Topic of the Week: On Motivation
Our Bike Editor has been doing a lot of riding in terrible weather lately, and he’s learning how to love it — or at least talking himself into it — and has some thoughts on how you can, too.
Features
What We’re Watching — December 2021
This month’s iteration of What We’re Watching includes a whole bunch of skiing and mountain biking videos from a huge range of athletes — and a physics video thrown in, for good measure.
Blacked-Out Top Sheets & Objective Ski Testing
On our latest GEAR:30 podcast, we were discussing the best and worst practices for testing skis. This raised the question: would blacking out the top sheets of skis produce more objective results? Here is our take. Give it a read, and let us know what you think.
Debatable: Bigger Isn’t Always Better
The bike industry likes touting stiffer parts as being better, but our Bike Editor makes the case for why that doesn’t always pan out.
Would You Rather: Early Season or Late Season Ski Conditions?
Which of the sub-par snow-sliding times of the year do you prefer?
Debatable: Make Daylight Savings Permanent
Our bike editor is fed up with changing the clocks in the spring and fall, and makes his case for why we should stop doing it.
What We’re Watching — November 2021
This month’s What We’re Watching features a baker’s dozen ski, bike, and freedive(?) videos for your viewing pleasure.
Debatable: The Worst Bike Maintenance Task
What’s the worst bike maintenance task you can think of? In this edition of our “Debatable” series, our editor lays out his nomination, and his potential solutions to it.
Tech Tip: DIY Fork Lower Service
You can dramatically improve your suspension fork’s performance at home, in under an hour. Let us show you how.
Getting Here: Gunnison & Crested Butte
We're big fans of our home valley, and for anyone who's interested in visiting, we put together this guide to give you the information you’ll need to make your trip here easier and better.
What We’re Watching — October 2021
Our recurring What We’re Watching series is back, and we’ve got a dozen skiing, biking, and fishing videos for your enjoyment. There’s everything from quick shredits to some longer options, and a bit of recent event coverage, too.
Debatable: You Don’t Need a Big Quiver of Bikes
Having a huge quiver of mountain bikes sounds exciting, but maybe isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Our Bike Editor would rather have the right couple bikes than a massive assortment of options, and makes the case for why.
Tech Tip: Tubeless Tire Tricks
Tubeless tires are ubiquitous on mountain bikes these days, but they can still be a real headache. Fortunately, we’ve got a bunch of tips and tricks that can help make setting them up and maintaining them much easier.
Blister Q&A: Suspension Setup, Value Parts, & Bike Geometry Trends
In our new recurring Blister Q&A series, we’re tackling your questions on whatever topics you might want to hear about — we’re kicking it off with some Q’s about suspension setup, value MTB parts, and more.
Would You Rather: Old Parts or Old Geometry?
Dated parts, or an ancient frame? That’s the question we’re tackling this week in our “Would You Rather?” series. Check out our reviewers’ individual takes on the site, and let us know what you’d do in the comments.
Debatable: Internal Cable Routing Isn’t Worth It
It seems like almost every bike comes with internal cable routing these days, but why? Our Bike Editor lays out his case for why cables ought to stay external.
Tech Tip of the Week: Quieting Shimano Brake Pad Rattle
Shimano’s brakes are some of the most popular options out there, but their finned brake pads also have a reputation for rattling. Luckily there’s an easy DIY fix to quiet them down. Check it out.
Would You Rather: Dream Hardtail or Mid-Price Full Suspension?
Dream hardtail or more modest full suspension bike as an everyday ride? That’s the question we’re tackling in our new “Would You Rather” series. Check out our reviewers’ individual takes on the site, and let us know what you’d do in the comments.
Our Best / Worst Ski Ideas for 20/21
We’ve created the most cutting-edge lineup of skis for the coming season, so here are our best (or worst) designs to meet the current moment.
Trip Report: Eleven Cat Skiing
We recently headed out to Irwin, Colorado, with Eleven Cat Skiing to do some very proper pow ski testing. Check out our trip report for a full recap and more info.