Mountain Bike Reviews

Blister reviews the Ibis Oso 1.1

Ibis Oso 1.1

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Refinement, not reinvention, is the story of the Ibis Oso 1.1. Though the general design is unchanged, Ibis has learned from the first Oso and found small tweaks to improve the ride and durability — all while nearly halving the price from the original. Check out what they’ve done in our First Look.
Blister reviews the Pivot Trailcat

Pivot Trailcat

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The Pivot Trail 429 and Trail 429 Enduro are no longer — but the new Trailcat SL and Trailcat LT aim to be worthy replacements. The new bikes share a frame but are aimed at different corners of the Trail bike market. Curious what Pivot cooked up? Check out our First Look.
Blister reviews the Commencal T.E.M.P.O. Power

Commencal T.E.M.P.O. Power

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The new T.E.M.P.O. Power is Commencal’s latest eMTB, adding Bosch’s lightweight Performance Line SX motor to their shortest-travel Trail bike, with an emphasis on versatility and playfulness. Check out our First Look to see how Commencal has approached its goal of creating a lively lightweight eMTB.

Ibis Ripmo V3

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While the Ibis Ripmo has stayed fairly consistent since its launch over six years ago, the mountain bike industry as a whole has shifted around it. So, where does it fit in today’s market, and how does it differentiate itself on the trail? Check out our Full Review.
Spot Mayhem Full Review

Spot Mayhem 140

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Spot does things differently from most bike manufacturers — with notable on-trail results. The Mayhem 140 features the latest iteration of their Living Link suspension system coupled with the stiffest frame they’ve ever built, and it still manages to stand out in a vast sea of 140mm-travel Trail bikes — in ways that are likely to really click for the right folks.
David Golay reviews the Forbidden Druid V2 for Blister

Forbidden Druid V2

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There are more high-pivot Trail bikes than ever before, but the Forbidden Druid V2 is still one of the shortest-travel options. So, has Forbidden come up with a coherent short(ish) travel bike with a suspension layout more typically of Enduro and DH sleds, or does it feel caught between those categories? What we’ve found is pretty interesting.
David Golay reviews the Maxxis High Roller for Blister

Maxxis High Roller

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Maxxis says that the newest iteration of their High Roller is a gravity tire for conditions that are somewhat soft and loose, but not to the point of demanding a full-on mud spike. That’s a big departure from earlier iterations of the High Roller, but it would fill a real gap in Maxxis’ lineup (and the MTB tire market as a whole). So, is their description on point? We’ve ridden the High Roller in a wide range of conditions and are ready to weigh in.
David Golay reviews the Privateer 161 Gen 2 for Blister

Privateer 161 Gen 2

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Privateer made a name for themselves making burly, focused go-fast Enduro race bikes at a remarkably good price with the original 161, and while the 161 V2 continues that lineage, it’s a big departure from the original in a lot of other ways. Check out our Full Review to find out how.
Dylan Wood and Simon Stewart review the Yeti ASR for Blister

Yeti ASR

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It had been seven years since Yeti produced an ASR — but now their XC race bike is back. And while the new ASR is undoubtedly a competitive modern XC race bike, its appeal will extend beyond the race course for some folks. Check out our Full Review for all the details.

XC Race Bikes for Everyday Riders? | Yeti ASR vs. Cannondale Scalpel Video

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Modern XC race courses keep getting more technical, and modern XC bikes have adapted as a result. Simon and Dylan have been logging a whole lot of miles on two of those bikes, the Cannondale Scalpel and Yeti ASR, to not only see how they compare to each other, but also how practical they are for riders who are *not* racing against the clock. Here's their Head-to-Head video review.
Blister reviews the Knolly Fugitive 140

Knolly Fugitive 140

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We’ve had a couple of reviewers riding Knolly’s updated Fugitive 140, and it stands out from the mid-travel Trail bike market in a few interesting ways — not an easy task in that typically “jack of all trades, master of none” category. Here’s our Full Review.
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