David Golay, Author at BLISTER

Dillon Osleger on Historic Trails, Changing Climates, & Evolving Communities (Ep.133)

September 5, 2022September 1, 2022 by David Golay

On this week’s episode of Bikes & Big Ideas, we chatted with professional mountain biker, trail builder, and climate scientist, Dillon Osleger, about Rezduro; the Protect Our Winters Bike Alliance; trail building and advocacy; the development of mountain biking as both a sport and a community; and much more.

Hope Tech 4 V4

August 26, 2022 by David Golay

Hope’s disc brakes got a major overhaul in the form of the new Tech 4 generation earlier this year, and that brought a very major increase in power to the range. But how does their burliest brake, the Tech 4 V4, compare to the competition? Check out our full review.

Reviewer Reports: Bikes, Suspension, Brakes, & More (Ep.132)

August 25, 2022 by David Golay

David Golay and Dylan Wood sat down to chat about a ton of the bikes and gear they’ve been testing, including the Pivot Shadowcat, Intense Tracer 279, Canfield Jedi 29, the new Manitou Dorado, and much, much more.

David Golay reviews the Canfield Jedi 29 for Blister

Flash Review — Canfield Jedi 29

October 5, 2022August 23, 2022 by David Golay

We've been spending time on the Canfield Jedi 29, and it's an excellent update to a longstanding classic. Check out our Flash Review for our early impressions.

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David Golay and Luke Koppa review the Giro Latch for Blister

Giro Latch Flat Pedal Shoe

August 22, 2022 by David Golay

The Giro Latch is a flat pedal shoe designed for all-around use, going squarely head-to-head with the venerable Five Ten Freerider Pro, and the Latch succeeds at being a compelling alternative with good grip, solid durability, and a comfortable fit.

RockyMounts GuideRail

August 19, 2022 by David Golay

RockyMounts’ new GuideRail looks quite a bit like the venerable 1Up hitch rack, which has been a longtime favorite of many, but having now spent a lot of time with both, the Guiderail is significantly nicer to use in several key ways.

Reynolds on the Environmental Footprint of Bike Manufacturing (Ep.131)

August 18, 2022August 18, 2022 by David Golay

We chatted with Reynolds about their new environmental impact study and what they learned about the emissions output from making bike frames. We also get into recycling & why some materials are better suited to it than others; how Reynolds hopes to be a blueprint for other brands to take studying their own output more seriously; and touch on everything from Spitfire airplanes to Roman swords and classic Jaguar race cars along the way.

2023 RockShox ZEB

August 17, 2022August 17, 2022 by David Golay

RockShox recently gave their longest-travel single-crown fork, the ZEB, a major overhaul, and the new fork is a big improvement in several key areas — without really compromising what the previous version already did very well. Check out our full review for the rundown, including how it compares to the Fox 38 and Öhlins RXF38.

David Golay reviews the Rocky Mountain Element for Blister

2022 Rocky Mountain Element

September 19, 2022August 12, 2022 by David Golay

The Rocky Mountain Element has long been a traditional XC race bike, but the new one very much is not. It’s got a bunch more suspension travel and wildly more aggressive geometry than the bike it replaced, but still maintains a fair bit of XC influence, too. So how does that all add up, and who is it going to work best for?

Speed & Style on Dirt & Snow with Dillon Flinders (Ep.130)

August 11, 2022 by David Golay

We sat down with aspiring World Cup Downhiller and Freeride World Tour skier Dillon Flinders to talk about his goal of competing on both circuits simultaneously and his roadmap for getting there. We also get into the mental aspects of racing, injury recovery & motivation; mentorship; & much more.

Men’s MTB Jersey Roundup — 2022

August 11, 2022August 10, 2022 by David Golay

We’ve been testing a ton of mountain bike jerseys across a huge range of styles and intended use cases, and in our men’s roundup, we’ve got 13 options to compare.

An Update on Blister Labs’ Mountain Bike Wheel Testing

August 5, 2022August 5, 2022 by David Golay

Our Blister Labs team is well underway with mountain bike wheelset testing that is going to provide far more detailed information and real-world quantitative data than anything that has previously been available to consumers. Here’s an update on what we’re up to and how it’s going.

Sage Flow Motion

August 5, 2022August 5, 2022 by David Golay

The Sage Flow Motion is a beautifully constructed titanium Trail hardtail, but unlike the XC-oriented options of yesteryear, it’s got modern, aggressive geometry and 29’’ wheels, and the result is a whole lot of fun.

Rae Morrison on 8 Years on the EWS, Race Strategies, & Forging Her Own Path (Ep.129)

August 4, 2022 by David Golay

We sat down with EWS racer Rae Morrison to chat about her mental approach to racing and dialing in when to push and how hard; staying positive and returning from injuries; her unique team setup and having her husband as her mechanic; and much more.

David Golay reviews the Norco Fluid FS for Blister

2023 Norco Fluid FS

June 5, 2023July 28, 2022 by David Golay

Norco’s affordable all-rounder Trail bike, the Fluid FS, just got a big update, and while the new bike is marketed to beginner and intermediate riders, it’s got great-looking geometry and a nice build spec that seems like it could attract plenty of price-conscious experts, too.

Crestline Bikes on Adaptability, Collaboration, & Founding a Bike Brand (Ep.128)

July 28, 2022 by David Golay

We sat down with Troydon and Jimmy from Crestline Bikes to talk about their upcoming high-pivot VPP DH bike & VPP e-bike; getting advice from Greg Minnaar and Neko Mulally; starting a bike company during the pandemic; and a whole lot more.

David Golay reviews the Vorsprung Smashpot for Blister

Vorsprung Smashpot Coil Spring Fork Conversion Kit

July 27, 2022 by David Golay

There aren’t many coil-sprung forks left on the market, but Vorsprung’s Smashpot conversion kit opens up a lot of options for riders who miss that option. And having now spent a lot of time testing the Smashpot, it makes a compelling case for why certain riders might want to ditch their air springs. But who is it going to work best for, and what are the downsides? Check out our full review for the rundown.

David Golay reviews the Shimano AM903 for Blister

Shimano AM903 Shoe

July 21, 2022 by David Golay

The Shimano AM9 has been their top-tier gravity clipless shoe for a long time now (and a personal favorite of ours), and while the latest AM903 generation is mostly a case of leaving a good thing alone, it’s got some nice refinements over the earlier iterations.

We sat down with the crew from Over The Edge to talk about trail building & the development of MTB towns; traveling to ride; servicing Rampage bikes; & much more.

Over The Edge on Trail Building, Travel, & Rampage (Ep.127)

July 21, 2022July 21, 2022 by David Golay

We sat down with the crew from Over The Edge to talk about trail building & the development of MTB towns; traveling to ride; servicing Rampage bikes; & much more.

David Golay and Zack Henderson review the Orbea Rallon for Blister

2022 Orbea Rallon

October 9, 2023July 20, 2022 by David Golay

The Orbea Rallon is a super precise, quick-handling Enduro bike that offers something pretty different from most of its competitors — while still feeling really cohesive and intuitive. Check out our full review for more detail, including how it stacks up to fourteen other long-travel Trail and Enduro bikes.