BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Mountain Gazette Editor, Mike Rogge, on Outdoor Media & Issue #200 (Ep.277)
Mike Rogge is back to talk about outdoor media (even though we lie and say we aren’t going to this time), plus Mountain Gazette’s big new issue #200, which includes contributions from Jeremy Jones, comedian Steve Martin & cartoonist Harry Bliss, Karl Fostvedt, and more.
Win a Bike Maintenance Kit from mountainFLOW
The TWO winners of our Gear Giveaway this week will each get a Bike Maintenance Kit from mountainFLOW!
BOA & Ski Boot Design with Hoji, K2’s Tom Pietrowski, Fischer’s Christoph Lentz, Dalbello’s Riccardo Bonaiti, and Dynafit’s Ross Herr (Ep.262)
Hoji and ski boot designers from K2, Fischer, Dalbello, and Dynafit discuss ski boot design in general; the hype and skepticism around BOA (are boot buckles dying?); the balancing act of designing a walk mechanism; the challenges presented by the boot-binding interface, and more.
Vemdalen Ski Shop
Vemdalen Ski Shop is a dedicated, specialty ski shop right beside the ski area Vemdalsskalet. At Vemdalen Ski Shop, you are guaranteed a great shopping experience with their staff full of expertise, an authentic atmosphere, and excellent gear to suit your needs.
We Are One Convergence Wheels
We Are One has been making some of our favorite carbon wheels for quite a while now, and the latest models in their Convergence line are claimed to be stronger and more damped than their longstanding Union rims — and they use a wild-looking design to get there. We’ve been spending a lot of time on the middle-width wheel in the range, the Triad, and are ready to weigh in.
Trek on the New High-Pivot Slash (Ep.186)
The Trek Slash has been in their lineup for a long time, but the new sixth-generation bike is a big departure from the earlier iterations — first and foremost because of its new high-pivot suspension layout — and we sat down with the lead engineer on the project, Matt Yerke, to hear all about it.
Flash Review — 2024 Trek Slash
The Trek Slash has gone high-pivot and grown a mullet, and we’ve started spending time on the new one.
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Women’s MTB Jersey Roundup – 2023
Lots of miles on the bike this summer has meant plenty of time for testing a bunch of women-specific jerseys, and for this year’s women’s MTB Jersey Roundup, we have nine options that span everything from tank tops to long-sleeve downhill jerseys.
A Recipe, by Brendan Leonard
In our latest Open Mic piece, Brendan Leonard shares a recipe and asks us to consider, What is ‘Real’?
Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend, August 2023 (Ep.276)
Cody and Jonathan discuss marketing jargon in the outdoor industry; the sale of Jackson Hole Mtn Resort; another mountaineering controversy; mountain town advice; and more.
Deep Dive: Specialized Turbo Levo
We compare the Specialized Turbo Levo to the Pivot Shuttle LT, Pivot Shuttle AM, Orbea Wild, and Rocky Mountain Instinct Powerplay.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Specialized Turbo Levo
Having logged more than 600 miles on the Specialized Turbo Levo (and burned through a couple of sets of brake pads and tires in the process) we’re well acquainted with the bike and ready to chime in — check out our full review of one of the most popular eMTBs on the market.
Blister Labs: Technical Apparel Testing Update (Ep.261)
Apparel testing, show pigs, & the underrated importance of ballpoint pens. Luke Koppa and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss these things with our Blister Labs colleague, Melanie Peddle.
Extended: Win a Carbon Wheelset from Forge+Bond
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get a new carbon fiber wheelset from Forge+Bond!
MRP AMg Chain Guide
MRP is one of the biggest names out there when it comes to products that keep your drivetrain protected and operating as it should; the latest iteration of their AMg chain guide brings some nice refinements to their upper guide and bash guard style offering, with an eye to ease of setup and adjustability.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
A Very Deep Dive on Bootfitting, Pt. 6: Ski Boot Flex w/ Pulse Boot Labs (Ep.286)
How should you think about ski boot flex patterns, and which one is “right” for you? We talk with Pulse Boot Lab’s Bryn Vickers about the complex and often misunderstood aspects of ski boot flex; why your own biomechanics are a huge piece of the puzzle; how to work with a bootfitter during the process; and some of the latest Pulse Boot Lab technology.
Win Skis From Atomic
The winner of this week’s Gear Giveaway will get to choose between Atomic’s new Maverick 105 CTI or Maven 103 CTI!
Women’s Midlayer & Insulation Roundup – 2024
The right insulator can be the difference between a great day and a terrible one, especially when it comes to balancing cold temperatures with high-output activities. In this Midlayer & Insulation Roundup, several of our female reviewers discuss some of their recent favorites.
Ed Masters on Hardline, the 2024 Race Landscape, Pivot’s Prototype DH Bike, & More (Ep.210)
Ed Masters is back on Bikes & Big Ideas to talk about his 2023 season, the upcoming Tasmanian iteration of Hardline, the 2024 race landscape, the state of pro-level Enduro, and a whole lot more.
Flash Review — SRAM Maven Ultimate Brakes
SRAM’s new Maven brakes promise an immense increase in power over their longstanding Codes, and we’ve started spending time with the big new stoppers. Check out our early impressions.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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2024 Canyon Spectral CF
The 2021 Canyon Spectral CF blurred the line between a do-it-all Trail bike and a burlier Enduro one, but Canyon has now launched a new version, which they claim pushes the bike more squarely into Trail-bike territory. Check out our First Look to see how they’ve done it.
2023-2024 Blizzard Sheeva 11
The Sheeva 11 is the widest women-specific ski in Blizzard’s overhauled freeride series, and we’ve had 2 reviewers testing 2 different lengths. So, how does it compare to the previous iteration and other soft-snow women’s skis on the market? Check out our Full Review & Deep Dive Comparisons.
Deep Dive: Blizzard Sheeva 11
We compare the Sheeva 11 to the first-gen Sheeva 11, Blizzard Sheeva 10, K2 Mindbender 106C W, Folsom Cash 106, K2 Mindbender 116C W, Armada ARV 116 JJ UL, Faction Dancer 3X, Salomon QST Stella 106, RMU Valhalla 107, Nordica Unleashed 108, Majesty Vadera Ti, Line Pandora 110, Coalition Snow Rafiki, & Wagner Summit 106.
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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Yeti SB135
Has the ship sailed for 27.5” wheeled mountain bikes? Yeti’s answer is a hard no. Are they on to something? We’ve been spending a lot of time on the SB135 and are ready to weigh in — check out our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons.
Deep Dive — Yeti SB135
We compare the Yeti SB135 to the Yeti SB140 27.5’’, Esker Rowl, Ibis Ripmo V2S, Pivot Shadowcat, Transition Scout, Yeti SB140 29’’, Trek Fuel EX, Transition Smuggler, and SCOR 2030.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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2024-2025 Atomic Maverick 105 CTi
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the Atomic Maverick 105 CTi.
Flash Review: 24/25 Tecnica Zero G Tour Pro W
Tecnica recently announced updates to their Zero G Tour ski boots for 24/25, and we’ve been skiing the newest and stiffest women-specific model in the lineup, the Zero G Tour Pro W. Here are some of our initial thoughts on the new boots’ fit and performance.
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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