BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
‘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.
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The Company that Created an Industry: Alpacka Raft (Ep.361)
We see new brands pop up all the time, but what happens when your idea is so novel that it essentially births an entire sport and industry? That was the case when Thor Tingey started Alpacka Raft, and he shares all the details in this fascinating origin story.
Win Skis & Bindings from Armada
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get a pair of Declivity 92 Ti or Reliance 92 Ti skis — plus a set of Strive 12 GW bindings — from Armada!
Deep Dive: Propain Tyee 6.1
We compare the Propain Tyee to the Kavenz VHP 16, Yeti SB165, Marin Alpine Trail, Santa Cruz Nomad 6, Pivot Firebird V5, Rocky Mountain Altitude, and Ibis HD6.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Propain Tyee 6.1
In an era where a lot of Enduro bikes are super-focused go-fast sleds, the Propain Tyee stands out from the pack — and will be just what some folks are looking for. Check out what sets it apart.
Big Race Results & Big News From Enve (Ep. 292)
We catch up with Enve’s Jake Pantone about their exciting plans to start making Mountain Bikes, winning the Tour de France and Red Bull Hardline, and the stress of having one of the greatest cyclists of all time riding their wheels.
Flash Review: DT Swiss Ratchet DEG DF Anti-Pedal Kickback Hub
DT’s Ratchet DEG DF pedal kickback / chain feedback mitigating freehub is impressively simple and super light, but how well does it work? We’ve got some early thoughts.
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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DT Swiss Ratchet DEG DF Anti-Pedal Kickback Hub
DT Swiss has an ingeniously simple upgrade for their Ratchet DEG hubs, meant to mitigate pedal kickback — and it’s almost certainly the lightest such option out there. Check out their new Ratchet DEG DF freehub mechanism, and get our early on-trail impressions.
Debatable: Short on Time? Skip the eMTB, Go XC
eMountain Bikes are dominating sales, but reviewer Zack Henderson argues that your next ride actually ought to be an XC bike. Check out his argument, and let us know what you think.
Jonathan Gagné on Astrophysics, Coffee, & The Physics of Espresso (Ep.84)
Jonathan Gagné is producing some of the best work in the world in terms of increasing our understanding and appreciation of coffee. And we’re ecstatic to talk with him about his day job (astrophysics), boulders, dust, soup, crema, headspace, and more.
‘Girl Climber’ w/ Emily Harrington, Amie Engerbretson, & Jonathan Ellsworth (Ep.52)
Amie & Jonathan talk with Emily Harrington about her fantastic new film, and go behind the scenes of her project to free-climb the Golden Gate route on Yosemite’s El Capitan in under 24 hours. This is a must-see movie, and this conversation makes it clear why.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Deep Dive: Pivot Firebird V5
We compare the Pivot Firebird V5 to the Pivot Firebird V4, Yeti SB160, Yeti SB165, Rocky Mountain Altitude, Propain Tyee, Santa Cruz Megatower, Santa Cruz Nomad, and Ibis HD6.
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.
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5 Years of Prototypes: AlpenFlow Ski Bindings Origins & Overview
In the first of our videos from Blister Summit 2025, we sit down with AlpenFlow Designs to get the whole story on how and why they decided to make a ski-touring binding; how their prototypes of the AlpenFlow 89 have evolved over the first 5 years of development; what they believe sets it apart from the rest of the market; how it actually works; and more.
Win a Helmet & Goggles from Pret
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get the Pret Fury or Vision Helmet, as well as a pair of Pret Effect Goggles!
Best Skis of the Century from Each Brand, Part 2 (Ep.365)
In Part 2 of our series on the Best Skis of the Century, Luke Koppa and Sascha Anastas join Jonathan Ellsworth to dive into the best skis from 23 more brands, and we also discuss some of the best and most notable women-specific skis of the past 25 years.
Propain Sresh SL
Propain’s lightweight Sresh SL eMTB has proven to be an option that’s hard to define, but easy to get along with in a wide variety of settings. Check out our Full Review for our takeaways after 3 months aboard this mid-travel eMTB.
Deep Dive: Propain Sresh SL
We compare the Propain Sresh SL to the Yeti MTe, Pivot Shuttle SL/AM, Pivot Shuttle SL, Norco Fluid VLT 130, Santa Cruz Heckler SL, Trek Fuel EXe, and Mondraker Dune XR.
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.)
Rocket Ramps on Building Trails, Ramps, and Action Sports Infrastructure (Ep. 296)
Simon catches up with Henry Lanman of Rocket Ramps about the crazy big lines they built for the bike park in Picuris Pueblo, the sustainability of their ramps, their passion for building action sports infrastructure, and more.
Giro Chamber III Shoes
Giro’s new Chamber III went on a bit of a diet, but remains a fairly aggressive, gravity-focused clip shoe. We’re ready with a Full Review after five months of trail time.
‘Pressure Drop’ + 30 Years of TGR w/ Todd Jones & Nick McNutt (Ep.54)
Jonathan talks with TGR co-founder, Todd Jones, then pro skier, Nick McNutt, about the past, present, & future of Teton Gravity Research, and their excellent new 30th-anniversary film, Pressure Drop.
Inside the Minds of Pro Skiers: Competition, Careers, & Close Calls w/ Dane Tudor, Todd Ligare, Amy Jane David, & Stinius Skjøtskift (Ep.378)
Dane Tudor, Todd Ligare, Amy Jane David, and Stinius Skjøtskift joined us for a wide-ranging conversation on skiing, competition, and career-defining moments — recorded live at the Blister Summit 2025.
EXT Vecta
The EXT Vecta brings most of the features of their flagship Storia V4 coil shock to a much more affordable package, but how does its performance stack up? We’ve spent the summer finding out. Here’s what we found.
Best Skis of the Century from Each Brand, Part 1 (Ep.364)
Today, we are kicking off a new series, where we will debate and try to identify the best skis of the 21st Century from over 30 ski brands. Jonathan Ellsworth, Luke Koppa, Paul Forward, and our great friend, Rob Dickinson, kick off the conversation.