Sherpa Custom Mountain Bikes founders, Tad & Brad go on Blister's Bikes & Big Ideas podcast to discuss how and why they *just* launched the brand, their unique custom process and "photorealistic 3D dream builder" and more

Your Fully Customizable Dream Build? Introducing Sherpa Custom Mountain Bikes (Ep.39)

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What if you could buy a bike without immediately looking to swap out a bunch of the stock parts? And what if this dream build of yours was competitively priced? Sherpa Custom Mountain Bikes is a brand-new company that allows you to customize every part and color of your new bike, with over 1,000,000 combinations to choose from; their “photorealistic 3D dream builder” provides life-like graphics that allow you to scrutinize every detail of your custom build; and they’re also offering a life-time warranty on their frames and rims. Sound too good to be true? We sat down with the founders of Sherpa to question them about this intriguing ambitious new venture.
Ryan Hall goes on Blister's Off The Couch Podcast to discuss running his first ultramarathon, the Grand Traverse in Crested Butte, how he is now focused on weight lifting, how he views weight and running performance, and much more

Ryan Hall on His First Ultra; Performance & Weight; Proper Perspective; & More (Ep.66)

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Ryan Hall is a two-time Olympian and is the only American to run a sub-2:05:00 marathon. But these days, Ryan is far more focused on lifting, yet he just completed his first ultramarathon — and he did it in the most ‘Off The Couch’ way possible. So we sat down with Ryan in Blister HQ to talk about his first ultra; finding proper perspective; weight & performance; and more.
Structure Cycleworks founder, Loni Hull, goes on Blister's Bikes & Big Ideas Podcast to discuss his brand, linkage forks, suspension designs, & much more

The Strangest Bike? Structure Cycleworks founder, Loni Hull (Ep.38)

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Structure Cycleworks arguably makes the coolest bikes out there — or the ugliest bikes out there. So we talked to their founder, Loni Hull, about why he introduced a front-linkage suspension design; why rear-linkage designs are everywhere, while front-linkage designs are utterly uncommon; and the pros and cons of bringing such an unorthodox bike to market. So whether you are a true bike dork or you just appreciate outside-the-box thinking and design, consider this a ‘Must-Listen.’
Gordon Gianniny reviews the La Sportiva Lycan II for Blister

La Sportiva Lycan II

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The original La Sportiva Lycan was designed to be a softer, wider, and more cushioned shoe for mellow, smooth trails. But with the new Lycan II, they went in a very different direction, positioning it as a mid-distance shoe for “rocky and highly technical terrain.” So how do the two versions compare, and why should you opt for the Lycan II over Sportiva’s numerous other “mountain running” shoes?
David Golay reviews the Privateer 141 for Blister

2021 Privateer 141

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Today Privateer launched their second bike, the 141, which maintains much of the modern geometry, sensible design, and very competitive price point of their Enduro-oriented 161 bike, but packages it into a shorter-travel, more versatile design for the masses. The result seems very compelling — check out our First Look for more.
Jonathan Ellsworth, Ben Sims, & Luke Koppa discuss on Blister's Bikes & Big Ideas podcast evolving mountain bike geometry, its future, the new 2021 Trek Slash, 2020 Pivot Switchblade, & Rocky Mountain Instinct BC

Evolving Bike Geometry & the New Trek Slash (Ep.37)

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Today, Trek officially released an update of their enduro-focused Slash, so we offer our initial impressions of the new bike and ask what this big new release might be able to tell us about where we are in terms of the evolution of bike geometry. To this end, we also talk about a couple other examples, including the Pivot Switchblade and the Rocky Mountain Instinct BC.
Maddie Hart reviews the Salomon Sense Ride 3 for Blister

Salomon Sense Ride 3

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Now in its 3rd iteration, the Salomon Sense Ride is a shoe that stands out not because it's exceptional at one particular thing, but because of how well it performs across such a wide spectrum of trails and distances. Check out our full review.
Kelly Roberts goes on Blister's Off The Couch podcast to discuss how to start running, how to keep running, the Bad Ass Lady Gang, & More

Kelly Roberts on How to Start Running, Keep Running, & Her Badass Lady Gang (Ep.65)

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Ever feel like you aren’t — or couldn’t ever possibly be — a “real” runner? Most of us have, which is why most of us need to meet Kelly Roberts. Kelly is good at making us feel fine about the fact that we sometimes hate running. And she’s equally good at helping us continue to run — or walk, or bike, or just keep moving. So we talk to Kelly about her moving (and hilarious) entrance into running; her Badass Lady Gang; angel ghosts; and more.
Heli-Guide, Doctor, Hunter, & Blister Reviewer, Paul Forward, goes on the Blister Podcast to discuss hunting in Alaska, conservation, climate change, the Alaskan Pebble Mine, being a vegetarian hunter, & more

Paul Forward on Hunting, Climate Advocacy, & Conservation (Ep.141)

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Blister reviewer, Paul Forward, is a lifelong hunter. Jonathan Ellsworth has been a vegetarian for over 20 years. So how much common ground do they share? We discuss that plus Paul’s latest solo hunt; why he only hunts with a bow; what the broader hunting community might learn from skiers & mtn bikers in terms of climate advocacy; and what skiers & mtn bikers could stand to learn from the hunting community about conservation.
Outdoor Research Essential Facemask

What Makes a Face Mask More or Less Effective? (Ep.112)

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Not all bikes or skis are equally good at all things — and the same goes for protective face masks. So we talked with Alex Lauver and Kat Schoewe of Outdoor Research about what type of masks are the most & least effective; how Outdoor Research’s work on medical-grade PPE has influenced their commercially available Essential Face Mask; we make some predictions about the upcoming ski season; and more.
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