US Manufacturing and Investing in Bike Businesses, with Matt Lyon of Hydrapak

Matt Lyon is the President and CEO of Hydrapak. He’s worked in the outdoor industry for decades and serves as the Board Chair of the California Outdoor Recreation Partnership. In this episode we ask Matt: How did Hydrapak get started? How many leaky reservoir prototypes did you go through? What’s the hardest part of the pack to reliably seal? Do you have any tips for cleaning and caring for hydration reservoirs? When you go out for a ride, do you prefer bottles or a hydration pack? What are the challenges when it comes to making environmentally friendly products? How big of an impact does using recycled materials make versus creating long-lasting products that need to be replaced less often? Aside from supply chain issues, has the pandemic caused you to rethink your businesses in any significant ways? What are the advantages of building products in the US using US-sourced materials? Do you think this plays a big role in consumer purchasing decisions? What are some of the things the California Outdoor Recreation Partnership is currently advocating for at the state level? As a registered investment advisor, is the bike industry a good place for individuals to invest their savings and for retirement? As someone who has studied mechanical engineering, what frustrates you about the biking experience today? --Keep up with the latest in mountain biking at Singletracks.com and on Instagram @singletracks