BLISTER — Outdoor Gear Reviews, Podcasts, Buyer’s Guides, Giveaways

BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles

Zack Henderson reviews the Manitou Mara Pro PB

Manitou Mara Pro PB

Manitou’s rear shocks aren’t necessarily a common sight on the trails, but the updated Mara Pro PB makes a strong case for why that should change. Our Full Review chronicles our findings after a few months of heavy use.

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Simon Stewart and Dylan Wood review the Mondraker Dune XR for Blister

Mondraker Dune

The Mondraker Dune XR is exceptionally good at going downhill and adds the impressive Bosch SX drive system to help bring it back up for more. Check out the Full Review to see what Mondraker has done to make the Dune XR so unique.

Read More »
Simon Stewart and Dylan Wood review the Mondraker Dune XR for Blister

Deep Dive: Mondraker Dune XR

The Mondraker Dune XR is one of the more unique light-assist eMTBs we’ve tested, and as such there aren’t many direct comparisons, so we’re including some full-power eMTBs that match up a bit closer as well.

We compare the Mondraker Dune to the Pivot Shuttle LT, Orbea Wild, Devinci E-Troy, Canyon Torque:ON CF, and Trek Slash+.

Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions

To get our comprehensive Deep Dives and our initial, unfiltered reports on new gear, become a member and receive many other services, deals, and discounts.

If you’re already a member, please log in.

(If you’re already logged in and a member in good standing and seeing this message in error, please refresh this page in your browser.)

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BLISTER — Outdoor Gear Reviews, Podcasts, Buyer’s Guides, Giveaways

Team USA Snowboarder, Bea Kim (Ep.328)

At the age of 17, not many of us find ourselves competing for World Cup titles, or speaking in front of the United Nations. But then there’s Bea Kim, and you’re definitely going to want to get to know her and her story.

Read More »
David Golay reviews the Vorsprung Smashpot V2 for Blister

Vorsprung Smashpot V2 Coil Spring Fork Conversion Kit

Vorsprung’s new Smashpot V2 still lets you convert your fork to a coil spring, but V2 offers increased tunability, a wider range of travel and fork compatibility options — including dual-crown ones — and a new dual-rate progressive spring setup for longer-travel configurations. Check out our First Look for all the details.

Read More »
Zack Henderson reviews the Formula Nebbia

Formula Nebbia

The Nebbia is Formula’s first air shock, with a strong focus on tunability and ease of service. After a few months of testing, we have gotten a good sense of how it performs — and the results are even more interesting than expected.

Read More »
Enve’s Fifth-Generation M-Series Wheels

Flash Review — Enve M6 Wheels

Enve says that their new M-Series wheels ride very differently from Enve wheels of old, and we’ve started putting those claims to the test with their new Trail bike wheels, the M6. Check out our early impressions.

Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions

To get our comprehensive Deep Dives and our initial, unfiltered reports on new gear, become a member and receive many other services, deals, and discounts.

If you’re already a member, please log in.

(If you’re already logged in and a member in good standing and seeing this message in error, please refresh this page in your browser.)

Read More »
Enve’s Fifth-Generation M-Series Wheels

Enve’s Fifth-Generation M-Series Wheels

Enve has launched the fifth-generation versions of their flagship M-Series mountain bike wheels, promising a very different ride feel from past M-Series wheels. The data they’ve provided to quantify that is pretty eye-popping, and there’s a lot of interesting stuff going on with their design — including new, Enve-designed hubs. Check out what they’ve come up with.

Read More »
'A Sunday in Hell’ w/ Joe Parkin (Ep.26)

‘A Sunday in Hell’ w/ Joe Parkin & Simon Stewart (Ep.26)

We revisit the 1977 film ‘A Sunday in Hell,’ often regarded as one of the greatest bike racing films of all time. To do it justice, Simon Stewart is joined by former pro cyclist Joe Parkin, who raced Paris-Roubaix himself in 1988, and knows what it takes to suffer through “The Hell of the North.”

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Blister reviews the Trek Slash+

Trek Slash+

The Trek Slash+ combines big travel with a little motor — a pairing that sets it apart from the rest of the market. We have logged plenty of miles on the Slash+ this summer and have a lot to say about its impressive performance — and some tradeoffs that come with it.

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BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:

On our latest Blister Cinematic podcast, Jonathan talks with our great friend and longtime Blister reviewer, Paul Forward, about a beautiful new series of three short films about Paul, called, The Hard Way. It is presented by Sitka Films, and it delves into Paul’s lifelong passion for traditional bow hunting, and into the ethics that guide Paul’s practice.

‘The Hard Way’ w/ Paul Forward & Jonathan Ellsworth (Ep.27)

Jonathan talks with our friend and longtime Blister reviewer, Paul Forward, about a beautiful new series of three short films about Paul, called The Hard Way, that delve into Paul’s lifelong passion for traditional bow hunting, and the ethics that guide Paul’s practice.

Zack Henderson reviews the Manitou Mara Pro PB

Manitou Mara Pro PB

Manitou’s rear shocks aren’t necessarily a common sight on the trails, but the updated Mara Pro PB makes a strong case for why that should change. Our Full Review chronicles our findings after a few months of heavy use.

Simon Stewart and Dylan Wood review the Mondraker Dune XR for Blister

Mondraker Dune

The Mondraker Dune XR is exceptionally good at going downhill and adds the impressive Bosch SX drive system to help bring it back up for more. Check out the Full Review to see what Mondraker has done to make the Dune XR so unique.

Simon Stewart and Dylan Wood review the Mondraker Dune XR for Blister

Deep Dive: Mondraker Dune XR

The Mondraker Dune XR is one of the more unique light-assist eMTBs we’ve tested, and as such there aren’t many direct comparisons, so we’re including some full-power eMTBs that match up a bit closer as well.

We compare the Mondraker Dune to the Pivot Shuttle LT, Orbea Wild, Devinci E-Troy, Canyon Torque:ON CF, and Trek Slash+.

BLISTER — Outdoor Gear Reviews, Podcasts, Buyer’s Guides, Giveaways

Team USA Snowboarder, Bea Kim (Ep.328)

At the age of 17, not many of us find ourselves competing for World Cup titles, or speaking in front of the United Nations. But then there’s Bea Kim, and you’re definitely going to want to get to know her and her story.

David Golay reviews the Vorsprung Smashpot V2 for Blister

Vorsprung Smashpot V2 Coil Spring Fork Conversion Kit

Vorsprung’s new Smashpot V2 still lets you convert your fork to a coil spring, but V2 offers increased tunability, a wider range of travel and fork compatibility options — including dual-crown ones — and a new dual-rate progressive spring setup for longer-travel configurations. Check out our First Look for all the details.

Zack Henderson reviews the Formula Nebbia

Formula Nebbia

The Nebbia is Formula’s first air shock, with a strong focus on tunability and ease of service. After a few months of testing, we have gotten a good sense of how it performs — and the results are even more interesting than expected.

Enve’s Fifth-Generation M-Series Wheels

Flash Review — Enve M6 Wheels

Enve says that their new M-Series wheels ride very differently from Enve wheels of old, and we’ve started putting those claims to the test with their new Trail bike wheels, the M6. Check out our early impressions.

Enve’s Fifth-Generation M-Series Wheels

Enve’s Fifth-Generation M-Series Wheels

Enve has launched the fifth-generation versions of their flagship M-Series mountain bike wheels, promising a very different ride feel from past M-Series wheels. The data they’ve provided to quantify that is pretty eye-popping, and there’s a lot of interesting stuff going on with their design — including new, Enve-designed hubs. Check out what they’ve come up with.