BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Specialized’s Updated Butcher and Eliminator Tires
The Specialized Butcher and Eliminator were recently refreshed, and we’re excited about the potential performance gains. Let’s walk through the updated tread patterns and configuration options for Specialized’s latest tire designs.
Revel Bikes Is Closing
Revel Bikes is closing shop. Here’s what we know so far.
Flash Review: Kona Hei Hei 10
The Kona Hei Hei has taken many forms over its 30+ year history. So, where does the most current, 10th generation of the Hei Hei sit in the market? We’ve been spending some time on it and have some initial thoughts.
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Mountain Gazette’s Mike Rogge on the Natural Selection Ski Comp; Old Gear; “Outdoor” Movies; & More (Ep.353)
Mountain Gazette owner & editor, Mike Rogge, is back to talk about Travis Rice’s Natural Selection SKI comp; the virtues of crappy old gear; Jim Morrison’s trip report in the new issue of Mountain Gazette; Mike’s unorthodox picks for movies to cover on Blister Cinematic; & more.
2025-2026 Dynafit Ridge Pro Ski Boot
The Ridge Pro is the latest collab between Dynafit and Eric ‘Hoji’ Hjorleifson, and it’s proven to offer a really impressive blend of uphill efficiency and downhill capability — but there are some caveats to consider. Check out our Full Review for the whole story.
Santa Cruz Vala
The Vala brings about a couple of firsts for Santa Cruz — their first Horst Link bike and their first Bosch-powered eMTB. After several months on board the Vala, it’s left quite an impression. Find out why in our Full Review.
Deep Dive: Santa Cruz Vala
We compare the Santa Cruz Vala to the Cannondale Moterra SL, Santa Cruz Heckler SL, Rocky Mountain Instinct Powerplay, Pivot Shuttle AM, Devinci E-Troy, and Orbea Wild.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Flash Review: 25/26 Völkl Mantra 88
Völkl is updating the Mantra 88 next season, and the new version has been impressive so far — here are Jonathan’s initial takeaways.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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2025-2026 Völkl Mantra 88
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the updated Völkl Mantra 88.
Reviewer Reports: Closing-Day Setups, Trip Reports, Cody’s Surprise Visit, & More (Ep.343)
Luke, Kara, Jonathan, and Jbobb discuss a whole bunch of ski and snowboard gear they’ve been testing — and the very different locations and conditions where that testing has taken place.
Win PHANTOM Glide Ski / Snowboard Kits
The five winners of our Gear Giveaway this week will each get a PHANTOM Glide Single Application Kit!
DT Swiss EXC 1200 Classic Wheels
DT Swiss’s 1700-series wheels are deservedly popular as higher-end aluminum options that come in at a reasonable price, but what about their flagship 1200-series carbon models? We’ve spent a ton of time on the Enduro-oriented EXC 1200 Classic wheelset to find out. Here’s our Full Review.
Flash Review: 25/26 La Sportiva Sender
The Sender is a new freeride-touring boot from La Sportiva, and it’s proven to be an interesting option during our initial testing. Here’s what we’ve learned so far.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Cascade Components’ Stumpjumper High-Pivot Conversion (Ep.270)
Cascade Components is best known for making aftermarket suspension links to change the leverage curve of a wide range of bikes, but they’ve just launched something much more radical: a high-pivot conversion kit for the current Specialized Stumpjumper. So we sat down with them to discuss why, how, and what they learned from the project.
Kona Hei Hei 10
The Kona Hei Hei is one of the longest-standing mountain bikes out there, with a legacy spanning over 30 years. Today, Kona launched the 10th version of the Hei Hei, making changes in certain areas while leaving others the same. Check out what is (and is not) new.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Bosch CX-R Motor & Software Upgrade for CX Drive Systems
Bosch has announced the expected CX-R version of their Performance Line CX motor along with a performance software upgrade for the current CX motor. Both offer impressive power and a host of other notable upgrades. Let’s see what’s new.
Stuff We Like: April 2025
In this month’s edition of Stuff We Like, our reviewers discuss a wide array of gear they’ve been digging, from burly bike stands to shoulder-season layers, ultra-breathable touring kits, mesh duffels, and lots of multifunctional summer apparel for the hot months to come.
Viticulture, Wine Making, & Karaoke w/ Field Recordings’ Andrew Jones (Ep.68)
Andrew Jones has spent decades planting vines for other people — some of the biggest names in California. But then his side project turned into Field Recordings, and that has grown into one of the most talked-about labels in the country. Here, Andrew talks with us about nursery hustle, breaking the rules, and why wine should be fun, not fussy.
Flash Review: 2026 Fox 36 SL Grip X
The new Fox 36 SL replaced the longstanding 34 as their shorter-travel Trail bike fork, and Fox claims it’s got a much stiffer chassis at a modest weight penalty. Let’s check how our time on the 36 SL is going so far.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Flash Review: 25/26 RMU Professor 101
We’ve been spending time on the new Professor 101, which expands the freestyle-friendly Professor collection to a more versatile and all-mountain-friendly width. Here are our initial impressions.
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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2025-2026 RMU Professor 101
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the RMU Professor 101.
OneUp Wave Flat Pedals
OneUp has released a new flat pedal — the Wave — and they’re not quite like anything else on the market. By merging convex and concave shapes, OneUp has created a new platform shape, and they make some big claims as far as its benefits. Read on for more on these new pedals.
Flash Review: 25/26 Majesty Vanguard 108 Ti
The Vanguard 108 Ti is the latest addition to Majesty’s freeride collection, but this metal-laminate ski is designed for a more playful approach to the mountain. Here’s what we’ve learned about it so far.
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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2025-2026 Majesty Vanguard 108 Ti
Majesty is introducing a new playful, metal-laminate ski for freeriders who want something narrower than the Vanguard 118 Ti. Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the new Vanguard 108 Ti.
Vorsprung Telum
The Telum coil shock may be Vorsprung’s first standalone suspension product, but they’ve got a long and impressive track record of suspension upgrade parts and tuning work to draw from. So does the Telum live up to expectations? Here’s our take.
When Sh!t Hits the Fan / How to Recreate Responsibly, with Nick Russell, Bjarne Salen, Drew Petersen, & Dr. Gloria Beim (Ep.354)
Today, an all-star lineup of guests share their stories of times when things went wrong in the mountains, and also share some of their best advice and tips to respond to such moments — or, ideally, avoid them altogether. If you recreate in the mountains, please listen.
Win MTB Apparel From Peak Performance
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get a women’s or men’s Trail Wool-blend Longsleeve tee and the women’s or men’s Trail Tech MTB Pants from Peak Performance!