BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Canfield Lithium
The Canfield Lithium is a highly capable Enduro bike that’s also much more versatile than its travel numbers might suggest. Check out our full review for everything that makes the Lithium stand out.
Jackie Paaso on her Arctic 12 Expedition (Ep.187)
We talk to the American skier who now calls Sweden home, Jackie Paaso, about her very raw, very real new film, The Arctic 12. We discuss her background; being on the Freeride World Tour with her husband, Reine Barkered; and the ins and outs of their 26-day expedition through the tallest peaks of northern Sweden.
Tech Tip: DIY Fork Lower Service
You can dramatically improve your suspension fork’s performance at home, in under an hour. Let us show you how.
Shop Talk: Willi’s Ski and Snowboard Shops (Ep.167)
We’re talking with Greg Klein, president of Willi’s Ski and Snowboard Shops, which is family owned and operated with several locations in the greater Pittsburgh area of Pennsylvania. We talk about what brought Greg’s father (Willi) to PA; Seven Springs Mountain Resort; the key ingredients of a great ski shop; ski length & ski width; Willi’s women’s program; shop beer vs. shop pizza; & more.
Win a Helmet & Shoes from Leatt
This week the winner can pick any half-shell helmet and pair of shoes from Leatt!
La Sportiva Cyklon
With a BOA fit system, aggressive outsole, and minimal midsole, the Cyklon is designed specifically for off-camber, mountainous terrain — and for that, it’s excellent. But there’s more to it, so check out our full review for the whole story.
Getting Here: Gunnison & Crested Butte
We’re big fans of our home valley, and for anyone who’s interested in visiting, we put together this guide to give you the information you’ll need to make your trip here easier and better.
Vinny Armstrong on the Future of Freeride (Ep.88)
We catch up with Vinny Armstrong to get her take on what the future of freeride looks like to this highly accomplished 22-year-old rider.
Flash Review: Guerrilla Gravity Trail Pistol
The new Guerrilla Gravity Trail Pistol is now full-carbon, but does this shorter-travel bike still feel like a mini-Enduro bike, or something else entirely? Check out our Flash Review for our early impressions.
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Dakine Agent Knee Pad
Dakine’s newest Agent knee pad is reportedly for “those who earn their airtime.” But are these best for those who like to pedal all day, folks who are primarily focused on rough descents, or people who do both? Check out our review.
Blister Summit Artist Panel: Art & the Outdoor Industry (Ep.186)
We brought together four very accomplished artists and designers to discuss the intersection of art and the ski and snowboard worlds, as well as the broader outdoor industry. Our panelists are Yorgo Tloupas, co-founder of Black Crows Skis; Geoff McFetridge, who has worked with brands like Patagonia, Nike, & Apple, and is Jonathan Ellsworth’s telemark coach; John Fellows, who lives in Crested Butte, designed our Blister Summit logo, and whose artwork is displayed all around the outdoor industry; and Travis Parr, co-founder of Icelantic Skis, and the person behind Icelantic’s very distinctive artwork.
2021 Commencal Meta TR 29
Two of our reviewers spent several months on Commencal’s downhill-oriented Trail bike, the Meta TR 29. Check out our video & written full reviews for their thoughts on who it suits and how it compares to several other bikes in its class.
Flash Review: We Are One Arrival
We just started spending time on the We Are One Arrival, and so far, it stands out from the crowd in more ways than just its looks. Check out our Flash Review for our initial take on the bike.
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.)
Would You Rather: Crappy Riding Conditions Edition
Hot, dusty, and dry or cold, wet, and muddy? This week in our Would You Rather series, our reviewers are weighing in on which flavor of sub-optimal mountain biking conditions they’d prefer to be stuck with.
Win Line Skis
This week our winner will get one of the strangest yet most fun skis on the market, the Line Blade.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Trail Running Glossary of Terms: Trail Running Shoe Materials & Tech
As much as footwear brands try to simplify how they market the technology that goes into their shoes, making sense of all the different types of plastics, fabrics, and foams out there can be confusing. So, in our second installment in our Trail Running Glossary of Terms series, we’ve put together a list of some of the most common materials used to construct shoes, along with some of their benefits and drawbacks.
Reynolds on the Environmental Footprint of Bike Manufacturing (Ep.131)
We chatted with Reynolds about their new environmental impact study and what they learned about the emissions output from making bike frames. We also get into recycling & why some materials are better suited to it than others; how Reynolds hopes to be a blueprint for other brands to take studying their own output more seriously; and touch on everything from Spitfire airplanes to Roman swords and classic Jaguar race cars along the way.
2023 RockShox ZEB
RockShox recently gave their longest-travel single-crown fork, the ZEB, a major overhaul, and the new fork is a big improvement in several key areas — without really compromising what the previous version already did very well. Check out our full review for the rundown, including how it compares to the Fox 38 and Öhlins RXF38.
A Very Deep Dive on Coffee w/ Sam Higby of First Ascent (Ep.2)
We discuss the difference between very good and very bad instant coffee; light roasts vs. dark roasts; the brewing process; brewing coffee at altitude; how to make great coffee on a budget; and more.
The Other 99%
Kicking off our Open Mic series is Angel Collinson, who shares some of her thoughts on purpose, mindfulness, and leaning into 100% of life — not just the peak experiences.
Reviewer Reports: On Running vs. Skiing, Go-to Gear, & Ramen Bombs (Ep.133)
Matt Mitchell and Drew Kelly sat down to compare notes on how their summer mountain runnings seasons have played out, including the ways Drew sees his skiing translate to the trails, gear picks for all-day epics, the (in)famous “Ramen Bomb,” and more.
LoamLab Components Grips and Counterpunch
A lot of mountain bikers have probably crashed by clipping a tree with the outside of their bar. LoamLab’s Counterpunch is meant to save folks from some of those crashes (and potential broken pinkies) with a subtle aluminum guard that replaces the outer clamp of a lock-on grip — and having gone and punched some trees with them, they work.
Protect Our Winters’ Mario Molina on the New Climate Bill (Ep.222)
The United States Congress just passed a historic climate bill, so we spoke with the executive director of POW, Mario Molina, to discuss the backstory and details of the bill, and what needs to happen now.
Blister Brand Guide: Scarpa Trail Running Shoe Lineup, 2022
Scarpa, often known for their mountaineering and skiing equipment, has turned out numerous trail running shoes over the past few years. In 2022, they’ve expanded their tidy lineup to include niche options for technical terrain, racing, road-to-trail, and more. Check out our Brand Guide to get the rundown on all of the different models from Scarpa this year.
Reviewing the Reviewer: Kara Williard (Ep.209)
Our resident ski reviewer, bike tester, boot fitter, and sustainable farmer, Kara Williard, is in the hot seat to cover everything from ski and bike gear preferences to scorpion-eating chickens; her stint as a Tall-Tee-clad park rat; whether goalie gloves smell worse than sweaty ski boots; and much more.
Win Running Vests from Naked Sports Innovations
This week TWO lucky winners will each get Naked Sports Innovations’ High Capacity Running Vest + their Drink Tube Kit!
2022 Rocky Mountain Element
The Rocky Mountain Element has long been a traditional XC race bike, but the new one very much is not. It’s got a bunch more suspension travel and wildly more aggressive geometry than the bike it replaced, but still maintains a fair bit of XC influence, too. So how does that all add up, and who is it going to work best for?