Bikes & Frames | BLISTER Outdoor Media & Gear Reviews

Canyon Spectral 125

March 2, 2023March 2, 2023 by David Golay

The Canyon Spectral 125 is about as aggressive as ~120mm-travel Trail bikes get, and the results are pretty interesting. Check out our full review for the whole story, including comparisons to six other bikes in this rapidly growing class.

Esker Rowl

February 27, 2023February 24, 2023 by Simon Stewart

The Esker Rowl is a mid-travel Trail bike that does a lot of things differently from the rest of the market — starting with a wild Dave Weagle-designed suspension system.

David Golay reviews the Santa Cruz Nomad for Blister

2023 Santa Cruz Nomad

February 8, 2023 by David Golay

The newly mulleted Santa Cruz Nomad is pretty different from the bike that it replaced, but it’s still the more playful, less-demanding Enduro bike in Santa Cruz’s lineup — and it’s excellent.

Commencal T.E.M.P.O.

February 5, 2023February 5, 2023 by Simon Stewart

The Commencal T.E.M.P.O. is a new short-travel Trail bike that looks to keep a lot of Commencal's core identity, but also does quite a bit differently from most of their lineup.

Transition Relay

January 31, 2023 by Simon Stewart

Transition's second e-bike, the Relay, is here — and among other things, it isn't *always* an e-bike. Check out our First Look for the rundown.

Ibis Exie

January 24, 2023 by David Golay

The Ibis Exie isn’t new, but the overseas-made version is, and it’s *much* more affordable than the US-made original that Ibis launched a couple of years back. Check out our First Look for the details.

Contra MC

January 2, 2023 by David Golay

The Contra MC was our Bike Editor’s pick for the most exciting thing he saw at Sea Otter 2022, and now we’ve got a first ride on it. Check out our First Look and Flash Review for all the details on the bike, plus our initial ride impressions.

Commencal Supreme DH V5

December 31, 2022December 30, 2022 by David Golay

Commencal wasn’t shy about the fact that their top DH racers were on a prototype bike last season, and now you can buy the new Supreme DH V5 — which has already won both the Men’s and Women’s Elite World Cup Overall titles. Check out our First Look for all the info.

David Golay reviews the Santa Cruz Tallboy for Blister

2023 Santa Cruz Tallboy

December 27, 2022December 27, 2022 by David Golay

The Santa Cruz Tallboy hasn’t changed a ton from the prior V4 generation, but it’s still a great short-travel Trail bike and Santa Cruz has found some nice details to refine. Check out our full review to learn more, including how it compares to several other bikes in its class.

Yeti SB140

April 14, 2023December 19, 2022 by David Golay

Rounding out Yeti’s trio of new models is the SB140 — a mid-travel 29er Trail bike that Yeti is talking a very big game about.

Yeti SB120

December 16, 2022December 14, 2022 by David Golay

Yeti’s been busy, launching three new bikes in just the last few weeks. Next up we’re taking a closer look at the shortest-travel one, the SB120.

Chromag Darco and Lowdown

December 13, 2022December 13, 2022 by David Golay

There might not be another brand on earth as well-known for aggressive hardtails as Chromag, but today they’ve launched their first (adult) full suspension bikes — the Darco and Lowdown — and they look to keep a lot of Chromag’s identity intact, just in a squishier package.

Vitus Mythique

December 7, 2022December 6, 2022 by David Golay

Vitus has just launched US-based distribution for their consumer direct bike sales, and along with it they’ve got a new version of the Mythique Trail bike — and it’s an outstanding value for money. Check out our First Look for all the info.

Yeti SB160

December 6, 2022 by David Golay

Yeti’s venerable SB150 Enduro race bike has been replaced with the new SB160, and while the new bike looks a whole lot like its predecessor, Yeti has found a lot to change. Check out our First Look for the rundown.

Revel Rail 29

March 1, 2023December 5, 2022 by David Golay

The Revel Rail 29 is a well-rounded bike that blurs the line between longer-travel Trail bikes and full-on Enduro sleds — and one that multiple reviewers really got along with. Check out our full review to see how the Rail 29 performs on the trail.

David Golay reviews the Starling Cycles Murmur for Blister

Starling Cycles Murmur, Swoop, and Twist V3

March 28, 2023November 28, 2022 by David Golay

Starling has given their “Core” bikes (the Murmur, Twist, and Swoop) a major update, and while the new frames don’t look too different from the prior generation ones — and continue their steel single-pivot lineage — there’s a lot that has changed. Check out our First Look for the rundown.

2023 Orbea Wild

November 17, 2022 by David Golay

Orbea’s longest-travel e-bike, the Wild, gets a big update today, including a new frame, new motors, and a whole bunch more. Check out our First Look for all the info.

David Golay reviews the Fezzari La Sal Peak for Blister

2022 Fezzari La Sal Peak

November 15, 2022November 15, 2022 by David Golay

The Fezzari La Sal Peak is billed as a “versatile” Enduro bike and is a great deal in terms of the parts spec. But are there tradeoffs? We’ve spent a lot of time on the La Sal in a ton of different terrain and are ready to weigh in.

David Golay reviews the Marin Rift Zone for Blister

2023 Marin Rift Zone

November 14, 2022November 14, 2022 by David Golay

Marin’s new Rift Zone is proof that good geometry doesn’t have to be expensive, and looks like an extremely promising option for an affordable mid-travel Trail bike. Check out our First Look for the rundown.

Kara Williard, Luke Koppa, and Eric Freson review the Pivot Shadowcat for BLISTER

2022 Pivot Shadowcat

November 11, 2022 by David Golay

We’ve had three reviewers spending time on the Pivot Shadowcat, and while it’s a bit of an unusual offering in 2022 — a very light, efficient 27.5’’ Trail bike — it’s proven to be a ton of fun, and a great example of why 27.5’’ wheels should stick around.

+ More