BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Win Skis from Majesty
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get Majesty’s Vestal all-mountain freestyle ski!
Shimano GE900 Shoes
As part of their recent MTB shoe overhaul, Shimano replaced the longstanding and ultra-popular ME7 and AM9 models with a single new shoe: the GE900. But has that bold move paid off, or has Shimano messed with a good thing too much? We’ve been spending a lot of time in the new GE900 and are ready to weigh in.
Reviewer Reports: Contra MC vs. Trek Slash, Santa Cruz Heckler SL, REEB Steezl, & More (Ep.190)
This week on Bikes & Big Ideas we’re chatting about a bunch of the bikes we’re currently testing across the travel spectrum, including Santa Cruz’s new Heckler SL, a battle of high-pivot Enduro bikes, the Propain Tyee, and more.
Flash Review — 2024 Orbea Occam LT
Orbea is talking about the new Occam LT as being quite different from the bike it replaces, and we’ve started spending time on it to find out how accurate that is. Check out our early impressions.
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2024 Orbea Occam SL and Occam LT
Orbea is giving their Occam line of Trail bikes a big overhaul, and while the new Occam SL and Occam LT may look a lot like the bikes they’re replacing, they’ve changed substantially once you dig a little deeper.
Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend, September 2023 (Ep.280)
This week, Cody and I pay tribute to Robb Gaffney, then discuss the growth in snowsports and who is more passionate: alpine skiers, cross country skiers, or snowboarders; the sale of Silverton Mountain; the Most Canadian News; Cody’s latest FIFTY film, ‘Split’; & more.
Vitus Escarpe
Vitus is making a return to the US mountain bike market, and their Escarpe looks like an especially good value for an all-rounder Trail bike. But is there a catch?
Phantom Glide: Rethinking Ski & Snowboard Bases | Blister Summit Brand Lineup Video
At Blister Summit 2023, we sat down with Phantom Glide’s Shaun Spacht to discuss the origins, evolution, and future of Phantom Glide’s permanent base treatment; how it differs from wax & permanently affects the performance of ski and snowboard base materials; the ways in which the folks at Phantom Glide have shifted how they think and talk about their base treatments, and more.
Nukeproof Megawatt Carbon
SRAM launched their new Eagle Powertrain last week, and the first bike to feature it is here. Meet the Nukeproof Megawatt Carbon.
Norrøna Owner & CEO, Jørgen Jørgensen, on Norrøna’s History & Design Philosophy (Ep.265)
Norrøna aspires to make the best outdoor recreation products on the market. So we talk with Jørgen Jørgense, the 4th-generation owner & CEO of Norrøna, about the brand’s approach to product design & testing, and the origins, evolution, and future of the brand.
Win Goggles from 100%
The two winners of our Gear Giveaway this week will each get goggles from 100% Snow, with one winner receiving their flagship Norg Goggle and the other winner receiving their Snowcraft S Goggle!
Liv Intrigue LT Advanced Pro
The Liv Intrigue LT Advanced Pro 0 is a women-specific Enduro bike that’s proven to be an adaptable partner for a huge range of trails over the last several months. It’s also the most expensive mountain bike we’ve ever reviewed.
Stuff We Like: September 2023
For September’s edition of Stuff We Like, our reviewers have submitted everything from denim overalls and a wide assortment of clothing to fishing waders, glasses, hip packs, and more. Check it out to see all the latest gear our reviewers have been digging.
Archibald Cycles on Canadian Manufacturing & the Wild AC1 (Ep.189)
The Archibald Cycles AC1 — a Canadian-made, steel-frame, high-pivot bike with a gearbox — doesn’t look like much else out there, and the story of its conception and journey toward production is an interesting one.
Round House Sports Center
Round House Sports has been a staple on Main Street in Bozeman, MT for over 50 years best known for its excellent customer service & year-round gear selection.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Win Any Ferreol Ski
The winner of this week’s Gear Giveaway will get their choice of any ski from Ferreol’s lineup!
Flash Review: 23/24 Stöckli Montero AR
The Montero AR is Stöckli’s 84mm-wide “All-Mountain Piste” model — here are our initial on-snow impressions.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Ski & Snowboard Goggle Roundup — 2024
A good pair of goggles can end up being one of the most essential pieces of gear for a fun day on snow. We’ve been testing a *lot* of them lately, and in this roundup, we compare and contrast more than two dozen — from ultra-high-end flagship models to more budget-oriented (but still impressive) alternatives.
Norco on their New High-Pivot Optic and Sight (Ep.211)
Norco has a long history with high-pivot bikes, but the switch to that layout on their new Optic and Sight still came as a surprise. So we sat down with Norco engineer, Colin Ryan, to hear all about the thinking, testing, and development behind the new models.
Revel Rascal V2
Revel’s best-selling and most versatile bike, the Rascal, gets an update today with a new frame, expanded size options, and more. Check out our full review for all the info on the new bike, and our Deep Dive comparisons to learn how it stacks up against a whole lot of all-rounder Trail bikes.
Deep Dive: Revel Rascal V2
We compare the Revel Rascal V2 to the Santa Cruz Hightower, Santa Cruz Tallboy, Transition Smuggler, Trek Fuel EX, Yeti SB140, Orbea Occam LT, Yeti SB135, Canyon Spectral 125, Chromag Darco, and Rocky Mountain Element.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Flash Review: 24/25 Blizzard Black Pearl 94
We’ve been spending time on Blizzard’s widest model in their recently updated Black Pearl lineup, the Black Pearl 94 – here are our initial thoughts.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Flash Review — 2024 Norco Optic
The new Norco Optic is by far the shortest-travel high-pivot bike that we’ve been on to date, and our early impressions are pretty interesting.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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2024 Norco Optic & Norco Sight
Norco is updating their flagship Trail / All-Mountain bikes, and they’ve got some surprises in store — beginning, but not ending, with the fact that they’ve both got high-pivot suspension layouts. Here are the details on the new Norco Optic & Sight.
2023-2024 Heritage Lab HB122
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the Heritage Lab HB 122.
Flash Review: 23/24 Heritage Lab HB122
The HB122 is one of Heritage Lab’s latest models, inspired by the iconic K2 HellBent — here are Paul Forward’s initial thoughts on this big, fully rockered pow ski.
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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Crank Brothers Mallet Trail BOA Shoes
Crank Brothers’ new Mallet Trail BOA shoes combine many features from more gravity-oriented shoes into a lighter, more pedal-friendly package. We’ve been spending a lot of time in the new model, and what Crank Brothers have come up with is pretty interesting.