Recent Posts
Win $150 Gift Cards from Arms of Andes
This week TWO people will get $150 to spend on Arms of Andes’ high-end, locally sourced alpaca-wool garments!
Catching Up with Sanjay Rawal + the Importance of “Running Easy” (Ep.89)
Sanjay Rawal is back on the podcast to discuss his latest film project about the American runner, Patti Catalano Dillon; how being coached by Patti has caused him to completely overhaul how he trains; and why we all might benefit by remembering to “run easy.”
Blind Trials Rider & Bike Mechanic, Matt Gilman (Ep.75)
When he was in his 20s Matt Gilman lost his sight due to diabetes, but that hasn’t stopped him from riding trials — and maybe even more remarkably, working as a bike mechanic. His story is an incredible one, so we sat down with Matt to talk about his approach to riding; how he manages to ride by feel; his career as a bike mechanic and how he adapted to doing that blind; and a whole lot more.
2021-2022 Black Crows Serpo
The 93mm-wide Serpo is another brand-new addition to the Black Crows 21/22 lineup, but it doesn’t look very much like most other ~93mm-wide all-mountain skis. Check out our First Look & Flash Review for more on this ski and our initial impressions.
Blister Brand Guide: Orbea Mountain Bike Lineup, 2021
From extremely light hardtails to long-travel Enduro bikes, Orbea’s current lineup covers a pretty broad spectrum over just a handful of models. Check out our Brand Guide for a breakdown of what sets each bike apart, what builds are the best bang for the buck, and more.
Dr. Rami Hashish on Optimizing Athletic Performance, Aging Well, & Rethinking Work (Ep.174)
We talk with Dr. Rami Hashish about a whole lot of topics surrounding high-level human performance, injury prevention, and how to age well. Dr. Hashish is the founder of the National Biomechanics Institute, has a Doctorate of Physical Therapy and a PhD in Biomechanics, serves on the review board for various national and international medical and engineering journals, and sits on a global committee for spine and brain injury.
Chromag Minor Threat
Chromag has long been known for making aggressive hardtails, but they’ve just released their first full-suspension model — and it’s a kids’ bike. The Minor Threat (which is the best new product name we’ve seen in a while) is an interesting new direction for the brand and looks like a very promising option for the younger rippers out there. Check out our First Look for all the info.
Flash Review — Ibis Ripley AF
Ibis hasn’t typically been known as a value brand, but their Ripley AF (and it’s big brother, the Ripmo AF) just might change that. We’ve been spending time on the shorter-travel Ripley AF, and are really impressed so far. Check out our Flash Review for more.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are produced for Blister members.
To get our comprehensive deep dives and our initial, unfiltered reports on new gear without waiting for our full reviews, become a Blister 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.)
Win Hip Packs from Dakine
This week TWO people will get Dakine’s recently revised Hot Laps 5L hip pack!
Current State of Helmet Tech, pt. 5: WaveCel (Ep.154)
We talk to the co-founder of WaveCel, and discuss the origins & development of WaveCel; Dr. Madey makes what might be the best case we’ve ever heard about why rotational forces play such a critical role in brain injuries; and we discuss how WaveCel compares to MIPS and Koroyd.
Blister Brand Guide: Santa Cruz / Juliana Mountain Bike Lineup, 2022
Santa Cruz and its sister brand, Juliana, have now released their full model-year 2022 lineup, and in our Brand Guide we provide a rundown on all the bikes, builds, and other specs to help you figure out which bikes you might want to consider.
New Manitou Dorado (Ep.74)
The first-generation Manitou Dorado turned a lot of heads more than 20 years ago, thanks to its inverted layout and wild-looking carbon chassis. The just-released, fourth-generation Dorado is a major update to what Manitou calls “the longest-standing inverted downhill fork” — including a return of the carbon chassis, after more than a decade hiatus. But there’s a whole lot more going on, too, so we sat down with Manitou’s Phil Ott to discuss the past and present of the Dorado; the advantages and disadvantages of inverted forks; fork offset; and a whole bunch more.
WTB Proterra Tough i30 Wheels
WTB says their new Proterra Tough wheels “won’t let you down,” but they’re also relatively affordable and not especially heavy. So has WTB beaten the old “cheap, light, strong; pick two” adage, or is there a catch? Check out our full review to find out.
