Zack Henderson reviews the Manitou Mara Pro PB

Manitou Mara Pro PB

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

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

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

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

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+

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

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.

ZAG’s ‘Next-Gen Carver’ + 2025 Ski Lineup | Blister Summit Video

Across its 20-year history in the freeride, touring, and all-mountain worlds, Chamonix-based ZAG has continued to refine their lineup, whether through design or efforts to reduce their environmental footprint. In this video, we get the details on that history — plus the brand’s 2025 ski lineup — from ZAG’s Théo Voinchet and ZAG athlete, Teton Brown.
Blister reviews the Santa Cruz Vala

Santa Cruz Vala

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.

Stuff We Like: September 2024

This edition of our ‘Stuff We Like’ series is all about apparel — from ultralight rain shells to versatile baselayers, cozy insulators, bike shorts, and much more. Check it out to learn more about the standout products our reviewers have been testing.