Mountain Bike Reviews
SRAM had a big head start on Shimano in the wireless MTB drivetrain arms race, but Shimano now offers its 12-speed Di2 groups in three different tiers. Here’s our take on how the XT variant performs, and how it stacks up against both the flagship XTR version and SRAM’s offerings.
FSA KFX i28 Wheels
FSA’s KFX i28 wheels were developed on the World Cup XC circuit, but we’ve found their appeal to extend well beyond pure XC racing. Check out our Full Review for more on why we think a lot of folks should consider the KFX i28 wheels.
Pivot Shuttle SL/AM
Has Pivot’s Shuttle SL/AM combined the best qualities of the Shuttle SL and AM to create an eMTB that’s better than both of them?
Flash Review: Evil Offering
It’s been a quiet few years for Evil, but their new Offering has gotten a major overhaul, and the on-trail results are intriguing.
Evil Offering
It’s been a while since we saw a new bike from Evil, but their updated Offering brings some welcome changes while sticking to other parts of the familiar Evil recipe. Check it out here, including our initial on-trail impressions.
MTX Brake Pads
Brake pads are a small part with a huge impact on braking performance, and MTX’s Red Label Race and Gold Label HD pads deliver convincing performance on the trail. Check out our thoughts after five months of riding both options.
Flash Review: Diaz Upper & Lower Runt
Diaz Suspension Design’s new Lower Runt fork air spring upgrade runs counter to some current trends in air spring design, and makes some intriguing performance claims in doing so. So, how does it all come together on the trail? We’ve started to find out.
Diaz Upper & Lower Runt Fork Air Spring Upgrade
Diaz Suspension Design has doubled down on their Runt fork air spring upgrades, adding a Lower Runt to their lineup to go with the original Runt — now dubbed the “Upper Runt” — air spring upgrade kit. There’s a lot going on here, and it’s quite intriguing.
Flash Review: Hope Evo TR4 Brakes
Hope’s latest flagship GR4 gravity brakes are rapidly becoming a favorite at Blister. So, what about their Trail-oriented sibling, the TR4? Here’s our early take.
Deep Dive: Chromag Reazon
We compare the Chromag Reazon to the Chromag Darco, Chromag Lowdown, Forbidden Druid V2, Knolly Fugitive 140, Propain Hugene 3, Trek Fuel EX Gen 7, Kona Process 153, Reeb Steezl, Transition Sentinel, and Starling Murmur.
Chromag Reazon
Instead of drooling over aerospace-grade carbon, why can’t we get stoked on bicycle-grade steel? The Chromag Reazon makes one of the most compelling cases for bringing steel into high-end Trail bikes we’ve seen to date.
MRP Lift V2 Fork Damper
We’re used to rear shock dampers coming tuned for a given bike and rider, but it's much less common in forks. MRP thinks that should change, and their Lift V2 fork damper upgrade is offered in five rider-weight-specific tunes, on top of some other interesting features. Check it all out here, including our early on-trail impressions.
Flash Review: MRP Lift V2 Fork Damper
The MRP Lift V2 fork damper promises increased composure over stock options and comes in a range of rider-weight-specific tunes, but how does it perform? Here’s our early take.
Fox 34 SL
Can a super lightweight fork still perform in more serious terrain? Fox has pulled out the stops to make their new 34 SL do just that, and the result is quite impressive — but there’s plenty of nuance to that story, too. Check out our Full Review after a few months riding the Fox 34 SL.
Atherton A.150.M
There’s a new mixed-wheel version of Atherton’s 150mm-travel All-Mountain bike — the A.150.M. But it’s far from just being the existing A.150 with a smaller rear wheel.
HEL Advocate Brakes
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.
Propain Hugene 3 CF
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
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.
Blister Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide: eMTBs
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.
Scott Ransom
The Scott Ransom might look more like a hardtail eMTB than a full-suspension Enduro bike at first glance, but its wild hidden shock aesthetic belies surprisingly well-rounded on-trail performance.