2021 Santa Cruz Nomad
The original Santa Cruz Nomad was one of the first bikes to shape the mold for the modern Enduro bike, way back in 2005. Now in its fifth generation, the new bike stands out from the rest of the market in some interesting ways. We’ve been spending a ton of time on this 27.5”-wheeled bike, and it makes a compelling case for why smaller wheels should stick around. Check out our full review for more.
Flash Review — Forbidden Dreadnought
High-pivot bikes might be even trendier than mullets right now, and we’ve now been spending time on the Forbidden Dreadnought. Check out our Flash Review for our early impressions of this very interesting offering.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are produced for Blister members.
To get our comprehensive deep dives and our initial, unfiltered reports on new gear without waiting for our full reviews, become a Blister 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.)
Win $150 Gift Cards from Arms of Andes
This week TWO people will get $150 to spend on Arms of Andes’ high-end, locally sourced alpaca-wool garments!
Catching Up with Sanjay Rawal + the Importance of “Running Easy” (Ep.89)
Sanjay Rawal is back on the podcast to discuss his latest film project about the American runner, Patti Catalano Dillon; how being coached by Patti has caused him to completely overhaul how he trains; and why we all might benefit by remembering to “run easy.”
Blind Trials Rider & Bike Mechanic, Matt Gilman (Ep.75)
When he was in his 20s Matt Gilman lost his sight due to diabetes, but that hasn’t stopped him from riding trials — and maybe even more remarkably, working as a bike mechanic. His story is an incredible one, so we sat down with Matt to talk about his approach to riding; how he manages to ride by feel; his career as a bike mechanic and how he adapted to doing that blind; and a whole lot more.
2021-2022 Black Crows Serpo
The 93mm-wide Serpo is another brand-new addition to the Black Crows 21/22 lineup, but it doesn’t look very much like most other ~93mm-wide all-mountain skis. Check out our First Look & Flash Review for more on this ski and our initial impressions.
Blister Brand Guide: Orbea Mountain Bike Lineup, 2021
From extremely light hardtails to long-travel Enduro bikes, Orbea’s current lineup covers a pretty broad spectrum over just a handful of models. Check out our Brand Guide for a breakdown of what sets each bike apart, what builds are the best bang for the buck, and more.
Dr. Rami Hashish on Optimizing Athletic Performance, Aging Well, & Rethinking Work (Ep.174)
We talk with Dr. Rami Hashish about a whole lot of topics surrounding high-level human performance, injury prevention, and how to age well. Dr. Hashish is the founder of the National Biomechanics Institute, has a Doctorate of Physical Therapy and a PhD in Biomechanics, serves on the review board for various national and international medical and engineering journals, and sits on a global committee for spine and brain injury.
Chromag Minor Threat
Chromag has long been known for making aggressive hardtails, but they’ve just released their first full-suspension model — and it’s a kids’ bike. The Minor Threat (which is the best new product name we’ve seen in a while) is an interesting new direction for the brand and looks like a very promising option for the younger rippers out there. Check out our First Look for all the info.
Flash Review — Ibis Ripley AF
Ibis hasn’t typically been known as a value brand, but their Ripley AF (and it’s big brother, the Ripmo AF) just might change that. We’ve been spending time on the shorter-travel Ripley AF, and are really impressed so far. Check out our Flash Review for more.
Win Hip Packs from Dakine
This week TWO people will get Dakine’s recently revised Hot Laps 5L hip pack!
Current State of Helmet Tech, pt. 5: WaveCel (Ep.154)
We talk to the co-founder of WaveCel, and discuss the origins & development of WaveCel; Dr. Madey makes what might be the best case we’ve ever heard about why rotational forces play such a critical role in brain injuries; and we discuss how WaveCel compares to MIPS and Koroyd.
Blister Brand Guide: Santa Cruz / Juliana Mountain Bike Lineup, 2022
Santa Cruz and its sister brand, Juliana, have now released their full model-year 2022 lineup, and in our Brand Guide we provide a rundown on all the bikes, builds, and other specs to help you figure out which bikes you might want to consider.
New Manitou Dorado (Ep.74)
The first-generation Manitou Dorado turned a lot of heads more than 20 years ago, thanks to its inverted layout and wild-looking carbon chassis. The just-released, fourth-generation Dorado is a major update to what Manitou calls “the longest-standing inverted downhill fork” — including a return of the carbon chassis, after more than a decade hiatus. But there’s a whole lot more going on, too, so we sat down with Manitou’s Phil Ott to discuss the past and present of the Dorado; the advantages and disadvantages of inverted forks; fork offset; and a whole bunch more.