Inside Bliss Protection

Apr 26, 2016
by Matt Wragg  
Inside Bliss. Waldershof Germany. Photo by Matt Wragg.


INSIDE


BLISS



WORDS AND PHOTOS: MATT WRAGG




While much of our series of visits to German companies seems to be preoccupied with showing how big these businesses are, Bliss are the quite opposite. While the brand may be getting a pretty good international profile, the truth is that they are a tiny outfit, it's just that they have some big ideas. Their take on lightweight trail protection is unlike anything else on the market today - an impressive feat for such a small group of people. Founded originally as a snowboard company they initially made mountain biking products as something to keep the business going during the summer. However, with the recent decline of the European winter market their evolution has been to focus much more heavily on their mountain biking range. We dropped into their headquarters in Marktredwitz, Germany to see how they work.



Inside Bliss. Waldershof Germany. Photo by Matt Wragg.
Bliss certainly keep it low-key in terms of their choice of warehouse building...

Inside Bliss. Waldershof Germany. Photo by Matt Wragg.

Inside Bliss. Waldershof Germany. Photo by Matt Wragg.
Inside Bliss. Waldershof Germany. Photo by Matt Wragg.

Inside Bliss. Waldershof Germany. Photo by Matt Wragg.
On the inside it's not your average industrial unit, however.

Inside Bliss. Waldershof Germany. Photo by Matt Wragg.
Inside Bliss. Waldershof Germany. Photo by Matt Wragg.

Inside Bliss. Waldershof Germany. Photo by Matt Wragg.
With an office this small you have a very different relationship to with your boss - founder and owner, Matthias Ascherl, is involved in every aspect of the business. His background is in product management, he created Bliss to produce the products he was looking for when he was out on the slopes or the trail.

Inside Bliss. Waldershof Germany. Photo by Matt Wragg.

Inside Bliss. Waldershof Germany. Photo by Matt Wragg.

Inside Bliss. Waldershof Germany. Photo by Matt Wragg.
Inside Bliss. Waldershof Germany. Photo by Matt Wragg.

Inside Bliss. Waldershof Germany. Photo by Matt Wragg.

Inside Bliss. Waldershof Germany. Photo by Matt Wragg.
There are signs of creativity everywhere - this is the development of their space-age-looking Armorgel kneepads. On the right is the old pad, on the left, is the improved design they are working on. To create the new shape they partnered with one of Britain's leading colleges to examine the shape of the knee and how it could be best protected. The new pad on the left shows the evolution, it is far more curved to sit more naturally around the knee and the surface area is dramatically increased to offer better protection.

Inside Bliss. Waldershof Germany. Photo by Matt Wragg.

Inside Bliss. Waldershof Germany. Photo by Matt Wragg.
Inside Bliss. Waldershof Germany. Photo by Matt Wragg.
The offices take up less than half of the space in the unit - most of it is devoted to their warehouse (which is in no small part co-opted as the staff bike store).

Inside Bliss. Waldershof Germany. Photo by Matt Wragg.

Inside Bliss. Waldershof Germany. Photo by Matt Wragg.
Inside Bliss. Waldershof Germany. Photo by Matt Wragg.

Inside Bliss. Waldershof Germany. Photo by Matt Wragg.
While they don't throw their budget into sponsoring global superstars, as one of the main sponsors of the Cube Global Squad, they clearly value their sponsored athletes incredibly highly - all the customization for their kit is done by hand.

Inside Bliss. Waldershof Germany. Photo by Matt Wragg.
The small, dedicated team behind Bliss.

Inside Bliss. Waldershof Germany. Photo by Matt Wragg.
Maybe the biggest advantage of working in a small company? They can have some creative employment rules. If you want a day off it's simple - you just need to beat Mathias on the basketball court!

MENTIONS: @blissprotection


Posted In:
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Member since Oct 29, 2006
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82 Comments
  • 71 2
 I love to see development in protection, it makes me cringe when I see people with no helmets or pads!
  • 40 2
 For sure, on the other hand saw a roadie in a full face on my commute home yesterday SMH
  • 31 2
 @beaardedmayhem: Maybe not him. but i've seen my brother hit speeds excess of 40 mph (garmin). Imagine, no gear, no full face, no pads, Just lycra and concrete. motorcyclist wear full face, road cyclist are open to the same amount of dangers as them
  • 6 10
flag plyawn (Apr 26, 2016 at 13:53) (Below Threshold)
 @tonggi: except the biggest threat to a motorcyclist is cars; not many cyclists riding with traffic at those speeds.
  • 2 0
 @plyawn: I agree with you, anything out there that's stationary, bolted to the ground, moving, in theway and/or sharp are threats. But helmets are for any collision associated with your head. You can fall off a bike/motorcycle hitting a pothole or grazing a curb. You never know.
  • 6 4
 @tonggi: Ridden and raced road and gone faster the 40mph, but you would never catch me riding in a full face.
  • 2 0
 @beaardedmayhem: hehe just saying. I know my brother wouldnt either. haha. But can't knock the guy for protecting his good looks. :p
  • 4 1
 Lets those who ride decide. you can always look the other way. armor gel is the way to go for pad s.....if i wore them.
  • 2 1
 @beaardedmayhem: cuz yer too fast, right?
  • 4 0
 @plyawn: ...."not many cyclists riding with traffic at those speeds"

