Reviews

Blister reviews the J Skis Hotshot.

2025-2026 J Skis Hotshot

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Giray Dadali has redesigned J's widest metal-laminate ski by reducing its weight, refining its shape, and adding some Line Prophet DNA. Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the updated J Skis Hotshot.

Flash Review: 25/26 J Skis Hotshot

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We’ve started testing the overhauled J Skis Hotshot, and we’re ready to chime in with our initial thoughts on how it compares to the original. Here’s what we’ve learned so far.

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Zack Henderson reviews the FSA KFX i28 wheels for BLISTER

FSA KFX i28 Wheels

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FSA’s KFX i28 wheels were developed on the World Cup XC circuit, but we’ve found their appeal to extend well beyond pure XC racing. Check out our Full Review for more on why we think a lot of folks should consider the KFX i28 wheels.
Andrew Forward reviews the K2 Alchemist for BLISTER

2025-2026 K2 Alchemist

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The K2 Alchemist is built for speed, but it holds up surprisingly well across a range of conditions — check out our Full Review to see why we think it could be just what some hard-charging riders have been looking for.
David Golay reviews the Evil Offering for Blister

Flash Review: Evil Offering

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It’s been a quiet few years for Evil, but their new Offering has gotten a major overhaul, and the on-trail results are intriguing.

Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions

To get our comprehensive Deep Dives and our initial, unfiltered reports on new gear, become a member and receive many other services, deals, and discounts.

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David Golay reviews the Evil Offering for Blister

Evil Offering

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It’s been a while since we saw a new bike from Evil, but their updated Offering brings some welcome changes while sticking to other parts of the familiar Evil recipe. Check it out here, including our initial on-trail impressions.
Zack Henderson reviews MTX brake pads for BLISTER

MTX Brake Pads

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Brake pads are a small part with a huge impact on braking performance, and MTX’s Red Label Race and Gold Label HD pads deliver convincing performance on the trail. Check out our thoughts after five months of riding both options.
David Golay reviews the Diaz Runt for Blister

Flash Review: Diaz Upper & Lower Runt

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Diaz Suspension Design’s new Lower Runt fork air spring upgrade runs counter to some current trends in air spring design, and makes some intriguing performance claims in doing so. So, how does it all come together on the trail? We’ve started to find out.

Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions

To get our comprehensive Deep Dives and our initial, unfiltered reports on new gear, become a member and receive many other services, deals, and discounts.

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David Golay reviews the Hope Evo TR4 Brakes for Blister

Flash Review: Hope Evo TR4 Brakes

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Hope’s latest flagship GR4 gravity brakes are rapidly becoming a favorite at Blister. So, what about their Trail-oriented sibling, the TR4? Here’s our early take.

Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions

To get our comprehensive Deep Dives and our initial, unfiltered reports on new gear, become a member and receive many other services, deals, and discounts.

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David Golay and Xan Marshland review the Chromag Reazon for Blister

Deep Dive: Chromag Reazon

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We compare the Chromag Reazon to the Chromag Darco, Chromag Lowdown, Forbidden Druid V2, Knolly Fugitive 140, Propain Hugene 3, Trek Fuel EX Gen 7, Kona Process 153, Reeb Steezl, Transition Sentinel, and Starling Murmur.

Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions

To get our comprehensive Deep Dives and our initial, unfiltered reports on new gear, become a member and receive many other services, deals, and discounts.

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Chromag Reazon

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Instead of drooling over aerospace-grade carbon, why can’t we get stoked on bicycle-grade steel? The Chromag Reazon makes one of the most compelling cases for bringing steel into high-end Trail bikes we’ve seen to date.
David Golay reviews the MRP Lift V2 Damper for Blister

MRP Lift V2 Fork Damper

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We’re used to rear shock dampers coming tuned for a given bike and rider, but it's much less common in forks. MRP thinks that should change, and their Lift V2 fork damper upgrade is offered in five rider-weight-specific tunes, on top of some other interesting features. Check it all out here, including our early on-trail impressions.
David Golay reviews the MRP Lift V2 Damper for Blister

Flash Review: MRP Lift V2 Fork Damper

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The MRP Lift V2 fork damper promises increased composure over stock options and comes in a range of rider-weight-specific tunes, but how does it perform? Here’s our early take.

Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions

To get our comprehensive Deep Dives and our initial, unfiltered reports on new gear, become a member and receive many other services, deals, and discounts.

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Zack Henderson reviews the Fox 34 SL for BLISTER

Fox 34 SL

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Can a super lightweight fork still perform in more serious terrain? Fox has pulled out the stops to make their new 34 SL do just that, and the result is quite impressive — but there’s plenty of nuance to that story, too. Check out our Full Review after a few months riding the Fox 34 SL.
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