Eric Olsen just returned from bike touring between the first three rounds of the EWS, so we sat down with him to hear where he got the idea in the first place; how it all went, including encountering golf-ball-sized hail and a flock of schoolchildren mid-race; the notion of bikes as transportation & European bike touring culture more broadly; and much, much more.

Eric Olsen on Bikepacking the EWS (Ep.126)

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Eric Olsen just returned from bike touring between the first three rounds of the EWS, so we sat down with him to hear where he got the idea in the first place; how it all went, including encountering golf-ball-sized hail and a flock of schoolchildren mid-race; the notion of bikes as transportation & European bike touring culture more broadly; and much, much more.

La Sportiva Karacal

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La Sportiva is synonymous with hardwearing shoes for running in difficult, mountainous terrain. However, the brand has lately focused on making more accessible models for runners who prioritize comfort over technical performance. With the Karacal, we think they’ve mostly succeeded in meeting that demand.

Paddy O’Leary on Racing Horses, Fell Running, Lacrosse, & Community Building (Ep.128)

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Paddy O’Leary’s path from the farm he grew up on in Wexford, Ireland to becoming an elite runner for The North Face is by no means a linear one. So we sat down with Paddy to talk about how he ended up racing on the trails (with and without a horse); growing the sport of lacrosse in Ireland; community building; fell running; and a whole lot more.
Dylan Wood and Luke Koppa review the Line Blade Optic 96 for Blister

2022-2023 Line Blade Optic 96

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Line's brand-new Blade Optic 96 is an extremely versatile all-mountain ski that isn't easily pigeonholed into a particular category, which is exactly why so many people should have it on their lists. Check out our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons for the whole story.
Dylan Wood and Luke Koppa review the Line Blade Optic 96 for Blister

Deep Dive: Line Blade Optic 96

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We compare the Blade Optic 96 to the Line Blade Optic 104, Line Blade Optic 92, J Skis Masterblaster, Line Blade, Blizzard Rustler 9, Season Kin, Rossignol Blackops 98, Fischer Ranger 94 FR, K2 Mindbender 99Ti, Volkl M6 Mantra, Wagner Summit 97, Blizzard Bonafide 97, Salomon Stance 96, Atomic Maverick 95 Ti, Salomon QST 98, Black Crows Camox, Moment Commander 98, Renoun Endurance 98, Faction Dancer 2, Dynastar M-Free 99, Nordica Unleashed 98, Dynastar M-Pro 99, 4FRNT MSP 99, & Black Crows Serpo.

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Under Armour Charged Bandit Trail 2

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Most people don’t associate Under Armour with trail running — but the brand’s new do-everything shoe, the Charged Bandit Trail 2, just might change that. The latest model from UA was designed with accessibility for novice runners in mind, and to that effect, we think the Charged Bandit Trail 2 could be a pretty competent option for a lot of people — not just those venturing off-road for the first time.

TrainingPeaks Co-founder Dirk Friel on Coaching, Artificial Intelligence, & the Future of Endurance Training (Ep.127)

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Endurance training has come a long way from handwritten logs and fax machines, and we owe a lot of that progress to web-based platforms like TrainingPeaks. Founded in the late 90s by endurance coaches Dirk Friel and his father, Joe Friel, TrainingPeaks has helped modernize the ways athletes can track, analyze, and plan their training. So, we sat down with Dirk to hear more about how better data leads to better performance; artificial intelligence; and a whole lot more.
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