Blister Reviewer BadgeDavid Golay

David Golay reviews the Chromag Darco for Blister

Deep Dive: Chromag Darco

by

We compare the Chromag Darco to the We Are One Arrival 152, Canyon Spectral 125, Transition Smuggler, and REEB Steezl.

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 an active 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.)

David Golay reviews the Chromag Darco for Blister

Chromag Darco

by
Chromag has been doing things their own way for decades, and their first adult full-suspension bike, the Darco, isn’t like much else out there. And while it won’t be for everyone, it’s a bike that the right folks will absolutely love.
David Golay reviews the Contra MC for Blister

Flash Review — Contra MC

by
We've got a Contra MC in for long term review, and we've been spending a lot of time on it. Check out our impressions so far.

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 an active 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.)

David Golay reviews the Manitou Mattoc Pro for Blister

2023 Manitou Mattoc

by
Our Bike Editor has long been a big fan of the Manitou Mezzer and got pretty excited when Manitou dropped a new version of their Mattoc Trail bike fork, since it looked a lot like a mini-Mezzer on paper. Having now spent a lot of time with the Mattoc, the story is a bit more complicated than that — but that’s probably a good thing for a lot of folks.
David Golay reviews the We Are One Triad wheels for Blister

We Are One Convergence Wheels

by
We Are One has been making some of our favorite carbon wheels for quite a while now, and the latest models in their Convergence line are claimed to be stronger and more damped than their longstanding Union rims — and they use a wild-looking design to get there. We’ve been spending a lot of time on the middle-width wheel in the range, the Triad, and are ready to weigh in.
David Golay reviews the 2024 Trek Slash for BLISTER

Trek on the New High-Pivot Slash (Ep.186)

by
The Trek Slash has been in their lineup for a long time, but the new sixth-generation bike is a big departure from the earlier iterations — first and foremost because of its new high-pivot suspension layout — and we sat down with the lead engineer on the project, Matt Yerke, to hear all about it.
David Golay reviews the 2024 Trek Slash for BLISTER

Flash Review — 2024 Trek Slash

by
The Trek Slash has gone high-pivot and grown a mullet, and we've started spending time on the new one.

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 an active 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.)

David Golay reviews the MRP AMg for BLISTER

MRP AMg Chain Guide

by
MRP is one of the biggest names out there when it comes to products that keep your drivetrain protected and operating as it should; the latest iteration of their AMg chain guide brings some nice refinements to their upper guide and bash guard style offering, with an eye to ease of setup and adjustability.
Blister Mountain Bike Knee Pad Roundup — 2023

D3O On The Past, Present, and Future of MTB Armor (Ep.185)

by
The mountain bike armor market has evolved a lot in recent years, and D30’s non-Newtonian materials have had a big hand in shaping those changes. So we sat down with them to chat about the ways MTB armor has changed; where they see it going in the future; the tradeoffs inherent to designing protective gear; testing standards + their pros and cons; kids’ armor; and a whole lot more.
David Golay reviews the 2024 RockShox BoXXer for Blister

Flash Review — 2024 RockShox BoXXer

by
We’ve started spending time on the long-awaited 38 mm version of the RockShox BoXXer. Check out our initial 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 an active 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.)

David Golay reviews the 2024 Fox Float for Blister

2024 Fox Float

by
Fox says their new Float rear shock is meant to bring a lot of the performance of the Float X to a smaller, lighter package, but have they succeeded, and what are the tradeoffs? We’ve been logging a lot of time on the two back-to-back, and we’ve got some answers.
Chromag’s Full Suspension Bike Development (Ep.184)

Chromag’s Full Suspension Bike Development (Ep.184)

by
Chromag is unquestionably *the* first brand that a lot of people think of when it comes to hardcore hardtails, which makes their recent foray into full-suspension bikes especially interesting. And as we uncover in this conversation with Chromag engineer Joe Swann, the path to launching the Darco and Lowdown has been a long and winding — and fascinating — one.
David Golay reviews the REEB Steezl for Blister

Flash Review — REEB Steezl

by
We've started spending time on the REEB Steezl — 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 an active 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.)

David Golay reviews the Forge+Bond 30 EM wheels for Blister

Forge+Bond 30 EM Wheels

by
CSS Composites has been making thermoplastic carbon fiber wheels for a number of other brands for a while now, but their own brand, Forge+Bond, claims to do some things differently. Having spent a ton of time on their 30 EM wheels, we’re ready to weigh in.
+ More