David Golay, Author at BLISTER

HEL Advocate Brakes

November 12, 2025November 12, 2025 by David Golay

HEL has a lot of experience making brakes and other hydraulic systems in the motorsports world, but they’re new to the bike industry. So, what new features do their Advocate brakes bring to the market, how do they actually perform, and what are they like to live with? Here’s what we’ve found out.

David Golay and Zack Henderson review the Propain Hugene 3 for Blister

Propain Hugene 3 CF

November 10, 2025 by David Golay

Propain’s third-generation Hugene has less travel than the prior one, but its performance is a reminder that geometry matters at least as much as travel numbers. Check out how the Propain Hugene 3 CF stacks up as a unique take on a modern short-travel Trail bike.

Deep Dive: Propain Hugene 3

November 10, 2025November 10, 2025 by David Golay

We compare the Propain Hugene 3 CF to the Propain Hugene 2, Revel Rascal V2, Kona Process 134, Rocky Mountain Instinct, Trek Top Fuel, Transition Smuggler, Pivot Trailcat LT, Chromag Reazon, Canyon Spectral 125, Knolly Fugitive 140, Forbidden Druid, and Norco Optic.

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Blister Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide: eMTBs

November 7, 2025 by David Golay

Our Mountain Bike Buyer's Guide chapters on eMTBs are here, covering everything from quick-handling light-assist Trail bikes to full-power Enduro sleds.

Priority Vanth

October 31, 2025 by David Golay

High-pivot, mixed-wheel, gearbox, belt-drive, and… affordable? The Priority Vanth offers a strong showing when it comes to buzzword bingo, but there are plenty of details to dig into — including how the Vanth rides.

Priority Bicycles on the High-Pivot, Belt-Drive, Gearbox Vanth Enduro Bike (Ep. 298)

October 31, 2025October 31, 2025 by David Golay

The Priority Vanth doesn’t look like much else out there, and the story of its development is similarly unconventional.

Flash Review: Priority Vanth

October 31, 2025 by David Golay

The Priority Vanth is both striking and very affordable for a high-pivot gearbox Enduro bike, but how does it ride? Here’s what we’ve learned after a month-plus on board.

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

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SRAM Eagle 90 Transmission

October 27, 2025 by David Golay

SRAM’s T-Type groups have been extremely popular, but until recently were limited to expensive electronically-shifted versions. Is the new Eagle 90 mechanical version a worthy option? Here’s our take.

David Golay reviews the Ohlins TTX2 Air m.2 for Blister

Flash Review: Öhlins TTX2 Air m.2

October 24, 2025 by David Golay

Öhlins has given their TTX Air shocks an overhaul, and here's our early take on the updated TTX2 Air m.2.

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

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Öhlins TTX Air m.2 Shocks

October 24, 2025 by David Golay

Öhlins has made a range of updates to their lineup this year, and we’ve started spending time on the new TTX2 Air m.2 shock. Check out what’s new, what isn’t, and get our early take on how the new TTX2 Air performs.

Madrone Cycles on the Jab Derailleur & Going Head to Head w/ SRAM and Shimano (Ep.297)

October 24, 2025October 23, 2025 by David Golay

Developing a high-end MTB derailleur is hard, and SRAM and Shimano have vast resources (not to mention decades of experience) to draw on. So why is a small Oregon-based brand throwing its hat into the ring?

Trickstuff Maxima Brakes

October 21, 2025 by David Golay

Trickstuff’s brakes have long been the stuff of legend — and legendarily hard to come by, even if you’re willing to throw down their steep asking price. But now they’re becoming more widely distributed and more readily available under DT Swiss’ ownership, and we’ve put a massive amount of vert on their flagship Maxima gravity brake to see how it stacks up.

Pivot Firebird V5

October 20, 2025 by David Golay

The latest 5th-generation version of the Pivot Firebird is still an impressive take on a go-fast Enduro race bike, but pigeonholing it into that one role would sell it short. Here’s our take on what makes the new Firebird a compelling option for a surprisingly wide array of riders.

Deep Dive: Pivot Firebird V5

October 20, 2025October 19, 2025 by David Golay

We compare the Pivot Firebird V5 to the Pivot Firebird V4, Yeti SB160, Yeti SB165, Rocky Mountain Altitude, Propain Tyee, Santa Cruz Megatower, Santa Cruz Nomad, and Ibis HD6.

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

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EXT Vecta

January 26, 2026October 13, 2025 by David Golay

The EXT Vecta brings most of the features of their flagship Storia V4 coil shock to a much more affordable package, but how does its performance stack up? We’ve spent the summer finding out. Here’s what we found.

Paladin Bikes on the Wild-Looking AM1, Machining Frames & More (Ep.295)

October 9, 2025 by David Golay

There aren’t many companies making machined bike frames, and even compared to other machined options, the Paladin AM1 stands out for its novel construction approach. So we sat down with co-founder Stefan Klein to hear all about the AM1, why they decided to build it, and a whole lot more.

David Golay reviews the Hope EVO GR4 brakes for Blister

Flash Review: Hope EVO GR4 Brakes

October 7, 2025 by David Golay

Hope’s new GR4 brakes look more like an evolution of the Tech 4 V4 that they replace than a ground-up redesign, but there are a lot of changes lurking below the surface. Here’s our take on how they’ve added up after a handful of rides.

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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Madrone Jab Derailleur

October 6, 2025 by David Golay

Madrone got its start offering replacement parts for SRAM derailleurs, and now they’ve made a full standalone derailleur of their own, with a design that’s focused on being fully rebuildable and adaptable to a wide array of drivetrain options. Check out the new Jab, and our early impressions of how it performs.

Flash Review: Madrone Jab Derailleur

October 6, 2025 by David Golay

The Madrone Jab derailleur sounds very promising on paper (and looks great), but how does it perform compared to the big-name options on the market? Here are our initial thoughts.

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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Blister Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide: XC / Trail Bikes

November 6, 2025October 3, 2025 by David Golay

The third chapter of our new Mountain Bike Buyer's Guide is here, featuring bikes from hardcore XC Race machines to efficient, sharp-handling Trail rigs, and everything in between.