Mountain Bike Reviews

Blister reviews the Propain Rage 3 R CF

Propain Rage 3 R CF

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Propain has been on a roll with new bike releases this year, and now it’s their Downhill bike’s turn — enter the new Rage 3 R CF. Feedback from Propain’s race team has yielded small changes that focus on frame stiffness and a quieter ride. All of the details are in our First Look.
David Golay reviews the Trek Top Fuel for Blister

2025 Trek Top Fuel

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The last Trek Top Fuel was a big departure from the versions that preceded it — so has Trek given it another major overhaul with their latest update, or refined the recipe that made the outgoing model popular in the first place? We’ve got answers.
Blister Head-to-Head video review: we compare and contrast the Cannondale Moterra SL and Mondraker Dune XR

Cannondale Moterra SL vs. Mondraker Dune XR | Head-to-Head Video

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The Cannondale Moterra SL and Mondraker Dune XR both offer lots of travel at fairly low weights for the eMTB category, but they accomplish that in very different ways. In this Head-to-Head video, Blister editors Simon Stewart and Dylan Wood compare and contrast these two eMTBs, discuss what sorts of riders will get along best with each one, and (try to) decide which one they'd each personally pick.
Zack Henderson reviews the Manitou Mara Pro PB

Manitou Mara Pro PB

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Manitou’s rear shocks aren’t necessarily a common sight on the trails, but the updated Mara Pro PB makes a strong case for why that should change. Our Full Review chronicles our findings after a few months of heavy use.
Simon Stewart and Dylan Wood review the Mondraker Dune XR for Blister

Mondraker Dune

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The Mondraker Dune XR is exceptionally good at going downhill and adds the impressive Bosch SX drive system to help bring it back up for more. Check out the Full Review to see what Mondraker has done to make the Dune XR so unique.
David Golay reviews the Vorsprung Smashpot V2 for Blister

Vorsprung Smashpot V2 Coil Spring Fork Conversion Kit

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Vorsprung’s new Smashpot V2 still lets you convert your fork to a coil spring, but V2 offers increased tunability, a wider range of travel and fork compatibility options — including dual-crown ones — and a new dual-rate progressive spring setup for longer-travel configurations. Check out our First Look for all the details.
Zack Henderson reviews the Formula Nebbia

Formula Nebbia

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The Nebbia is Formula’s first air shock, with a strong focus on tunability and ease of service. After a few months of testing, we have gotten a good sense of how it performs — and the results are even more interesting than expected.
Enve’s Fifth-Generation M-Series Wheels

Enve’s Fifth-Generation M-Series Wheels

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Enve has launched the fifth-generation versions of their flagship M-Series mountain bike wheels, promising a very different ride feel from past M-Series wheels. The data they’ve provided to quantify that is pretty eye-popping, and there’s a lot of interesting stuff going on with their design — including new, Enve-designed hubs. Check out what they’ve come up with.
Blister reviews the Trek Slash+

Trek Slash+

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The Trek Slash+ combines big travel with a little motor — a pairing that sets it apart from the rest of the market. We have logged plenty of miles on the Slash+ this summer and have a lot to say about its impressive performance — and some tradeoffs that come with it.
David Golay reviews the DT Swiss XMC 1501 wheels and Ratchet DEG hubs

DT Swiss XMC 1501 Wheels & Ratchet DEG Hubs

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DT’s new Ratchet DEG hubs are the fastest-engaging ones they’ve offered to date, but have they kept the traits that made the original 240s popular in the first place? We’ve been testing the Ratchet DEG hubs on DT’s XMC 1501 wheels and have thoughts.
Blister reviews the Fox Live Valve Neo electronic shocks

Fox Live Valve Neo Electronic Shocks

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Fox’s original Live Valve electronically controlled suspension has been around for quite a while now, but it never became a common sight on the trails. So, Fox went back to the drawing board and came up with Live Valve Neo — a wireless, dramatically streamlined second generation. Check out what they’ve come up with.
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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