Bikes & Big Ideas

Structure Cycleworks founder, Loni Hull, goes on Blister's Bikes & Big Ideas Podcast to discuss his brand, linkage forks, suspension designs, & much more

The Strangest Bike? Structure Cycleworks founder, Loni Hull (Ep.38)

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Structure Cycleworks arguably makes the coolest bikes out there — or the ugliest bikes out there. So we talked to their founder, Loni Hull, about why he introduced a front-linkage suspension design; why rear-linkage designs are everywhere, while front-linkage designs are utterly uncommon; and the pros and cons of bringing such an unorthodox bike to market. So whether you are a true bike dork or you just appreciate outside-the-box thinking and design, consider this a ‘Must-Listen.’
Jonathan Ellsworth, Ben Sims, & Luke Koppa discuss on Blister's Bikes & Big Ideas podcast evolving mountain bike geometry, its future, the new 2021 Trek Slash, 2020 Pivot Switchblade, & Rocky Mountain Instinct BC

Evolving Bike Geometry & the New Trek Slash (Ep.37)

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Today, Trek officially released an update of their enduro-focused Slash, so we offer our initial impressions of the new bike and ask what this big new release might be able to tell us about where we are in terms of the evolution of bike geometry. To this end, we also talk about a couple other examples, including the Pivot Switchblade and the Rocky Mountain Instinct BC.
Paul Basagoitia goes on Blister's Bikes & Big Ideas podcast to discuss His Spinal Cord Injury, Road to Recovery, & New Film, Any One of Us

Paul Basagoitia on His Emmy-Winning Film, Any One of Us (Ep.35)

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Any One of Us, the film about Paul Basagoitia and spinal cord injuries, just won an Emmy! So we are reposting the conversation we had with Paul, who was the first back-to-back winner of Crankworx Slopestyle; participated in Red Bull Rampage numerous times; and was one of the top riders in the game. But one tiny mishap led to a crash that left him paralyzed, and Paul’s life was changed in an instant. But that’s not the end of the story — Paul is currently making an absolutely incredible comeback.

Anneke Beerten on Racing, ‘Badass’ Books, & Big Ideas (Ep. 34)

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Anneke Beerten was born in the Netherlands, started racing BMX when she was 4, then became a 2 x world champion in BMX, a 3-time Four-cross world champion, the Queen of Crankworx, and she’s won, podiumed, and top 5’d many enduro, DH, DS races. She also just won the So Cal Enduro and Snow Summit DH. So Blister reviewer Dylan Wood and Jonathan Ellsworth caught up with Anneke to talk about racing; what she’s up to these days; ‘badass’ books; business ideas; and you’ll get to hear ‘the story of Dylan and Anneke.’

Pivot Cycles’ Elorie Slater on Industry Trends, Bike Prices, & Female Participation in MTB (Ep. 30)

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We talk with Elorie Slater about her unusual path to becoming the head of marketing for Pivot Cycles; her take on the bike industry in the time of COVID, and where the industry goes from here; bike prices and “entry level” pricing; and the notion of women-specific gear and female participation in mountain biking.

The History & Future of the BC Bike Race with Dean Payne & Simon Stewart (Ep. 29)

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We talk with Dean Payne, the president and co-founder of the BC Bike Race, about the origins and evolution of one of the most epic bike races and events in the world. And Simon Stewart (aka, Mr. Tank Driver) is sitting in as co-host to discuss with Dean all things BC Bike Race, the world’s largest hockey stick, drinking with Russell Crowe, and what goes into putting together an event like this.
Cam McCaul goes on Blister's Bikes & Big Ideas podcast to discuss filming for TGR's Accomplice, commentating, preparing to ride big lines, the most underrated type of mountain biking, and more

Cam McCaul on Bike Films, Preparing for Big Lines, & the TGR Film, Accomplice (Ep. 28)

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We caught up this week with Cam McCaul to talk about some of the bike films that made the biggest impression on him; the new TGR film he’s in called, Accomplice; how he prepares for riding big lines; his work as a commentator; and which discipline he thinks many people fail to really appreciate: slopestyle, DH, or big-mountain riding.
Bikes vs. Skis: which bike brand is most similar to which ski brand, and how are different bike brands stacking up against each other? We discuss this and more on Blister's Bikes & Big Ideas podcast

Bikes vs. Skis, 2nd Edition (2020): Part 1 (Ep. 24)

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Which bike company is currently most like which ski company? And which bike and ski company do most other bike and ski brands secretly wish they could trade places with? Noah Bodman, Jonathan Ellsworth, David Golay, and Eric Freson make parallels and analogies between these two industries to see if it gives us a better sense of the current position, reputation, and trajectory of a bunch of different brands in these sports.
Chris King Precision Component's Kirby Bedsaul goes on Blister's Bikes & Big Ideas podcast to discuss how and why Chris King became a certified B Corp

Why & How Chris King Became a B Corp (Ep.23)

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What, exactly, does it mean for a company to be a Certified B Corporation business, and why should anyone care? To learn more, we reached out to Chris King Precision Components — which just completed the process of becoming one of the very few B Corp manufacturing companies in the bike industry — and asked about what the process of becoming a B Corp entails, why they decided to do it, and we also discuss Chris King’s approach to manufacturing out of their homebase of Portland, Oregon.
Bill Walton discusses bikes, Bike for Humanity, basketball, and music on the Bikes & Big Ideas podcast

Basketball Legend Bill Walton on His Love of Bikes, Life, & Humanity (Ep. 21)

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Bill Walton is not only one of the greatest basketball players of all time, his passion for bikes is all-time, too. So we talked to Bill about his life-long love of bikes, and about his upcoming event, Bike For Humanity, which is a virtual event that Bill created as a way for all of us to show our solidarity in these times. We also discuss the top-5, all-time, NBA ‘bike’ guys; Bob Dylan, the Grateful Dead, and more.
Kitsbow, Industry Nine, Shaggy's Copper Country Skis discuss manufacturing PPE during the coronavirus pandemic on Blister's Bikes & Big Ideas Podcast.

How the Outdoor Industry is Pivoting to Fight COVID-19 (Ep.20)

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As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, a number of companies in the outdoor industry are pivoting away from their normal operations and product offerings to provide healthcare workers with critical gear. So we talk to physician assistant and Blister reviewer, Sascha Anastas, about the scope of the problem, and we then talk to Kitsbow, Industry Nine, and Shaggy’s Copper Country Skis about how they are each helping the cause.
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