BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Blister Summit 2026: What, When, & How to Join
Join us at Blister Summit 2026 this April 13-17! We’re extremely excited to host our sixth Summit at Snowbird, Utah this season — here are the details.
Win PHANTOM Glide Ski / Snowboard Kits
The five winners of our Gear Giveaway this week will each get a PHANTOM Glide Single Application Kit!
Revel Ritual
The Revel Ritual is a long-travel 29er built for Enduro racing, but after two months of testing, it proved to be far more versatile than expected. With efficient climbing and playful yet capable descending, the Ritual feels just as at home just about anywhere. Check out our Full Review for the whole story.
Deep Dive: Revel Ritual
We compare the Revel Ritual to the Revel Rail 19, Canfield Lithium, Canfield One.2 Super Enduro, Santa Cruz Megatower 2, Intense Tracer 279, Transition Spire, Ibis Ripmo v3, Santa Cruz Hightower 4, Santa Cruz Bronson 5, and Specialized Stumpjumper 15 Evo.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Reviewing the News w/ Mike Ferrentino & Simon Stewart (Ep.290)
Mike and Simon discuss why many of us who have been riding bikes for years and are fit and healthy should still get a calcium test to look for heart disease; plus a recap of the wild World Cup in Les Gets, and more.
Stuff We Like: August 2025
From high-end coolers and rain jackets to ultralight trail pants, fishing sunglasses, and even youth outdoor gear, this month’s Stuff We Like roundup highlights the products our team has been testing and loving. Whether you’re traveling, biking, fishing, or just gearing up for everyday adventures, here are the standout picks for August 2025.
Flash Review: Chromag Reazon
Chromag’s full-suspension lineup is growing, and the new Reazon is the mid-travel bike meant to be the most versatile option within it. Here are our early 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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Brage Vestavik, ‘Trolldom’ w/ Dylan Wood & Simon Stewart (Ep.50)
Brage Vestavik just dropped one of the most savage mountain bike edits we’ve ever seen. It’s gripping and raw, with huge-consequence riding. So today, Dylan and Simon dissect it all, then ask the question: ‘Thor’s hammer, or a surgeon’s scalpel?’
Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend, August 2025 (Ep.372)
Cody & Jonathan discuss climbing’s latest social media star who is going viral for free soloing; what to do about ‘Poop Lake’; Vail CEO, Rob Katz’s recent interview; mountain town advice; and more.
Win a Travel Bag From SPC/LST
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get a System Tote from SPC/LST!
Deep Dive: Salsa Spearfish
We compare the Salsa Spearfish to the Trek Top Fuel, Specialized Epic Evo, Pivot Trailcat SL, and Yeti ASR.
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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Salsa Spearfish
It’s very green, very fast, and very fun. We’ve been riding the Salsa Spearfish for three months and think it’s a standout modern XC bike for its balance of speed and versatility.
Flash Review: Shimano XTR M9220 Trail Pedals
Shimano’s new XTR Trail pedals are a big departure from earlier iterations, and they’ve got a new SPD cleat to go with them, too. So has Shimano messed with a good thing, improved a longstanding favorite, or something else entirely? Here’s our early take.
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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Shimano XTR M9220 Trail Pedals
Shimano’s updated XTR Trail pedals just got unexpectedly burlier, and, in even more surprising news, there’s a new SPD cleat design, too. Find out about both in our First Look.
Reviewer Reports: Revel’s First eMTB, Tons of Suspension, Big Brakes, & More (Ep.289)
We’ve been testing a ton of new suspension, brakes from brands big and small, Revel’s first eMTB, the new Trek Fuel EX, and a whole lot more. Get the latest on how it’s all going in this week’s episode of Bikes & Big Ideas.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
2025-2026 Atomic Bent 110 GFD
Atomic, Chris Benchetler, and the Grateful Dead have once again teamed up to release a limited-edition ski — here are the details on the Bent 110 GFD.
Our 25/26 Winter Buyer’s Guide: Trends, Controversies, & Luke’s Least Favorite Thing In It (Ep.362)
Luke and Jonathan talk about our big new book, the Blister 25/26 Winter Buyer’s Guide, including the big takeaways, trends, and controversies. (Plus, stick around to hear Luke’s insane bear story at the end.)
Revel ReRun
Revel’s first eMTB is a burly, 165 mm travel rig, but the ReRun’s performance proved that looks can be deceiving. Check out our thoughts after several months of testing.
Win a Travel Pack from The Brown Buffalo
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get a Conceal Waistpack from The Brown Buffalo!
2025-2026 Blister Digital Winter Buyer’s Guide
350+ skis, 70+ boots, and 280+ pages of honest, accurate product reviews and comparisons. Check it all out here.
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Reviewer Reports: Yeti LTe, Chromag Reazon, Trek Fuel LX, & More (Ep.293)
Dylan Wood and David Golay give some updates on a whole bunch of bikes they’re testing, including how the Trek Fuel LX stacks up against the Slash, the surprising ride feel of the Yeti LTe, an ultra-efficient XC bike from a brand better known for gravity bikes, and a whole lot more.
“Get Thee To A Cheese Monger!” Cheesemaking w/ Jasper Hill Farm’s Zoe Brickley (Ep.85)
Eli and Jonathan talk with Zoe Brickley — Jasper Hill’s “Minister of Culture” — about how a struggling Vermont dairy farm made a very big gamble and grew into one of the most respected and award-winning names in American artisan cheese.
‘Life Cycles’ w/ Dylan Wood & Simon Stewart (Ep. 53)
15 years ago, ‘Life Cycles’ was released and changed the perception of what a mtn bike film could be. Today, Dylan and Simon talk about how it combines art, breathtaking cinematography, beautiful riding, with a message that’s more relevant today than when it first came out.
Race Face Turbine Flat Pedals
Big, concave + scary pins — the Race Face Turbine pedals check a lot of boxes for an aggressive flat pedal, at least on paper. Check out our review for our on-trail findings.
Free Speech & Thoreau’s ‘Walking’ w/ Mountain Gazette’s Mike Rogge, Blister Book Club (Ep.375)
Jonathan & Mike Rogge offer some thoughts on the current state of free speech, then discuss Thoreau’s great essay, “Walking,” and the new Mountain Gazette anthology, ‘Print Ain’t Dead.’
Canyon Spectral:ONfly
We racked up the miles on two different builds of the Canyon Spectral:ONfly to find out how Canyon’s affordable take on the hot light-assist eMTB category measures up to the competition.
Deep Dive: Canyon Spectral:ONfly
We compare the Spectral:ONfly to the Norco Fluid VLT 130, Rocky Mountain Instinct Powerplay SL, Santa Cruz Heckler SL, Pivot Shuttle SL, and Pivot Shuttle SL/AM.
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.)