BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Can We Future-Proof Public Lands? Working Together & the GORP Act (Ep.382)
How do you get everyone from cattle ranchers to cyclists, snowmobilers, hunters, wildlife biologists, indigenous tribes, and politicians from both sides of the aisle to agree on protecting public lands? The GORP Act took on this challenge, and its collaborative approach could serve as a blueprint for the future.
Propain Hugene 3 CF
Propain’s third-generation Hugene has less travel than the prior one, but its performance is a reminder that geometry matters at least as much as travel numbers. Check out how the Propain Hugene 3 CF stacks up as a unique take on a modern short-travel Trail bike.
Deep Dive: Propain Hugene 3
We compare the Propain Hugene 3 CF to the Propain Hugene 2, Revel Rascal V2, Kona Process 134, Rocky Mountain Instinct, Trek Top Fuel, Transition Smuggler, Pivot Trailcat LT, Chromag Reazon, Canyon Spectral 125, Knolly Fugitive 140, Forbidden Druid, and Norco Optic.
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Win OpenSnow Premium Weather Forecasting
The three winners of our Gear Giveaway this week will each get a 1-year OpenSnow Premium subscription!
Best Skis of the Century, Part 4 (Ep.368)
What are the Top 10 skis of the century? Top 3? #1 Ski? Today, Blister reviewer, Paul Forward, reveals his very personal picks, plus we share a story from the Blister archives that involves New Zealand farmers and helicopters.
Blister Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide: eMTBs
Our Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide chapters on eMTBs are here, covering everything from quick-handling light-assist Trail bikes to full-power Enduro sleds.
The Future of Rampage & How to Fix It (Ep. 299)
With four helicopter evacuations, the 2025 Red Bull Rampage was one of the most injury-plagued Rampages ever. It’s been weighing heavily on our minds and left us questioning the safety of the event and what should be done.
Travel Coffee Gear, Hand Grinders, & Coffee Roasting with Calibration Coffee Lab’s Alex LeBlanc (Ep.87)
How do you make great coffee on the road? Jonathan talks with Alex LeBlanc of Calibration Coffee Lab about our recent attempts at this. Then, we discuss Alex’s own approach to roasting, and how to achieve things like consistency, versatility, and uniqueness in the process.
Scott Ransom
The Scott Ransom might look more like a hardtail eMTB than a full-suspension Enduro bike at first glance, but its wild hidden shock aesthetic belies surprisingly well-rounded on-trail performance.
Phil Casabon on ‘ORNADA,’ Armada’s New Team Film (Ep.57)
BDog, aka, Phil Casabon, is one of the most creative skiers to ever do it, and today, we talk with him about this banger of a film, ORNADA, the first team film put out by Armada in over a decade. Plus, in this conversation, Phil lays out his Top-5 movies & Top-5 ski films of all time.
WTB Peacekeeper Tires
WTB might not be the first name you think of in tires, but their new Peacekeeper tire presents a very strong case for itself as an especially high-performing XC/Trail tire. Check out our review to find out why we’re excited about WTB’s latest offering.
Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend, October 2025 (Ep.381)
Cody and Jonathan discuss CT’s most recent travel horror story; ski industry cartels?; Jim Morrison’s Everest ski descent; Kilian Jornet’s ‘States of Elevation’; Red Bull Rampage; Balin Miller; the extreme insurance hikes at Timberline Lodge; and what we’re reading & watching.
2025-2026 United Shapes Deep Reach
The United Shapes Deep Reach promises powder performance, but with versatility to keep the good times rolling when the deep stuff goes away. Check out our Full Review to see how we got along with the Deep Reach in a wide range of conditions.
Blizzard-Tecnica: 10 Years of Designing Women-Specific Skis & Boots (Ep.367)
Do “women-specific” skis need to exist? What about ski boots? In our conversation today, Leslie Baker-Brown shares her thoughts after leading Blizzard-Tecnica’s Women2Women program for the past 10 years.
Priority Bicycles on the High-Pivot, Belt-Drive, Gearbox Vanth Enduro Bike (Ep. 298)
The Priority Vanth doesn’t look like much else out there, and the story of its development is similarly unconventional.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Reviewer Reports: Early-Season Testing & Luke’s Dumbest Moment on Skis (Ep.372)
We’re back on snow and testing ski gear! So Jonathan and Luke cover several of the standout products they’ve been on so far; Luke confesses to one of the dumbest things he’s ever done on skis; they discuss underappreciated upsides of early-season skiing; and more.
FSA KFX i28 Wheels
FSA’s KFX i28 wheels were developed on the World Cup XC circuit, but we’ve found their appeal to extend well beyond pure XC racing. Check out our Full Review for more on why we think a lot of folks should consider the KFX i28 wheels.
Pivot Shuttle SL/AM
Has Pivot’s Shuttle SL/AM combined the best qualities of the Shuttle SL and AM to create an eMTB that’s better than both of them?
Deep Dive: Pivot Shuttle SL/AM
We compare the Pivot Shuttle SL/AM to the Pivot Shuttle SL, Rocky Mountain Instinct Powerplay SL, Canyon Spectral:ONfly, Santa Cruz Heckler SL, Mondraker Dune XR, Yeti MTe, and Propain Sresh SL
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.)
Reviewing the News w/ Mike Ferrentino & Simon Stewart (Ep. 303)
Mike and Simon give an update on the exciting Cyclocross season so far, followed by some troubling recalls in the bike industry, a few interesting new products, and a whole lot more.
2025-2026 K2 Alchemist
The K2 Alchemist is built for speed, but it holds up surprisingly well across a range of conditions — check out our Full Review to see why we think it could be just what some hard-charging riders have been looking for.
How Does a Small Craft Brand Break Out? SennzaFinne Shares Their BluePrint (Ep. 91)
In a spirits landscape full of massive brands and mega marketing budgets, what differentiates a craft producer? SennzaFinne, the Seattle based amaro producer founded by former bartenders, has found creative ways to make their mark.
Flash Review: Evil Offering
It’s been a quiet few years for Evil, but their new Offering has gotten a major overhaul, and the on-trail results are intriguing.
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.)
Evil Offering
It’s been a while since we saw a new bike from Evil, but their updated Offering brings some welcome changes while sticking to other parts of the familiar Evil recipe. Check it out here, including our initial on-trail impressions.
Durston X-Mid Pro 2 Shelter
Our reviewer has been testing ultralight backcountry shelters for decades, and the Durston X-Mid Pro 2 is his current all-round favorite. Here’s why.
OpenSnow’s Joel Gratz on the Outlook for This Winter; Extended Snow Forecasts; AI Updates; & More (Ep.385)
Joel Gratz, the founding meteorologist & CEO of OpenSnow, is back to talk about … snow! And snow forecasting. And what’s new in the world of weather modeling. So if you like snow and you like to know when & where the snow will fly, listen up!
MTX Brake Pads
Brake pads are a small part with a huge impact on braking performance, and MTX’s Red Label Race and Gold Label HD pads deliver convincing performance on the trail. Check out our thoughts after five months of riding both options.