BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Flash Review: Trickstuff Maxima Brakes
The name of the Trickstuff Maxima brakes gives a good idea of what they’re about, at least on paper: big power, big bling, and a pricetag to match. We’ve started spending time on Trickstuff’s most powerful, gravity-oriented brake to see if they deliver.
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Win Packs & Radios From BCA
The two winners of our Gear Giveaway this week will get a Stash Pro 40-UL or Stash 20-S pack and BC Link 2.0 Radio from Backcountry Access!
Reviewing the News w/ Mike Ferrentino, April 2025 (Ep. 272)
Mike and Simon discuss the sad news about Revel Bikes closing shop, the exciting start to mountain bike World Cup XC racing, Tadej Pogačar’s incredible Spring Classics campaign, Specialized’s polarizing eMTB speed limit decision, some of their favorite new products, and a whole lot more.
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
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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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!
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
2025 Nicolai / Geometron G1
Geometron arguably did more than anyone else to spur on the geometry revolution that mountain bikes underwent over the last decade or so. Their second-generation G1 doesn’t appear to be as radical as the original one in some respects, but it’s a more refined, modern take on an aggressive, ultra-adjustable Enduro bike.
Deep Dive: Nicolai / Geometron G1
We compare the Nicolai / Geometron G1 to first-generation G1, RAAW Madonna V3, Privateer 161 V2, Chromag Lowdown, and Contra MC.
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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‘Jeremiah Johnson’ w/ Mike Rogge & Jonathan Ellsworth (Ep.37)
‘Jeremiah Johnson’ stars one of the most famous actors of all time, Robert Redford. But why did Mike Rogge want to discuss this film that came out 53 years ago? Why was it so important to Robert Redford? And how did it inspire one of the most popular GIFs / memes today??
SRAM GX Transmission Upgrade Kit
SRAM just launched the new 70 and 90-series mechanical versions of their T-Type groupsets. Now there’s a cheaper way to convert a mechanical Transmission setup to the GX wireless version.
2024-2025 ON3P Woodsman 92
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the ON3P Woodsman 92.
Flash Review: Öhlins RXF36 m.3
The changes Öhlins made to the latest m.3 generation RXF36 look more like subtle refinements than a major overhaul on paper, but small tweaks can make a big difference when it comes to suspension performance. Check out how our time with the RXF36 m.3 is going so far.
Craig ‘Weazy’ Murray on Winning Natural Selections’ 1st SKI Comp; GRITT; & More (Ep.356)
We go behind the scenes of Natural Selection’s first ski comp with Craig ‘Weazy’ Murray, winner of the men’s division. We also talk about Weazy’s other passions, including riding mtn bikes at an increasingly high level, and why his work with GRITT means so much to him.
Flash Review: 25/26 Elan Ripstick 102 Black Edition
Elan’s “Black Edition” skis are meant to serve as higher-end versions of their existing models, and we’ve been spending time on the latest blacked-out version of the Ripstick 102. 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.
If you’re already an active member, please log in.
(If you’re already logged in and a member in good standing and seeing this message in error, please refresh this page in your browser.)
2025-2026 Elan Ripstick 102 Black Edition
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the Elan Ripstick 102 Black Edition.
Rocky Mountain to Reboot Under New Ownership
Rocky Mountain has been going through financial difficulties and restructuring. They’re now under new ownership, with plans to resume new bike development and push the brand forward.
Reviewer Reports: Testing at Palisades, Ski Touring Gear, Favorite Ski Socks & Midlayers (Ep.346)
Luke, Kristin, and Jonathan discuss some of the skis, boots, and bindings that have stood out during their recent testing; Luke’s experience at Palisades Tahoe + Level 1 SuperUnknown; which ski socks they each used most this season; some interesting new midlayers, & more.
Win a Portable Ramp From MTB Hopper
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get the Lite 2025 Portable Ramp from MTB Hopper!