2021 GT Force
High-pivot Enduro bikes are popping up all over the place these days, and now there’s another option on the market — the all-new GT Force. Check out our First Look for more info.
David Golay
What We’re Watching — August, 2021
Our What We’re Watching series is back, with an assortment of videos short & long; goofy & important; & relaxing to very high adrenaline. Check out a bunch of the best video content we’ve recently seen — plus a sneak preview of our next Bikes & Big Ideas guest.
Reviewer Reports: DW-link Head-to-Head; Forbidden Dreadnought; Shimano vs. Sram; & Category-Defying Pedals
David Golay talks to Dylan Wood about two short-travel, DW-link bikes at opposite ends of the price spectrum; a range of longer-travel Enduro bikes from fairly conventional to quite unusual; some category-defying pedals; thoughts on the importance (or lack thereof) of bike weight; & the current state of the Shimano vs. SRAM drivetrain wars.
Little Bellas / Sabra Davison (Ep.76)
Sabra Davison grew up ski racing and running, but when she got into mountain biking, she saw girls participating at far lower rates — so she decided to do something about it. Sabra (along with her sister, World Cup XC racer and two-time Olympian, Lea) founded Little Bellas to get girls into riding bikes, and develop the confidence to keep with it. We sat down with Sabra to talk about Little Bellas; how to make skill building fun; removing barriers to participation in what is an expensive sport; and a whole lot more.
Nobl TR37 Wheels
Carbon wheels have become fairly commonplace but Nobl’s TR37s are quite different from most of the market, with front- and rear-specific rims and an unusual “Sine Wave'' rim profile. That's well and good, but how do they compare to the competition on the trail? Check out our full review to find out.
Flat Pedal Roundup — 2021
It’s certainly possible to spend a whole lot of money on a pair of flat pedals, but should you? Flat pedals cover a huge range from basic composite options through super-blingy machined aluminum wonders, and we’ve been testing nine different options across the whole spectrum. Check out our roundup to find out how they all stack up.
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.
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.
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.
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Men’s Mountain Bike Jersey Roundup — 2021
We've been testing 11 different MTB jerseys, from standard options to casual-looking ones to some that you could even wear to a pretty nice dinner. Check out our roundup to see how they all compare.
Men’s Mountain Bike Shorts Roundup — 2021
These days "mountain bike shorts" can be a lot of things, from highly-technical pieces with fancy fabrics and bike-specific fits to more casual options that look good on or off the bike. We’ve been testing 10 options across the whole spectrum, and you can check out our latest roundup here.
Buena Vista Bike Company
BV Bike Co offers the unique combo of a full-service bike shop, employees with decades worth of experience, and a connected bar & cafe that, among other things, makes the best waffles known to man. Because of all of this and more, it's our Blister Recommended Shop in Buena Vista, Colorado.
Fox Speedframe Pro Helmet
Fox’s Speedframe Pro is a high-end, broad-coverage Trail / Enduro helmet with a 5-star safety rating from Virginia Tech. And given its solid coverage, it's also been very impressive in terms of ventilation for hot rides. Check out our full review for more, including several comparisons to its competition.
Flash Review: 2021 Santa Cruz Nomad
The new, fifth-generation Santa Cruz Nomad is an interesting update to one of the longest-standing Enduro bikes on the market, and we’ve been spending time on it. Check out our Flash Review for 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.)
Specialized 2FO DH Clip Shoe
Specialized recently launched the 2FO DH Clip shoe with design input from Loic Bruni, and after several months with it, we think a lot of gravity-oriented riders should be considering it — not just those racing DH tracks.
2021 Transition Spire
Transition’s just-released Patrol was the longest-travel non-DH bike in their lineup — for just 48 hours. Enter the all-new Spire, Transition’s 170mm-travel 29er. So how do the two bikes differ, and who should be most interested in each? Check out our First Look on the Spire for all the details.
2021 Transition Patrol
The Patrol has long been in Transition’s lineup as their longest-travel Enduro bike, with 27.5’’ wheels. Today they dropped an updated version, and while the 160 mm of rear travel remains, the new Patrol gets the mullet treatment, with a 29’’ wheel and 160mm-travel fork up front. There’s a lot more that’s new than just wheel sizes, so check out our First Look for all the details.
