Noah Bodman reviews the North Shore Billet Idler Pulley for the Norco Range for BLISTER

North Shore Billet Idler Pulley (Norco Range HP)

Idler pulleys on high-pivot bikes lead rough lives. They’ve generally got fairly low tooth counts, are heavily loaded, often with not much chain wrap, and bear the brunt of whatever cross-chaining is happening at any given moment. North Shore Billet has a range of aftermarket options to replace worn-out stock idlers, and we’ve spent a full year on their Norco Range version to see how it holds up.
Noah Bodman reviews the Kona Process 134 for Blister

Flash Review — Kona Process 134

Kona recently revised their longstanding Trail bike, and it's shaping up to be an impressive offering. Here are our initial thoughts.

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Noah Bodman reviews the Pivot Switchblade for Blister

2024 Pivot Switchblade

The Pivot Switchblade got overhauled for 2024, so is the new one still a super-versatile do-it-all Trail bike or something else entirely? Check out our Full Review for our take.
Noah Bodman reviews the 2024 Pivot Switchblade for Blister

Flash Review — 2024 Pivot Switchblade

The Pivot Switchblade has long been a super-popular do-it-all Trail bike, but how does the new one perform? We’ve got some early impressions.

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

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Noah Bodman reviews the Vitus Escarpe for Blister

Flash Review — Vitus Escarpe

The Vitus Escarpe is a great value and looks well sorted on paper, but does it all come together on the trail? We've started spending time on one to find out — 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.

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Noah Bodman reviews the Ion Rascal Amp for Blister

Ion Rascal Amp

The Ion Rascal Amp doesn’t try to be the techiest, most gadget-laden shoe on the market. Instead, it tries to take a tried-and-true design and execute it well. So did Ion succeed?
Noah Bodman reviews the Fox DHX for Blister

2022 Fox DHX

Fox’s new DHX is a simpler, less-expensive coil shock than their flagship DHX2, and for some riders, that will sound appealing. But does it deliver? That really depends on what you’re looking for.
Noah Bodman reviews the Leatt 5.0 Clipless Shoe for Blister

Leatt 5.0 Clipless Shoes

Leatt’s 5.0 Clipless shoe offers downhill-worthy protection in a package that still pedals impressively well — and it’s competitively priced. That sounds great, but is there a catch?
Noah Bodman reviews the 2022 Fox 34 for Blister

2022 Fox 34 Fork

We've now tested Fox's new 34 fork on both a hardtail and a modern short-travel Trail bike. Check out our full review of the fork for our thoughts on it, including how it compares to the alternatives from both Fox & RockShox.
Noah Bodman reviews the 2022 Fox 34 for Blister

Flash Review: 2022 Fox 34

Fox gave their 34 a substantial update for 2022, and we've been spending time on the new one. Check out our Flash Review for our initial impressions, including how it compares to the new and old Fox 36.

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

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Noah Bodman reviews the Fox 38 Fork and compares it to the Fox 36 & Rockshox Lyrik for Blister

2021 Fox 38 Fork

We've spent the last 3 months riding Fox's burliest single-crown fork, the 38, and comparing it to other mainstays in the category to see just how much of a difference the bigger chassis (and new internals) make on the trail. Spoiler alert: it's a significant difference, but there's more to it. Check out our full review.
Noah Bodman reviews the 2021 Fox Float X2 shock for Blister

2021 Fox Float X2 Shock

The Float X2 is Fox's most downhill-oriented air shock, and they made a lot of changes to it for 2021. Do those changes actually make a difference? We'd say yes, and also think they make it one of the standout air-shocks on the market today — whether you're racing DH or just want better downhill performance out of your Trail bike.