BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Win a Helmet and Glasses from POC
The five winners (!) of our Gear Giveaway this week will get an Axion Race MIPS Helmet and Define Glasses from POC!
Prevelo founder Jacob Rheuban on Designing a Better Kid’s Bike (Ep.181)
Kids’ bikes aren’t (or shouldn’t be) just scaled-down adult ones, and Prevelo founder Jacob Rheuban has a lot of great insights to share on what goes into making a good one.
Flash Review — Propain Ekano 2
Propain describes the Ekano 2 as a more nimble, playful sort of long-travel eMTB, but is it? Check out our initial impressions.
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Propain Ekano 2 AL
Propain’s Ekano eMTB stood out from the rest of their line, with a different suspension layout and geometry that was starting to look a bit dated. That all changes today, with the new Ekano 2 getting a major overhaul. Propain is talking a big game about the Ekano 2 being an especially nimble, “fun” bike, despite its big travel numbers and modern geometry.
Amateur Hour: Atomic’s Matt Manser on Scotch, Part 2 (Ep.32)
Matt Manser (Atomic Ski Boots), is back to dive into the world of independent bottlings. We compare a Bunnahabhain independent bottling against their official 12-year offering; discuss a single cask that cost $19M; debate whether you should add water to your Scotch; and more.
Steeping / What Are We Even Doing, Anyways??
In her latest Open Mic piece, Angel reflects on ‘normal’ life, moving at warp speed, and the art of steeping.
Forge+Bond 25 XC and 30 AM Wheels
Forge+Bond’s wheel lineup is growing with the addition of new XC and AM options — and a price drop while they’re at it.
Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend (July 2023) (Ep.271)
Cody and Jonathan discuss a potential pay cut for wildland firefighters; a robotic exoskeleton that provides “unprecedented experiences for everyone with an outdoor lifestyle”; a skier’s ‘embarrassing’ checklist of life goals; whether sex before skiing enhances or detracts from performance; and much more.
Flash Review — 2024 Santa Cruz Stigmata
We got a first ride on the new Santa Cruz Stigmata last week — check out our initial impressions (and one of our “gravel-curious” reviewer’s thoughts on this sort of riding in general).
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2024 Santa Cruz Stigmata
Longer, lower, and slacker tend to be the standard buzzwords for an updated mountain bike, but Santa Cruz has applied them to their new Stigmata Gravel bike in a big way.
Flash Review — Pivot Shuttle AM
We’ve started spending time on Pivot’s new Shuttle AM — check out our initial impressions.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Flash Review — Trek Fuel EXe Aluminum
We’ve started spending time on Trek’s new aluminum Fuel EXe, testing its claims of a quieter motor and more “natural” feel on the trail — check out our initial impressions.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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GEAR THERAPY: A Guitarist’s Ski Gear Questions (Ep.256)
When it comes to gear, we’ve all been there: loads of questions, crippling confusion, severe analysis paralysis. You need some help! Welcome to our inaugural edition of Gear Therapy.
Win a Bike Rack from Yakima
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get Yakima’s StageTwo premium hitch bike rack!
Esker Rowl
Esker might be flying under the radar for some mountain bikers, but their 140mm-travel Rowl makes a very strong case for why more folks should be paying close attention to what they’re up to.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
2023-2024 RMU Apostle 96 Pro
The Apostle 96 Pro takes RMU’s playful all-mountain shape and adds two sheets of metal — a combo we don’t often see. So, how well does the resulting ski blend these seemingly unusual design traits? Check out our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons.
Deep Dive: Apostle 96 Pro
We compare the RMU Apostle 96 Pro to the standard RMU Apostle 96, RMU Apostle 106 Pro, Line Blade Optic 96, Armada Declivity 102 Ti, J Skis Masterblaster, Renoun Endurance 98, Blizzard Rustler 9, Salomon QST 98, Nordica Enforcer 99, Volkl M6 Mantra, Atomic Maverick 95 Ti, K2 Mindbender 99Ti, Fischer Ranger 102, Black Crows Justis, Head Kore 99, Elan Ripstick 106, Faction Dancer 2, Black Crows Camox, Dynastar M-Free 99, Nordica Unleashed 98, Rossignol Blackops 98, Season Kin, K2 Reckoner 102, 4FRNT Switch, Faction Mana 2, Liberty Origin 101, Shaggy’s Ahmeek 95, Shaggy’s Mohawk 98, Season Aero, Line Blade, & K2 Mindbender 96C.
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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Reviewer Reports: Storm Cycles, All-Mountain Skis, 3D-Printed Goggles, & More (Ep.282)
Kara, Luke, Dylan, and Eric discuss some of the powder and all-mountain skis they’ve been testing, plus Dylan’s new favorite ski poles, a standout touring boot, 3D-printed custom goggles, and a bunch of Crashes & Close Calls.
Rónán Dunne on Joining Mondraker Factory Racing (Ep.206)
Rónán Dunne is on a meteoric rise through the World Cup Downhill ranks, and he’ll look to continue that on the newly formed Mondraker Factory Racing team. We sat down with Rónán to chat about leaving Nukeproof for Mondraker, the state of DH racing in general, his goals for 2024 and beyond, and much more.
Flash Review: 23/24 Nordica Steadfast 85 DC
We just got our first day on the widest ski in Nordica’s Steadfast collection. Here are our initial thoughts on the Nordica Steadfast 85 DC and how it slots into the narrower all-mountain and wider piste-oriented categories.
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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Roval Traverse HD Wheels
We’ve been logging a lot of time on the Traverse HD, the heavier-duty model in Roval’s recently overhauled wheel lineup, which is meant for everything from aggressive Trail riding to bike park use. Check out our full review to find out how they’ve fared.
Tecnica Announces New 24/25 Zero G Tour Boots
Tecnica just announced that they’re updating their longstanding (and already very impressive) Zero G Tour ski boots. So, what’s changed? Here are all the details.
Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend, Dec ’23 & Jan ’24 (Ep.294)
Cody and Jonathan debate the greatest athletic achievements in outdoor sports in 2023; Caroline Gleich’s run for the U.S. Senate; ski area & ski media business models; mountain town advice, the Most Canadian News; & more.
2023-2024 K2 Mindbender 106C W
K2 calls the recently overhauled Mindbender 106C W the ultimate one ski quiver, for “when you don’t know what the forecast has in store.” So, how does it compare to other wider all-mountain skis, as well as the previous version? Check out our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons.
Deep Dive: K2 Mindbender 106C W
We compare the K2 Mindbender 106C W to the first generation Mindbender 106C, Folsom Cash 106, K2 Mindbender 116C W, Faction Dancer 3X, Salomon QST Stella 106, Armada ARW 106 UL, RMU Valhalla 107, DPS Kaizen 105, Blizzard Sheeva 10, Line Blade Optic 104, Nordica Unleashed 108, Majesty Vadera Ti, Blizzard Sheeva 11, & Coalition Snow Rafiki.
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.
If you’re already an active member, please log in.
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2023-2024 Rossignol Juggernaut
The Juggernaut is the stiffest twin in Rossignol’s lineup, but they recently tweaked it to make it more accessible. So just how game-on is the new model, and what sort of riders — freestyle-minded or not — might want to consider it? Check out our Full Review.
Stuff We Like: January 2024
This edition of our Stuff We Like series includes everything from snow saws to ski boots, lots of kids gear, 5 pairs of sunglasses, multi-tools, and more. Check it out to see all the latest gear our reviewers have been digging.