....have you ever been to London? It can be insane there sometimes.
  • 3 0
 @plyawn like @orientdave said, or just any group road ride in a decent city.
  • 5 0
 @plyawn: irrelevant if the car that hits you is going 40
  • 1 0
 @beaardedmayhem: this is the problem ,need someone famous to kick it off
  • 3 0
 @tonggi:

Very very true.

My highest speed was aged 15 on a cronky old giant $200 steel frame, 64mph, t-shirt and jeans, no protection, wheel bolts shook loose and all sorts. A helmet was definitely needed.
I feel the devil is waiting for me with a cheese grater over that one.

Known people to get tickets for speeding on road bikes too. Definitely a need for protection.
But we don't cos it looks daft. Poor excuse.
  • 1 0
 @rrolly: too slow
  • 1 0
 @beaardedmayhem: haha! I'm with ya, brother!
  • 1 0
 On Roadies and protection, most of my MTB crashes end with a giggle (although...some...). Whenever I see a roadie down, you're guaranteed some blood, ripped lycra and more often than not a broken collarbone. Just sayin'
  • 2 0
 Armourgel is the real deal compared to other materials. Used by Amplifi as well, also out of Germany: www.amplifisports.com/en
I wish some US distributors would pick these up and make them available.
  • 2 1
 @plyawn: Actually the biggest threat to motorcyclists are themselves. The majority of motorcycle accidents are single vehicle. So the fall itself is a big part of it.
  • 1 0
 @tonggi: So true
  • 1 0
 @NoCOOak: Bliss now have a US office, stock arriving soon.
  • 1 0
 so scary relax tenderfoot
  • 19 0
 I really like their protection jackets, you can even wear it below a shirt and after a few minutes, you don't even feel it any more. I had the unfortunate opportunity to test one of those crashing in a rock garden - they work! My bones would like to thank you!
  • 1 0
 If only they had any in stock...
  • 1 0
 @Mooka: you can look for the Cube protection jackets, they are also made by Bliss...
  • 18 0
 4 people make all this stuff?!?!?!?!?!
  • 2 0
 Plus i'm sure an army of people in a factory in Asia. They are probably just a design house, which is fine.
  • 16 0
 Poor shot mechanics, I would get a day off any time I wanted.

