Flash Reviews: MTB

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Simon Stewart reviews the Schwalbe Magic Mary tires

Flash Review: Schwalbe Magic Mary Tires

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Schwalbe’s new radial tires have many of us wondering what took so long. Find out why they may be on to something, and what our early impressions are.

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Simon Stewart reviews the Santa Cruz Vala

Flash Review: Santa Cruz Vala

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The Santa Cruz Vala has a new suspension design and Bosch's updated CX motor. Check out our initial impressions.

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David Golay reviews the EXT Arma V4 for Blister

Flash Review — EXT Arma V4

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We’ve been quite impressed with the EXT Storia V4 shock — so what about its bigger sibling, the Arma? Check out our thoughts so far.

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Blister reviews the BMC URS AMP LT

Flash Review — BMC URS AMP LT

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BMC has added the TQ HPR50 motor to their off-road focused URS LT Gravel Bike, check out our early impressions of the BMC URS AMP LT.

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David Golay reviews the Geometron G1 for Blister

Flash Review — Nicolai/Geometron G1

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Update 12.18.2024: We’ve spent a lot more time on the new Geometron G1 and have experimented with a lot more of its myriad customization options. Check out what we’ve learned so far.

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David Golay reviews the 2025 Fox 40 Grip X2 for Blister

Flash Review — Fox 40 Grip X2

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Fox’s longstanding DH fork got a new damper this year, and we’ve started spending time on the new 40 Grip X2. Check out our early impressions.

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David Golay reviews the Vorsprung Telum for Blister

Flash Review — Vorsprung Telum

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It’s always noteworthy whenever a brand ventures into a new product category, but that’s just the start of the story with Vorsprung’s first shock, the Telum. We’ve begun testing it, and you can now check out our early impressions.

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Rocky Mountain Instinct Powerplay SL

Flash Review — Rocky Mountain Instinct Powerplay SL

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Rocky Mountain’s first entry into the light-assist eMTB category features their new in-house designed and built Dyname S4 Lite motor and a new frame with mixed wheel size compatibility. The Instinct Powerplay SL seemingly has a lot going for it, and we’ve spent enough time on it now to share some initial impressions.

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David Golay reviews the EXT Vaia for Blister

Flash Review — EXT Vaia

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EXT’s new Vaia is an inverted dual-crown fork with additional features and design details that set it apart from most of the DH fork market — at least on paper. But how does it stack up on the trail? Check out our early thoughts.

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David Golay reviews the Kona Process 153 for Blister

Flash Review — Kona Process 153

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We were impressed by the new Kona Process 134 when we reviewed it recently, but how about its bigger sibling, the Process 153? We’ve started spending time on the longer-travel member of the family and have some early thoughts to share.

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Flash Review — Canyon Spectral:ONfly

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The new lightweight light-assist Canyon Spectral:ONFly looks like a smart, well-timed addition to their Trail bike eMTB lineup. We’ve started spending time on the Canyon Spectral:ONFly and are ready to weigh in with some initial thoughts on Canyon’s take on this hot category.

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Enve’s Fifth-Generation M-Series Wheels

Flash Review — Enve M6 Wheels

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Enve says that their new M-Series wheels ride very differently from Enve wheels of old, and we’ve started putting those claims to the test with their new Trail bike wheels, the M6. Check out our early impressions.

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David Golay reviews the Schwalbe Radial Tire Casings + New Albert & Shredda Tires for Blister

Flash Review — Schwalbe Albert Tires

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Schwalbe says that their new radial casing tires offer a very different feel from more conventional tire constructions, and we’ve started to put those claims to the test. Here are our early impressions.

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Blister reviews the Ohlins DH38 & RXF38 Coil Spring Kits

Flash Review — Ohlins RXF38 m.2 Coil Kit

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Ohlins’ Coil Spring Kit is easy to install, doesn’t add too much weight, and, unlike kits for other forks, still allows you to go back to an air spring later. So, what’s it like to ride? We have some initial thoughts in our Flash Review.

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Blister reviews the Fox Live Valve Neo electronic shocks

Flash Review — Fox DHX Live Valve Neo

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We’ve been logging miles on Fox’s new DHX Live Valve Neo shock, and it’s been an interesting — and very highly customizable — new electronic suspension offering. Our Flash Review covers our early impressions.

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Noah Bodman reviews the Kona Process 134 for Blister

Flash Review — Kona Process 134

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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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Flash Review — Ibis Ripmo

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We've been spending time aboard Ibis' Ripmo, which is proving to be an exceptionally versatile Trail/Enduro bike. Check out our initial impressions.

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Zack Henderson reviews the Manitou Mara Pro PB

Flash Review — Manitou Mara Pro PB

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We've started spending time on the recently updated Manitou Mara Pro PB — and our initial impressions are promising. Learn more in our Flash Review.

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David Golay reviews the Forbidden Druid V2 for Blister

Flash Review — Forbidden Druid V2

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High-pivot Trail bikes are a lot more common than they were back when Forbidden launched the original Druid — so how does the Druid V2 stack up in that ever-growing class? Check out our early impressions.

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David Golay reviews the Cane Creek Tigon for Blister

Flash Review — Cane Creek Tigon

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We've started testing Cane Creek's novel Tigon "air-charged coil" shock. Check out our early impressions.

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

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