Recent Posts
Win a Jacket from Dark Peak
The winner this week will get a men’s or women’s insulated jacket from Dark Peak!
The Strangest Bike? Structure Cycleworks founder, Loni Hull (Ep.38)
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.’
4FRNT SKIS Gets New Owners
Jason Levinthal has sold 4FRNT. Here’s the deal, and some thoughts from Hoji.
Blister Brand Guide: Altra Running Shoe Lineup, 2020
Interested in Altra’s road or trail shoes but not sure where to start? Check out our Brand Guide, where we cover their entire 2020 lineup, highlight what’s changed since last year, and help you differentiate between all of their shoes.
La Sportiva Lycan II
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?
2021 Privateer 141
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.
Win a Men’s or Women’s Flylow Outerwear Kit
The winner this week will get both a jacket & shell from Flylow’s 20/21 collection!
Men’s Mountain Bike Jersey Roundup — 2020
We’ve rounded up 11 men’s mtb jerseys that our reviewers have been using for the past 1-2 seasons — many of which are currently on sale. Check out our roundup to see how they compare, and which ones might work well for how and where you ride.
Evolving Bike Geometry & the New Trek Slash (Ep.37)
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.
2021 Trek Slash
Just a couple years ago, one of our reviewers called the Trek Slash the best all-round Enduro bike he’d ridden at the time. Today, Trek announced the eagerly anticipated update to that bike — the all-new, 2021 Slash. Check out our First Look for the full rundown on what they changed, how the new bike’s design compares to the current market, and our initial on-trail impressions.
Salomon Sense Ride 3
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 on How to Start Running, Keep Running, & Her Badass Lady Gang (Ep.65)
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.
2020 Rocky Mountain Instinct BC Edition
We’ve now had 3 reviewers on Rocky Mountain’s “aggressive trail” bike, the Instinct BC. Check out our updated review for each of their takes, and how the bike compares to several other options in its class.
Paul Forward on Hunting, Climate Advocacy, & Conservation (Ep.141)
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.
What Makes a Face Mask More or Less Effective?
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.
Blister Brand Guide: Hoka One One Shoe Lineup, 2020
Hoka’s shoe lineup is now more diverse than ever: they still make plenty of maximal, high-cushion shoes, but they also offer a lot of more minimal options for both roads and trails, as well many casual variations designed to bring the brand’s comfy, plush ride to everyday shoes. Check out our Brand Guide for a rundown on their entire 2020 lineup.
Jeremy Jones on His New Film, Purple Mountains (Ep.142)
We talk to snowboarder & Protect Our Winters founder, Jeremy Jones, about his new film; the importance of reviving a lost art; and more.
Shaggy’s Skis 20/21 Lineup + Luke & Drew Ski Pow on 9.9.20 (Ep.113)
We talk to Northern-Michigan-based Shaggy’s Copper Country Skis co-founder & product engineer, Jeff Thompson, about their 20/21 lineup; their unusual “nanoMag” construction; and more. Then Luke Koppa talks about skiing pow this week (??) in Crested Butte.
Win a Jacket from Dark Peak
The winner this week will get a men’s or women’s insulated jacket from Dark Peak!
The Strangest Bike? Structure Cycleworks founder, Loni Hull (Ep.38)
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.’
4FRNT SKIS Gets New Owners
Jason Levinthal has sold 4FRNT. Here’s the deal, and some thoughts from Hoji.
Blister Brand Guide: Altra Running Shoe Lineup, 2020
Interested in Altra’s road or trail shoes but not sure where to start? Check out our Brand Guide, where we cover their entire 2020 lineup, highlight what’s changed since last year, and help you differentiate between all of their shoes.
La Sportiva Lycan II
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?
2021 Privateer 141
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.
Win a Men’s or Women’s Flylow Outerwear Kit
The winner this week will get both a jacket & shell from Flylow’s 20/21 collection!
Men’s Mountain Bike Jersey Roundup — 2020
We’ve rounded up 11 men’s mtb jerseys that our reviewers have been using for the past 1-2 seasons — many of which are currently on sale. Check out our roundup to see how they compare, and which ones might work well for how and where you ride.
Evolving Bike Geometry & the New Trek Slash (Ep.37)
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.