Best Mountain Bike Reviews | Blister Outdoor Gear Review

Crank Brothers Mallet Trail Pedals

February 28, 2023 by David Golay

Crank Brothers just launched a new clipless pedal, the Mallet Trail, meant to slot in between the Candy and the Mallet E — and we’ve been testing it all winter. Check out our full review for the rundown on the design and how it performs on the trail.

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.

NF Heavyweight Pants

February 7, 2023 by David Golay

The NF Heavyweight Pants are the Canadian brand’s take on a cold / wet weather mountain bike pant, and they go about things rather differently from a lot of other options out there — with excellent results.

MTB Brake Shootout

February 14, 2025February 1, 2023 by David Golay

What’s the most important component on a mountain bike? A strong argument could be made for brakes, and there are now a greater number of good, powerful brakes than ever before. But how do they actually stack up against each other? We’ve spent the past year-plus directly comparing eight of the top options from Shimano, SRAM, TRP, Hayes, Hope, Magura, & Cascade Components — in this in-depth roundup, we explain how they all compare, what each does best, and which ones might be ideal for you.

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.

Magura MT7 HC3 Brakes

January 30, 2023January 18, 2023 by David Golay

There are a lot of good brakes on the market these days — way more than just a few years ago — and Magura’s MT7 HC3 brakes do a lot of things differently from most of their competitors. So how do they stack up in the increasingly crowded market, and who are they going to work best for?

Continental Kryptotal Tires

January 10, 2023 by David Golay

Continental gave their entire gravity tire lineup a major overhaul last year, and having now spent most of the season on their all-rounder Kryptotal pair, we think they’re extremely good tires for a lot of conditions, but are just a couple of tweaks away from being perfect. Check out our full review to find out where they work best and what sets them apart, including comparisons to the Maxxis Assegai, Minion DHF and DHR II, Schwalbe Magic Mary, and more.

TRP DH-R Evo Brakes

January 6, 2023January 6, 2023 by David Golay

There are more DH-worthy brakes on the market than ever before (and good ones, at that), and TRP’s DH-R Evos are a strong contender for folks with the right preferences.

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.

David Golay reviews the Ohlins RXF 34 m.2 for Blister

Öhlins RXF34 m.2

December 22, 2022 by David Golay

We’ve been big fans of Öhlins’ RXF 36 and RXF 38, but what about their little sibling — the RXF 34 m.2? We’ve had two reviewers spending time on the short-travel Trail fork and the results are interesting — check out our full review for more, including direct comparisons to the Fox 34 and RockShox Pike.

Reynolds Blacklabel 329 Trail Pro Wheels

December 16, 2022 by David Golay

The Reynolds Blacklabel 329 Trail Pro wheels are very light and notably wide for an all-around Trail bike option, and we think that makes them an especially compelling option for the right riders. Check out our full review to see how they stack up and who they’ll work best for.

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

September 18, 2023December 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.

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.

Manitou Jack Dropper Post

December 2, 2022December 2, 2022 by David Golay

Manitou’s latest iteration of their Jack dropper post takes one of the best options out there — the Bike Yoke Revive — and keeps the core of what makes it great, but tries to refine a few of the details. So have they succeeded?

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.

David Golay reviews the Cascade Components North Fork brake calipers for Blister

Cascade Components North Fork Brake Calipers & Cams

February 8, 2024November 24, 2022 by David Golay

We've been logging more time on the Cascade Components North Fork brake calipers — and have now tried their North Fork Cams to go with them — and the big brakes have continued to impress.

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.

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