BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Trinity Gravity
Trinity MTB has been developing one of the wildest, most interesting new bikes in recent memory and now the result of their efforts is available to pre-order. Check out our First Look with all the info on the Trinity Gravity — and there’s a *lot* going on here.
Shop Talk: Skiing with Kids w/ Spokane Alpine Haus (Ep.236)
For this edition of Shop Talk, we are back with the owners of Spokane Alpine Haus to talk kids and skiing, growing the next generation of skiers and snowboarders, and the gear that helps make it possible.
Win the New Rossignol Sender Free 110
The winner of this week’s Gear Giveaway will get a pair of Rossignol’s new and long-awaited Sender Free 110!
Flash Review: 23/24 Fischer RC4 105 MV BOA & Buckle
We’ve been A/B testing Fischer’s 23/24 RC4 105 MV BOA against the buckled version. Check out our initial impressions.
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2023-2024 Fischer RC4 105 MV W BOA & Buckle
For 23/24, Fischer redesigned their entire RC4 lineup, which includes three new lasts, and arguably the biggest overhaul was to their MV series. Check out our First Look for all the details about the new RC4 collection, the women-specific RC4 105 MV BOA, and how it compares to the traditional buckled version.
Magnus Manson is Back (Ep.159)
Magnus Manson had to put his burgeoning World Cup DH career on hold while he battled cancer, and now he’s gearing back up for the upcoming season. So we sat down with Magnus to talk about his treatment & recovery; staying motivated; filming and racing throughout his treatment; and a whole lot more.
Canyon Spectral 125
The Canyon Spectral 125 is about as aggressive as ~120mm-travel Trail bikes get, and the results are pretty interesting. Check out our full review for the whole story, including comparisons to six other bikes in this rapidly growing class.
Artist Geoff McFetridge on ‘Return to Stoner Forest,’ Bigfoot, Collabs, & More (Ep.21)
The artist & designer, Geoff McFetridge came to CB to pay us a visit, and in this conversation, he & Jonathan discuss his current show in LA, Return to Stoner Forest; culture & commerce; Geoff’s approach to collaborations; the new film, ‘Geoff McFetridge: Drawing a Life,’ & more.
Flash Review: 23/24 Line Bacon 115
For the 2023-2024 season, Line has opted to replace the previous Outline with the brand-new Bacon 115 — check out our initial impressions.
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2023-2024 Blizzard Sheeva 10
Blizzard opted to update one of their most popular and most versatile skis, the Sheeva 10, and we’ve been A/B testing the new and old versions to see how they compare. Check out our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons to see what we’ve found.
Deep Dive: Blizzard Sheeva 10
We compare the recently redesigned 23/24 Blizzard Sheeva 10 to the previous Sheeva 10, new Blizzard Sheeva 9, Blizzard Sheeva 11, Nordica Unleashed 98 W, Salomon QST Stella 106, Armada ARW 106 UL, Blizzard Black Pearl 97, Faction Dancer 3X, Fischer Ranger 102, K2 Mindbender 106C, Line Blade Optic 104, Nordica Santa Ana 104 Free, ZAG Slap 104, Head Kore 103 W, & Volkl Secret 102.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Inov-8 TrailFly G 270 V2
The recently released TrailFly G 270 V2 serves as an updated version of Inov-8’s celebrated zero-drop trail running shoe — a highly capable option for tackling long distances at speed. While the changes the brand made are subtle in nature, we think they help elevate the shoe’s performance without subtracting from what already works. Check out our full review for the full story.
Francesco Puppi on the Pro Trail Runners Association and the Future of the Sport (Ep.161)
Nike Athlete Francesco Puppi co-founded the Pro Trail Runners Association (PTRA) in 2022 to enable an international body of elite trail runners to share concerns about the sport’s present and future. So, we sat down with him to learn more about the association’s specific areas of focus, how they plan on making an impact, and much more.
Crank Brothers Mallet Trail Pedals
Crank Brothers just launched a new clipless pedal, the Mallet Trail, meant to slot in between the Candy and the Mallet E — and we’ve been testing it all winter. Check out our full review for the rundown on the design and how it performs on the trail.
Moosejaw Announces 2023 Outdoor Accelerator Program Finalists | Vote For Your Favorites
Moosejaw’s Outdoor Accelerator program helps early-stage outdoor startups move their companies forward via mentoring programs at the ICELab; work sessions with Moosejaw’s marketing and commerce teams; legal resources provided by Holland & Hart LLP; potential product launches on Moosejaw.com; and consultations with our BLISTER editors and reviewers. Now in its fourth year, the 2023 finalists have just been announced, and you can have a say in which companies make it all the way through to the Accelerator. Click here to learn about each finalist, and then vote for your favorites.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
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).
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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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
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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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.