Q&A: Nittany Mountain Works
Bike Bags Solar Sewn in Philipsburg, PA
Pennsylvania is not on most people radars for mountain biking. A couple of decades ago, a mountain biking magazine (I forget which one) rated the commonwealth as being the top under-the-radar state in the USA for riding/mountain biking. Here we are in the year 2025 and it’s likely that the same argument can be made.
It’s where I was born and where I learned to mountain bike. It’s super tech riding, yes. Miles and miles of remote dirt trails and roads and not to forget—more water miles than any other state—and seemingly endless foliage in deep dark woods make the experience second to none.
So when it came to buy a bag for the Surly Moloko bar I bought for my Pugsley, I knew I’d buy one from Nittany Mountain Works of Philipsburg, PA. The Pug is an adventure bike, and Nittany makes a bag for Jones bars and so it was a natural fit to have them make one for the Moloko, was my thinking. Plus, I went to school in that area and rode those trails during those years. Central Pa is natural beauty defined.
Who is Nittany Mountain Works and how do they sew bags with solar power in dreary PA? Read on to find out:
1. Tell us a little background about who you are and why you make the kinds of bags that you do. My name is Josh, I started ORGANIC Climbing in 2004 to make rock climbing gear. I have been a climber my whole life and during this period the big box outdoor companies were beginning to outsource their production and it became a race to the bottom in terms of quality and innovation. I started ORGANIC to make gear that could not be found for the needs of my climbing crew. I moved to PA in 2009 … and there is of course a HUGE cycling community here. I continually was told by local bikers that they loved the quality of ORGANIC Climbing and could we make X or Y for their bike. I met Evan and Helena through following their blog and eventually was lucky enough to get asked to make Helena a frame bag for her bike. They were big in the cycling media at the time and took my hand and showed me more of the potential for products. I have always cycled but never had as big a rooting as Evan and H so it was extremely eye opening to have them walk into our workshop and be like, shit you could make this, you could make this, and it would be better than what’s out there and it would be so easy for you all. In 2018 Evan Gross came on board with his much bigger cycling background and with the sewing infrastructure ORGANIC had, we established Nittany Mountain Works and developed quickly and successfully as a sibling brand. The 2 sew in the same solar powered workshop by the same amazing sewing team, and by pooling the resources of 2 brands it’s been much more sustainable than starting a small niche brand itself.
2. What's unique about your bags? On the ORGANIC Climbing end of things we are one of the last companies that is making product at an international sales level that is still family owned and made in USA. Few people know but so many of the outdoor brands have been acquired by larger holding companies and are no longer owned by outdoor lovers. Our products are made from Recycled Fabrics, using solar power and for the majority of our products that are custom colors no two are alike, so it gives people a chance to express themselves. At Nittany, our bags are designed to meet the extreme needs of PA Cycling, from the always wet weather, to the brambles one comes across that will shred most fabrics. Evan is one of the most critical gear users in cycling I have ever met so the products he dreams up get the crap kicked out of em! I tend to be the same in Climbing and am pretty fanatical about our ORGANIC products.
3. What's up with the solar sewn bags concept? I'm intrigued and wanna hear/know more. In 2018 we set out to build a workshop in Philipsburg PA that we had been renting a space from for nearly a decade but our landlord was irritated that we were growing enough and that we have rental semi trailers in the parking lot for extra space needs. They sold us a lot across the street. The business park we are located in is built on top of an old coal mine so it had no tree cover. We realized that it was one of the best local areas for Solar so we wanted to put solar panels on our building but the cost was above our budget. Then we were offered a chance of a lifetime and the amazing PIDA (Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority) had a special low interest rate mortgage offer on the market and our proposal got accepted. The difference in the interest rate from their special one time offering and what we had been budgeting in a standard SBA Loan offered us enough savings to pay for 165 solar panels and cover the roof of our warehouse!!! We had projected a 15 year payoff on the generation but are now on schedule to pay them off in 7 years as the production has been way better than we thought year round!!!
4. Wait, isn't PA cloudy, grey, dismal?! I say that as someone born and raised there, as well as having gone to college in central P-A! It is, but we can still make electricity most days! We also are blessed in a way and our shop is built in a literal wind tunnel (Seriously if you look at the topography of our area it’s true) so most snow gets blown off our room and opens our solar panels all winter unless we really get dumped on! We also over produce enough all summer and sell it back to the grid that what we use from the grid in the most dark parts of winter is offset by our summer overproduction!
5. Bike question. What are you riding these days?
Josh - Bearclaw Thunderhawk Drop Bar and Chumba Mountain Bike
Evan - Bearclaw Beaux Jaxson Drop Bar and Carver Mountain Bike
6. Indie beer recommendations in your neck of the woods? Anything from Boal City in Boalsburg or Elk Creek in Millheim.
7. I often tell people that PA is the most underrated place in the country for outdoor adventuring. Agree? Disagree? 100 percent agree however perhaps we just don’t talk about it … and keep it this way : ) I spent 6 years in Wyoming which I would say is the western equivalent to PA: lots of public land, space between cities and a unique mix of sports that all in a way work together to form networks to protect, respect and advocate for outdoor resources … this beautifully crossed all political lines. I know Evan grew up in PA, and has not strayed far, and he never seems to be board of what’s out the front door. I mean #keepPAshitty : )
8. Last word. Say what you want? Google who / what really owns your favorite outdoor brands. You want a future for innovative good gear? Vote with your dollars.
Check out the bike bags here:
https://nittanymountainworks.com/
Moloko Bars and Purple Lizard Maps — Below is my custom bag in the color palette of Mike’s Purple Lizard Maps bags that he uses with his bikes. We’ve featured the Lizard in the past. Check that feature out here and check out his website for beautiful maps to have on your person while in the wild:
https://mtbeer.substack.com/p/how-to-spell-adventure-purple-lizard
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