BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Flash Review — Pivot Shadowcat
Update 9.2.22: Luke Koppa is now the third reviewer we’ve had on Pivot’s new lightweight, 27.5″ Trail bike, and he’s a fan — check out his initial impressions.
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9point8 Fall Line Dropper Post
The 9point8 Fall Line is a lightweight dropper post with a bunch of unusual features that set it apart from many of its competitors.
Win a Sleep System from Zenbivy
This week’s lucky winner will get Zenbivy’s MotoBed — one of our favorite sleep systems for comfortable year-round car camping!
Dillon Osleger on Historic Trails, Changing Climates, & Evolving Communities (Ep.133)
On this week’s episode of Bikes & Big Ideas, we chatted with professional mountain biker, trail builder, and climate scientist, Dillon Osleger, about Rezduro; the Protect Our Winters Bike Alliance; trail building and advocacy; the development of mountain biking as both a sport and a community; and much more.
What is Natural Wine? Danielle & Katie Nichols of CORK, Stowe, VT (Ep.4)
To find out, we talked with Danielle and Katie Nichols, the two amazing sisters behind CORK Restaurant & Natural Wine Shop. Danielle and Katie provide a fantastic introduction and overview of natural wine, explain how they got into it; and they tell us about “Twinkie Wines,” too.
Flannel Shirt Roundup — 2022
Flannels — they’re basically the unofficial uniform of fall, and for good reason. Cozy enough to lounge in at home, and (usually) nice-looking enough for town. Check out our roundup for a bunch of options for women and men.
Todd Aydelotte on Running Through History, Edgar Allen Poe, & The Warriors UltraRun (Ep.135)
We sat down with ultrarunner and race director, Todd Aydelotte, to hear all about how he uses running to trace the lives of historical figures, like Edgar Allen Poe, Walt Whitman, and Teddy Roosevelt. Along the way, we also talk about the semi-legal 28-mile road race he created to reenact the 70’s cult film, “The Warriors”; running through New York City subways after dark; and a whole lot more.
Fathers and Sons
Sander Hadley reflects on the themes of expectations, potential, grace, and making your own path, and how they’ve been shared throughout the lives of fathers and sons from three different generations.
Camelbak M.U.L.E. Pro 14 100 oz
Camelbak is a very well-known name when it comes to hydration packs, and the M.U.L.E. name has been in their lineup since the ‘90s. This experience definitely shows in the M.U.L.E. Pro 14 100 oz, and it has a generous feature set and storage space that could work for a lot of riders.
Trail Running Glossary of Terms: Trail Running Shoe Categories
While roads almost always guarantee a consistent running surface, the same cannot be said for the wide-ranging “trails” out there. Trail running shoes mirror this variability in the range of different forms they can take, with some types of shoes performing better in certain scenarios than others. In the third installment in our Trail Running Glossary of Terms series, we’ve outlined several of the most common categories of trail running shoes, including some of the advantages they offer and where each one might be limited.
Chris Davenport on Skiing Portillo & Joining Peak Skis (Ep.226)
We catch up with Chris about his recent ski trip to Portillo, Chile, and discuss his decision to join Bode Miller at Peak Skis.
Get Our 2022-2023 Blister Winter Buyer’s Guide
Pre-order your print and/or digital copy of the most honest, accurate, genuinely useful buyer’s guide in the ski industry. Includes 270+ skis, 50+ boots, & much more. Prices go up September 5th, so pre-order now!
Win $150 Outdoor Element Gift Cards
This week TWO lucky winners will each get $150 gift cards to spend on any of Outdoor Element’s numerous camping & outdoor accessories!
Blister Labs: MTB Wheelset Testing & Establishing Proof of Concept (Ep.211)
Greg Vanderbeek is back with a Blister Labs update on our mountain-bike-wheels testing. We discuss why the dynamic modeling we’ve been doing in the field is a critical component for ongoing testing back at the lab; what our test results are revealing about carbon vs. aluminum wheels; and more.
