Steve Vanderhoek just put out one of the best video edits of the year, in which he and Yoann Barelli set out to ride as many of the gnarliest features in the Sea to Sky Corridor in one truly wild day. So this week on Bikes & Big Ideas, we sat down with Steve to talk about everything that went into making that day happen; the mental challenges of riding scary, high-consequence lines; filming and riding with Yoann and Remy Metailler; balancing all that with his career as a paramedic and firefighter; and a whole lot more.

Steve Vanderhoek on Le Tour de Gnar, Freeride, and Firefighting (Ep.78)

Steve Vanderhoek just put out one of the best video edits of the year, where he & Yoann Barelli rode just about all of the gnarliest features in the Sea to Sky Corridor in one truly wild day. We sat down with Steve to talk about the mental challenges of riding scary, high-consequence lines; filming & riding with Yoann & Remy Metailler; balancing all that with his career as a paramedic and firefighter; & a whole lot more.
Blister reviews the Canfield Lithium

Flash Review — Canfield Lithium

We've been riding Canfield's new longer-travel 29er — check out our thoughts on the bike so far.

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Blister reviews the Canyon Spectral 29

Flash Review — Canyon Spectral 29

We've been spending time on Canyon's overhauled Spectral 29 — check out some of our initial impressions and comparisons.

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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Whether you live in a mountain town or just love to visit them, our latest Blister Podcast is one you should check out. Our guest is Dr. Jenny Stuber, a sociologist and author of the book, Aspen and the American Dream. Jenny talks about some of the policies that the town of Aspen has employed, and which of them might be applicable to other towns trying to navigate the needs of full-time residents, part-time residents, local workers, and the visitors that many of these towns rely on.

Mountain Town Economics, Pt 1: Affordable Housing, Short-Term Rentals, & More (Ep.177)

Our guest is Dr. Jenny Stuber, a sociologist and author of the book, Aspen and the American Dream. Jenny talks about some of the policies that the town of Aspen has employed, and which of them might be applicable to other towns trying to navigate the needs of full-time residents, part-time residents, local workers, and the visitors that many of these towns rely on.
Cosmo Langsfeld reviews the La Sportiva VK BOA for Blister.

La Sportiva VK BOA

The Sportiva VK BOA is designed for something pretty specific — running up steep trails. That said, for the right people, we think it could be a really good option even if you're not always sprinting up mountains. Check out our review for more.
Blister What We're Watching — August 2021

What We’re Watching — August, 2021

Our What We’re Watching series is back, with an assortment of videos short & long; goofy & important; & relaxing to very high adrenaline. Check out a bunch of the best video content we’ve recently seen — plus a sneak preview of our next Bikes & Big Ideas guest.
Yesterday, Chris Davenport walked over to Blister HQ from Aspen to talk about how he thinks about ski gear and his own personal preferences. We also discuss monoskiing; which gear he is most and least picky about; ski width; mount points; weight; and whether Shane McConkey would be into these GEAR:30 conversations.

The Pro’s Gear: Chris Davenport (Ep.157)

Chris Davenport walked over to Blister HQ from Aspen to talk about how he thinks about ski gear and his own personal preferences. We also discuss monoskiing; which gear he is most and least picky about; ski width; mount points; weight; and whether Shane McConkey would be into these GEAR:30 conversations.
On our latest Bikes & Big Ideas podcast Blister Bike Editor David Golay talks to reviewer Dylan Wood about all the bikes and gear they’ve been spending time on recently, including some A-B comparisons of short-travel, DW-link bikes at both ends of the price spectrum; a range of longer-travel Enduro bikes both fairly conventional and quite unusual; some very intriguing pedals; and they mix in some thoughts on the importance (or lack thereof) of bike weight, plus the current state of the Shimano vs. SRAM drivetrain wars.

Reviewer Reports: DW-link Head-to-Head; Forbidden Dreadnought; Shimano vs. Sram; & Category-Defying Pedals

David Golay talks to Dylan Wood about two short-travel, DW-link bikes at opposite ends of the price spectrum; a range of longer-travel Enduro bikes from fairly conventional to quite unusual; some category-defying pedals; thoughts on the importance (or lack thereof) of bike weight; & the current state of the Shimano vs. SRAM drivetrain wars.
Gordon Gianniny reviews the Nathan Pinnacle 12L Race Vest for Blister.

Nathan Pinnacle 12L Race Vest

We thought the Nathan VaporKrar 2.0 running vest was "really close to being an awesome pack." Now Nathan has released its successor, the Pinnacle 12L, so does it address some of the downsides of the previous one while maintaining the upsides? Check out our review.
Eric Freson & Luke Koppa Blister Mountain Bike Review on the Ibis Ripley AF

Flash Review — Ibis Ripley AF

Update 8.3.21: Luke Koppa adds his thoughts on Ibis's budget-friendly, shorter-travel Trail bike.

Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions

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Dylan Wood and Eric Freson Blister Mountain Bike Review on the 2021 Pivot Trail 429

2021 Pivot Trail 429

Pivot’s longstanding Trail 429 recently got a major update, but how true to the original recipe is the new, V3 version? We've now had two reviewers spending a lot of time on the new bike, and you can check out our full review for their thoughts on the new bike and how it compares to the rest of the market.
Dylan Wood and Luke Koppa review the Sego Comp 110 for Blister

2021-2022 Sego Comp 110

The Sego Comp 110 seems like a pretty niche ski — it was designed for freeride skiers who need to ski fast and go big, and also throw tricks. But after a season on it, we think its rare blend of traits could be appealing to many skiers — not just those on the competition circuit. Check out our full review & Deep Dive comparisons.
Dylan Wood and Luke Koppa review the Sego Comp 110 for Blister

Deep Dive: Sego Comp 110

We compare the Comp 110 to the Sego Big Horn 106, Dynastar M-Free 108, J Skis Hotshot, Volkl Katana 108, Moment Commander 108, Blizzard Cochise 106, Nordica Enforcer 110 Free, K2 Mindbender 108Ti, Prior Northwest 110, ON3P Woodsman 108, Folsom Blister Pro 104, Black Crows Corvus, Prior Husume, Icelantic Nomad 105, Black Crows Atris, 4FRNT MSP 107, Moment Wildcat 108, & Faction Dictator 3.0.

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.)