David Golay, Author at BLISTER

SRAM Eagle Transmission

January 11, 2024March 21, 2023 by David Golay

There have been spy photos of what appeared to be a new direct-mount derailleur, plus updated Eagle cranks, cassettes, and controllers from SRAM floating around the internet for a while now — and today it all breaks cover, along with some new brakes and much more. Check out our First Look for all the info on the new Eagle Transmission.

Caleb Holonko on Building, Filming, and Going Huge (Ep.161)

May 4, 2023March 15, 2023 by David Golay

Caleb Holonko’s “Lights Out” was one of the most outrageous video edits we saw last year, and he’s already followed it up with another banger with “In The Know.” So we sat down to talk about his take on building, filming, and melding new-school riding with classic North Shore style, plus a whole lot more.

David Golay reviews the Yeti SB160 for Blister

Flash Review — Yeti SB160

March 14, 2023March 14, 2023 by David Golay

We’ve started spending time on Yeti’s latest take on an Enduro race bike, the SB160. Check out our Flash Review for our early impressions.

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Cy Turner on 20 Years of Cotic Bikes (Ep.160)

May 4, 2023March 9, 2023 by David Golay

Cotic Bikes turns 20 this year, and we took the opportunity to sit down with founder Cy Turner to chat about the history of the brand & changes to the industry over those two decades; why they use steel for full-suspension frames and hardtails alike; Cy’s philosophy on bike design; tease an upcoming Blister review; & a whole lot more.

Ibis Ripmo V2S

March 9, 2023 by David Golay

Ibis gave the Ripmo a light update late last year, and while the changes to the new V2S version aren’t all that dramatic, it’s still a good, well-rounded bike that blurs the line between longer-travel Trail bikes and full-on Enduro ones, in a way that we can imagine working well for a lot of folks. Check out our full review for our take, including how the Ripmo V2S stacks up against a dozen of its competitors.

Galfer Shark Rotors

March 8, 2023 by David Golay

We really like Galfer’s standard Wave rotors, but how about the fancier Shark versions that they’re launched more recently? And in general, who should think about upgrading their existing rotors? Check out our review to learn more.

Trinity Gravity

March 7, 2023March 6, 2023 by David Golay

Trinity MTB has been developing one of the wildest, most interesting new bikes in recent memory and now the result of their efforts is available to pre-order. Check out our First Look with all the info on the Trinity Gravity — and there’s a *lot* going on here.

Magnus Manson is Back (Ep.159)

May 4, 2023March 2, 2023 by David Golay

Magnus Manson had to put his burgeoning World Cup DH career on hold while he battled cancer, and now he’s gearing back up for the upcoming season. So we sat down with Magnus to talk about his treatment & recovery; staying motivated; filming and racing throughout his treatment; and a whole lot more.

Canyon Spectral 125

March 2, 2023March 2, 2023 by David Golay

The Canyon Spectral 125 is about as aggressive as ~120mm-travel Trail bikes get, and the results are pretty interesting. Check out our full review for the whole story, including comparisons to six other bikes in this rapidly growing class.

Crank Brothers Mallet Trail Pedals

February 28, 2023 by David Golay

Crank Brothers just launched a new clipless pedal, the Mallet Trail, meant to slot in between the Candy and the Mallet E — and we’ve been testing it all winter. Check out our full review for the rundown on the design and how it performs on the trail.

Transition Smuggler, Starling Murmur, Pivot Shuttle LT, & More (Ep.158)

May 4, 2023February 23, 2023 by David Golay

David Golay sat down with the newest member of the Blister bike review team, Simon Stewart, to talk about a ton of the new bikes they’ve been testing — including some interesting takeaways about the wildly-varied class of ~140mm-travel Trail bikes.

David Golay reviews the 2023 Transition Smuggler for Blister

Flash Review — 2023 Transition Smuggler

February 16, 2023February 16, 2023 by David Golay

We've got a handful of rides on the new Transition Smuggler — 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.

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Ministry Cycles on Suspension Design, Machining Frames, & Launching a Bike Company (Ep.157)

May 4, 2023February 15, 2023 by David Golay

Chris Currie has taken a long, winding road to founding Ministry Cycles, and the bike he’s launching with, the Psalm 150, is every bit as interesting. So we sat down with Chris to get the whole story.

Neko Mulally’s World Cup DH Bike Development (Ep.155)

Neko Mulally’s World Cup DH Bike Development (Ep.156)

May 4, 2023February 9, 2023 by David Golay

When we last caught up with Neko Mulally he had just launched his Frameworks self-designed World Cup DH race bike project, and now a year later, he’s learned a whole lot — and changed a lot of the frame design details along the way. So we sat back down to get the whole story.

David Golay reviews the Santa Cruz Nomad for Blister

2023 Santa Cruz Nomad

February 8, 2023 by David Golay

The newly mulleted Santa Cruz Nomad is pretty different from the bike that it replaced, but it’s still the more playful, less-demanding Enduro bike in Santa Cruz’s lineup — and it’s excellent.

NF Heavyweight Pants

February 7, 2023 by David Golay

The NF Heavyweight Pants are the Canadian brand’s take on a cold / wet weather mountain bike pant, and they go about things rather differently from a lot of other options out there — with excellent results.

Braydon Bringhurst on Climbing the Whole Enchilada (Ep.155)

May 4, 2023February 2, 2023 by David Golay

A few months ago, Braydon Bringhurst pulled off the incredible accomplishment of climbing the Whole Enchilada trail in Moab, Utah in a single day — and *rode* every inch of it. So we sat down with Braydon to get the whole story.

MTB Brake Shootout

February 14, 2025February 1, 2023 by David Golay

What’s the most important component on a mountain bike? A strong argument could be made for brakes, and there are now a greater number of good, powerful brakes than ever before. But how do they actually stack up against each other? We’ve spent the past year-plus directly comparing eight of the top options from Shimano, SRAM, TRP, Hayes, Hope, Magura, & Cascade Components — in this in-depth roundup, we explain how they all compare, what each does best, and which ones might be ideal for you.

Geoff Kabush on Longevity, Having Fun, & Career Evolution (Ep.154)

May 4, 2023January 26, 2023 by David Golay

Geoff Kabush has had about as long and varied a career as a professional racer can have, so we sat down with him to chat about the ups and downs over the years, his favorite events and stories, what keeps him going, & a whole lot more.

Ibis Exie

January 24, 2023 by David Golay

The Ibis Exie isn’t new, but the overseas-made version is, and it’s *much* more affordable than the US-made original that Ibis launched a couple of years back. Check out our First Look for the details.