Hope Tech 4 V4
Hope’s disc brakes got a major overhaul in the form of the new Tech 4 generation earlier this year, and that brought a very major increase in power to the range. But how does their burliest brake, the Tech 4 V4, compare to the competition? Check out our full review.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Flash Review: 23/24 Fischer RC4 Pro MV BOA ZipFit
For the 23/24 season, Fischer is launching two new “Pro” versions of their redesigned RC4 alpine boots, both of which feature just about all the bells and whistles you could ask for. Check out our initial on-snow 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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SRAM Eagle AXS Long-Term Durability
SRAM’s new Eagle Transmission is a big change to their mountain bike lineup, but what does the demise of the derailleur hanger mean for long-term durability, and is electronic shifting just an unnecessary gizmo or a genuine benefit? Blister Editor Simon Stewart reflects on four-plus years with the original Eagle AXS drivetrain.
Mountain Gazette’s Mike Rogge on Winter in Tahoe; Urban Thru Hikes; Mutton Busting; & More (Ep.253)
Mountain Gazette editor / owner, Mike Rogge, is back to discuss this historic winter in Tahoe; urban through hikes; mutton busting; and more.
Flash Review: 23/24 Head Oblivion 116
We’ve been spending time on Head’s new Oblivion 116, and it is proving to bring something a little different to the table than most powder skis. Check out our initial thoughts.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Win an Ortovox Ski Touring Pack
This week the two winners of our Gear Giveaway will get the Haute Route 32 or the Haute Route 30S ski touring pack from Ortovox!
2022-2023 Folsom Cash 93
Folsom added a new shape to their lineup this season, with the new Cash 93 bringing their wider Cash skis’ off-piste maneuverability to a narrower package. Check out our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons to see how it fits into the narrower all-mountain category.
Flash Review: 23/24 RMU North Shore 114
We’ve been spending time on RMU’s newest powder ski, the North Shore 114. Check out our initial on-snow impressions, including how it compares to RMU’s Apostle 106, North Shore 110, and Professor 121.
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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Deep Dive: Folsom Cash 93
We compare the Cash 93 to the Folsom Spar 88, K2 Mindbender 89Ti, Volkl M6 Mantra, Blizzard Rustler 9, J Skis Fastforward, K2 Mindbender 99Ti, Fischer Ranger 90, Line Blade Optic 92, DPS Pagoda 90 RP, Black Crows Serpo, Armada Declivity 92 Ti, Atomic Maverick 95 Ti, Head Kore 93, Blizzard Brahma 88, & Nordica Enforcer 88.
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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SRAM’s New Eagle Transmission and Stealth Brakes (Ep.162)
SRAM’s new Eagle Transmission is some of the biggest new tech to hit the bike world recently, and we sat down with SRAM’s Chris Mandell to get the rundown on the new T-Type parts, including why SRAM went to a direct mount derailleur and a whole lot more.
2023-2024 Blizzard Sheeva 9
The newly redesigned 23/24 Blizzard Sheeva 9 took the biggest departure from its predecessor, relative to its wider siblings, but how does it slot into the ~95mm-wide all-mountain category? Read our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons to find out more.
Deep Dive: Blizzard Sheeva 9
We compare the 23/24 Blizzard Sheeva 9 to the Fischer Ranger 90, Blizzard Sheeva 10, Nordica Santa Ana 93, Atomic Maven 93 C, Faction Dancer 2X, Volkl Secret 96, Salomon Stance 94 W, Blizzard Black Pearl 97, K2 Mindbender 99Ti W, & 4FRNT MSP CC.
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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Trail Running 101: How to Run While Traveling
While one of running’s virtues is how well it travels, requiring little in the way of gear and possible in just about every type of setting, knowing exactly what to bring and how to safely explore a new place on foot can be daunting. So, in part eleven of our Trail Running 101 series, we put together some best practices for running while on the road (or trail).