BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Women’s Mountain Bike Short Roundup — 2021, Part 2
We’re back with another roundup of women’s mountain bike shorts, this time with six options from Dakine, Club Ride, 7mesh, Machines For Freedom, Wild Rye, and Flylow.
Rudy Project Crossway Helmet
Rudy Project’s Crossway Helmet is a lightweight, well-ventilated option for XC and Trail riding. Check out our review to see how it compares to the competition, and if it’d make sense for you.
Just Announced: 21/22 is Final Season for Full Tilt
Today it was announced that the Full Tilt name and brand will be no more, starting in 22/23.
Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend (Sep 2021) (Ep.184)
Cody and Jonathan discuss the NFL(?); the massive increase in Epic Pass sales; the name change to “Palisades Tahoe”; whether you should shower; some of our all-time favorite TV characters; and more.
2022 Commencal Meta SX
Commencal’s Meta line has grown a mullet — check out our First Look for more info on the brand-new, mixed-wheel Meta SX.
Debatable: You Don’t Need a Big Quiver of Bikes
Having a huge quiver of mountain bikes sounds exciting, but maybe isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Our Bike Editor would rather have the right couple bikes than a massive assortment of options, and makes the case for why.
A Very Deep Dive on Ski Boots, Part 7: Atomic’s 21/22 Lineup (Ep.165)
Matt Manser is back for a deep dive on Atomic’s new 21/22 lineup, and we also discuss ski boot design and construction in general; the “Frodo Pro”; “Complete Tech” vs. “Hybrid Tech”; espionage; Immanuel Kant; Omar Little; and to offer his take on Bode Miller’s recent GEAR:30 thoughts on ski boots.
Win Any Renoun Skis
This week the winner will get to pick a pair of Renoun’s unique skis!
Dan Bacon of Wheelbased on Integration, Active Suspension, & the Future of MTB Tech (Ep.85)
MTB patent applications are a great window into what’s coming down the pipeline, and Dan Bacon, (of Wheelbased.com) knows more about them than anyone. We get into it about cockpit integration (and how some of us hate it); electronic brakes(?!?!); active suspension; automakers joining the fray; and a whole bunch more.
Stuff We Like: September 2021
In this month’s edition of our “Stuff We Like” series, we’ve got everything from stoves to beverages, gloves, headlamps, knives, & more.
Hoka Mach 4
The Hoka Mach 4 offers a rare combination of plush cushioning and springy efficiency that makes it great for a wide variety of road runs, but it’s not quite a perfect do-everything shoe. Check out our review to see why, and if it’d make sense for you.
2021 Guerrilla Gravity Pedalhead
Guerrilla Gravity’s Pedalhead hardtail just got a major update, and we’ve been spending a whole bunch of time on it. Check out our full review for our thoughts on the bike that GG says is “built for everything from crushing singletrack miles to getting rad around town.”
From G.N.A.R. Star to Mayor? Why Spencer Cordovano is Running for Office (Ep.183)
How does a ski bum go from starring in the beloved movie G.N.A.R. to running for mayor? And why? We talk with Spencer Cordovano to get some answers, and you’ll get to hear how and why Spencer went from ripping BN runs the movie G.N.A.R. to working to mobilize a certain constituency to make the mountain town he lives in and the community he loves … even better.
Tech Tip: Tubeless Tire Tricks
Tubeless tires are ubiquitous on mountain bikes these days, but they can still be a real headache. Fortunately, we’ve got a bunch of tips and tricks that can help make setting them up and maintaining them much easier.
Win a Full Riding Kit from Giro
This week our winner will get a helmet, goggles, shoes, pants, and a jersey from Giro!
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
2022-2023 Faction Dancer 3X
The Dancer 3X is a wider, metal-laminate women’s all-mountain ski, and it offers something a bit different from most of the other options in that category. Check out our Full Review for more.
Win a Head-to-Toe MTB Kit from Giro
This week one lucky winner will get a head-to-toe mountain bike kit (men’s or women’s) from Giro’s latest lineup!
The Design Principle of “Simplexity” (Ep.206)
We talk to Naked Sports Innovations’ president and co-founder, Lindsay Dakota, about how the concept of “simplexity” drives Naked’s design process; growing a small brand sustainably; the future of footwear; and how ski racing influenced the design of their new trail shoe.
Flash Review: 22/23 K2 Mindbender 89Ti
Here are our initial impressions of a ski that’s been on our mind this summer — the new K2 Mindbender 89Ti.
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Shimano AM903 Shoe
The Shimano AM9 has been their top-tier gravity clipless shoe for a long time now (and a personal favorite of ours), and while the latest AM903 generation is mostly a case of leaving a good thing alone, it’s got some nice refinements over the earlier iterations.
Over The Edge on Trail Building, Travel, & Rampage (Ep.127)
We sat down with the crew from Over The Edge to talk about trail building & the development of MTB towns; traveling to ride; servicing Rampage bikes; & much more.
2022-2023 Roxa R3 130 TI I.R.
Here are our measured specs, images, and preliminary questions about the new Roxa R3 130 TI I.R.
Men’s Sun Hoody Roundup — 2022
A good lightweight sun hoody can easily remedy the challenges presented by summer layering by keeping you cool and well protected from the sun. Check out our roundup for several of our favorite options for men, with running in mind.
2022 Orbea Rallon
The Orbea Rallon is a super precise, quick-handling Enduro bike that offers something pretty different from most of its competitors — while still feeling really cohesive and intuitive. Check out our full review for more detail, including how it stacks up to fourteen other long-travel Trail and Enduro bikes.
Blister Brand Guide: Columbia Montrail Running Shoe Lineup, 2022
Columbia Montrail’s 2022 trail running shoe lineup may be trim, but each of the brand’s four distinct models is intended to suit a specific need, including lightweight options for workouts and high stack height models for ultra distances. Check out our Brand Guide to get the rundown on all of their 2022 shoes.
Leah Yingling on Her Western States 100, Pacing Perfection, & the Golden Hour (Ep.129)
After finishing 6th at this year’s Western States 100, Salomon Athlete (and sometimes co-host) Leah Yingling returns to the show to give us a play-by-play of how her day panned out.
Sunglasses Roundup 2022 — Part 1: Active/Sport
In Part 1 of our sunglasses roundup, we cover several of the pairs our reviewers have been using for biking, skiing, running, and more.