Bikes & Frames

Blister reviews the Santa Cruz Vala

Santa Cruz Vala

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Santa Cruz’s new Vala brings a full-power Bosch motor to the Santa Cruz lineup, but the biggest surprise here is perhaps the move away from VPP toward a more typical four-bar suspension layout. There’s a lot more to the Vala though, so join us as we walk through the details.
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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Blister reviews the 2024 Rocky Mountain Instinct

2024 Rocky Mountain Instinct

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It’s no big surprise that Rocky Mountain is touting the versatility of their 140mm-travel Trail bike, the Instinct — but what they’ve cooked up is pretty interesting, and it stands out from the do-it-all Trail bike market in some interesting ways. Check out our Full Review and Deep Dive comparisons to discover what sets it apart.
Zack Henderson review the Frameworks Enduro

Frameworks Enduro

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Frameworks is releasing a limited first run of their Enduro frame. Drawing plenty of inspiration from the Downhill frame released last year, the US-made Enduro frame stands out from the crowd with unique construction details and intriguing geometry. Our First Look has the details.
Simon Stewart and Dylan Wood review the Norco Fluid VLT for Blister

Norco Fluid VLT

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Norco’s Fluid VLT 130 pairs a responsive suspension platform, a lightweight build, and Bosch’s powerful SX drive system to create a unique offering in the light-assist eMTB category. Check out our Full Review and Deep Dive comparisons, as well as our “Head to Head” video comparing it to the Pivot Shuttle SL.
Kara Williard reviews the Liv Intrigue X for BLISTER.

Liv Intrigue X

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The Intrigue X is the latest addition to Liv’s women-specific MTB lineup, and it claims to offer tons of versatility and adjustability for those who want to ride all sorts of trails on one bike. After several months with it, we're now ready to weigh in on how accurate those claims proved to be — here's our Full Review.
Zack Henderson reviews the Propain Spindrift 5

Propain Spindrift 5

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The fifth-generation Propain Spindrift 5 is still a 180 mm travel Freeride bike but has more configuration options than ever. With multiple wheel size options, single or dual crown builds, and a host of new features, there’s a lot to cover — join us as we dig in with our First Look.
Simon Stewart and Dylan Wood review the Commencal T.E.M.P.O. for Blister

Commencal T.E.M.P.O.

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Commencal’s aluminum-only T.E.M.P.O. leans into its burly nature in many ways while still retaining the practicality that is necessary to be a competitive short-travel Trail bike in today’s market. Check out our Full Review to read on how that plays out on the trail.
Dylan Wood and Simon Stewart Review the Trek Fuel EXe Aluminum for BLISTER

Trek Fuel EXe Aluminum

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Built around the quiet and smooth TQ HPR50 motor, Trek’s Fuel EXe provides an eMTB experience that non-motorized mountain bikers will find familiar. But, this eMTB also surprised us in a few ways that have nothing to do with its drive system. Check out our Full Review and accompanying video review.
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