range of modern dirt jump grips, and they’re awesome.
Deathgrip – where did the name come from?
opllyThat came from the minds of Brendan Fairclough and Olly Wilkins who worked on the original designs and concepts for Deathgrip – which, is when you’re riding hella fast downhill without any fingers covering the brake levers. Full grip, no slip, holding just the grips themselves. No brakes, full commitment.
Who rides Deathgrips?
Literally, tens of thousands of riders worldwide swear by Deathgrips. Obviously, our whole DMR Bikes team runs Deathgrips in all forms – thick, thins, soft, Race, flangeless, flanged… we have so many options we have something for everyone. We also support and sponsor teams, such as the Viris team, Specialized Youth Team, MB Cycles Youth Team, Katy Curd Youth Team, the Propain Positive World Cup Team – they all run Deathgrips. Then, we have riders who choose to run Deathgrips outside of their pro sponsorship deals and regularly put them on World Cup and Hardline Podiums – they just want the best grips. They know who they are… but it’s great that local riders in the local woods can just walk into their local bike shop, grab a set of Deathgrips, and run the same product as the fastest and raddest riders in the World. That’s what makes DMR what it is today.
How does Deathgrip 2 differ from the original?
We hit the nail on the head with the design of the original Deathgrip back in 2017 – that combination of mushroom, waffle, and knurl grip pattern, the tapered core for secure fit, and the compounds and colour options… the Deathgrip really set the tone for all MTB grips going forwards and it inspired a mountain of copies. We see blatant copies and brands who pick Deathgrip designs, everywhere. The new Deathgrip 2 takes the best features of the original Deathgrip, and has fundamental improvements: a new flange design, a slimmer lock-on collar, the same tapered core, and a new grip end. We’ve also fine-tuned the grip pattern for better grip and feel. The new end has an exposed core which makes them more durable, plus adds colour options and a new DMR logo on the end. Deathgrip 2 is the original, just better.
Flange or Non-Flange?
You can choose either or! We offer both choices on Deathgrip 2, so fill yer boots.
Standard or Race?
Again, we offer choices here too – Standard grip compound feels great for all days, all mountains, all conditions and all riders. The softer Race compound just gives you extra comfort, extra grip, maybe for a little extra gnar for race weekends. Perfect for bike park sessions too.
Black or Colour coded?
Deathgrip 2 comes in six new colour options – Race versions come in black only with a new Red core, standard Deathgrip 2s come in black, blue marble, camo, snow camo, gum, and red for starters, thick or thin diameters, with or without flange… the combo choices are all there.
What can we expect from DMR in the next few years? Any sneak previews?
Haha! That would be telling… Deathgrip 2 is another major launch for DMR Bikes this year – we launched the Flat4 pedal and the titanium Trailstar frame earlier this year as well – but don’t forget that 2025 will be the 30 Year Anniversary for DMR Bikes so we’ll have a lot going on in the very near future.
Mark, great to catch up with you and see you out on the trails sometime!
Shop the new DMR Deathgrip 2 here – Available at Merlin Cycles