#BallisLife
  • 6 0
 Bliss might be the only company which produces body armour which doesn't let you look like a knight on his horse. Love their ARG vest, especially on hot summer days in the bike park
  • 5 0
 I've been rockin the Bliss Arg top for 2 years and kneepads and backpack for 1 year, they are awesome. Love supporting small companies that make great gear! And I've had the unfortunate opportunity to put the pads to the test more then once. Thanks to Bliss I'm still riding!
  • 4 0
 Great company. Been using their top for three years and despite being unconvinced by the level of protection at first Ive had crashes which have amazed me how well the material works. And their customer service is second to none. Had a fault with my item, complained on pinkbike forum and they replaced it FOC. Great product, great people. I wont use anything else than this!
  • 4 0
 Enjoyed the article and pix. This part was good "they partnered with one of Britain's leading colleges to examine the shape of the knee and how it could be best protected" verdict: make them bigger. and not flat.
  • 4 0
 Brand with soul and top notch products. I´m on there Comp Top and I can tell you this is the best body armor I have ever used.
Like to see those guys love what they do!
Can´t wait to get a set of DH knee pads.
  • 6 0
 I really went into the wrong profession
  • 7 1
 MY JOB SUCK SOO MUTCH !!!!!!
  • 10 2
 Well if you finished High School and learnt to spell you might not be picking up golf balls at the driving range with your cousin for the rest of your life. On a positive note, you can always borrow the protective gear they provide when you are out collecting when you ride your bike.
  • 1 1
 @darkmuncan: OR maybe english is his second language because he's from Quebec. Don't you look silly
  • 3 0
 @friendlyfoe: english is my second language too.
  • 13 10
 I was expecting to see manufacturing... This is like calling article: "inside Exxon" and seeing CEOs office. I want to see dirty hands.
  • 5 0
 And filthy minds matron.
  • 2 1
 Silly Waki, no one makes anything in house anymore.
  • 1 0
 do they do any manufacturing though? Looks like they design, outsource manufacturing and have some local warehouse/distribution. Tough to do it all onshore these days. Even the ridiculously expensive high-end outerwear is mostly made overseas...
  • 10 2
 I wanna see poor asian ladies with unhappy faces making knee pads!
  • 1 0
 @plyawn: check out Armourgel.co.uk ...that's where the pads come from ...lots of dirty hands there.
  • 6 2
 I didn'taccuse them of slavish manufacture right away, rather expected to see people who stitch things together. Transparency is nice.
  • 3 2
 I wish one of these protection companies would come out with a decent elbow/forearm protector. Most of the ones out there are a sleeve design that are bound to fit poorly in one way or another and don't provide enough protection.
  • 5 1
 Seeing how he shoots I think my mom could beat that guy in a game of 1 on 1
  • 1 0
 Yeah, putting up bets like a day off. Sounds like Mathias is trying to get dunked on.
  • 4 0
 only 4 peoples...awesome!
Those protection is the best I´ve ever had...thank you Bliss!!!
  • 5 0
 Great blokes there - had an issue with my knee pads and my request via FB was answered within an hour. Replacement was no problem and they sent me some useful extra gifts for the "hassle" I had. In other words, top support from Bliss!
  • 1 0
 I'm really stoked on their product but the US retailer representation is lacking. Prob getting some back pro but it'll be coming from UK which isn't ideal for sizing etc... anyway - good luck, I hope your offerings make an impact (lol).
  • 3 0
 Those seem like some really joyful employees that are happy to be part of the business.
  • 3 0
 I would school Mathias at basketball. Das naechste mal, dass ich in Marktredwitz bin, pass auf!
  • 4 0
 This explains why there products are so hard to find in stock anywhere.
  • 2 0
 i like how i learn about the german origin of many brands via a canadian website. it never crossed my mind to check where Bliss or lets take ION actually come from.
  • 1 0
 Just got the Bliss/Cube ARG protection vest. So far tested it 2 times, feels really safe and covers much more than a backpack. At the same time really licht. Can't wait to test it a bikepark Smile
  • 2 2
 I own their armorgel kneepads and sadly I cant recomend them they seem to not fir properly on the knee they are like below or above but never on point. might be my body but I never had that problem before.
  • 2 0
 Hey Bliss guys, where can we get your DH pants, or are they only for team riders?
  • 5 0
 Cheers @Swine109 for the moment the DH pants are for team riders only. We will offer a limited amount around July in selected shops only.
  • 1 0
 @blissprotection: thanks for the heads up. I'll be hunting the stores to find a pair!
  • 2 0
 Would like to be at the top of the list for a set of the new Armorgel knee pads when they get released!
  • 3 2
 Wouldn't hurt to clean that camera sensor. Looks dustier than most of the mountain bikes you see in the reviews...
  • 2 1
 Anybody know what wheels are on the second bike from the right(the green wheels/hubs)?
  • 1 0
 Its a OE Cube system wheel from DT Swiss
  • 2 0
 These guys are TOP NOTCH!!! let alone there products!!
  • 1 0
 @blissprotection Have yall considered using discharge ink printing? I would love jerseys printed on in this fashion.
  • 2 0
 pls hire me
  • 1 2
 More articles about stuff you really can't get in The States. I've been wanting their DH pants and their ARG Comp Top for a while now.
  • 4 0
 @jm2e
please feel free to drop out US office an e-mail: usoffice@blisscamp.com and they will sort something out for you
  • 1 0
 To whom should I address my cover letter and resumé??
  • 7 0
 Are you good in basketball?
  • 1 0
 Pallet bike stand. I like
  • 5 7
 I think there's a mistake in the 3rd picture from bottom legend, isn't Phil Atwill riding for Propain, not Cube Global Squad ?
  • 1 0
 Phil Atwill came into my mind as well right away (knowing he rides for Propain obv). I doubt that there's anyone who rides as sick as he does. I think he spends more time drifting his bike sideways than riding it forwards like normal people do. Watching his videos makes me super pumped to go out and ride right away.
  • 4 0
 Yes Dirt/Propain/Zelvy, although someone should tell Bliss because they're still hand printing last years Dirt/Orange bikes jerseys apparently.
  • 3 0
 @darkside720: @Mattin @jissse I have entirely no actual knowledge of this, but my guess is that this was likely conducted at the same time as all the other "German Bike Industry" articles we have gotten to enjoy recently. They started being posted here well into last year, and the trip would have been well before that to give them time to actually write and format the article. I would suggest that this "interview" was conducted at least 8-10 months ago, maybe roughly July or August maybe? No shit talking, just totally my guess as to why the teams don't quite jive...
  • 1 0
 @VwHarman: Thanks, I forgot all those articles were done at the same time ! I'm just too focused on Phil and his 2016 season I guess Smile
  • 10 0
 @jissse: no worries! I rarely remember what my wife told me take out for dinner, but a pinkbike article from 6 months ago, I'm your man!
  • 2 0
 @VwHarman: nice, I see you focus on remembering the important things in life
  • 1 1
 @mattwragg when is the YT factory visit coming out? Or did I miss it?
  • 2 3
 I need some new elbow pads, want to sponsor me? Smile
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