BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles

EXT Era Fork
After making a big splash with their rear shocks, EXT’s first fork is here. There’s a whole lot that’s interesting and unusual about the Era, but how does it all add up on the trail? Check out our full review to find out — now with some additional thoughts from Xan Marshland.

Would You Rather: Dream Hardtail or Mid-Price Full Suspension?
Dream hardtail or more modest full suspension bike as an everyday ride? That’s the question we’re tackling in our new “Would You Rather” series. Check out our reviewers’ individual takes on the site, and let us know what you’d do in the comments.

Fanatik
Fanatik is an outstanding mountain bike-specific shop in Bellingham, WA, with a focus on custom bike and wheel builds, and a large e-commerce presence. They’re the local go-to for parts, service, and complete bikes, as well as an integral part of the Bellingham mountain biking community.

A Very Deep Dive on Coffee (Ep.158)
You had to know we’d do this, right? We sat down with Sam Higby to talk about Sam’s time in the outdoor industry and in the coffee business; the difference between good and bad instant coffee; light roasts vs. dark roasts (and what some dark roasts have in common with hot sauce or double IPAs); the brewing process & brewing at altitude; how to make great coffee on a budget; and more.

Win Packs & Jerseys from RMU
This week TWO people will each get RMU’s Enduro 5L fanny pack + one of their Party Time Tech Tees!

Mountain Bike Tires: A Guide & Comparisons
In this guide, we’re comparing more than a dozen of the most popular Trail, Enduro, & DH tires to each other, highlighting their pros and cons, and helping you figure out which option might work best for you. In our latest update, we’ve got a couple of new additions from Schwalbe and Michelin.

Mtn Biking 201: A Guide to Tire Casings & Rubber Compounds
What are tire casings and rubber compounds — and why should you care? And how do one brand’s casing and compound options compare to another’s? In this Gear 201 article, we answer those questions and more, and we’ve just added our thoughts on the latest rubber compounds and casings from Schwalbe and Michelin.

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.

Ian Sharman & Dana Kracaw on the Leadville 100; the Art of Pacing; & How to Get Away with Murder (Ep.90)
We talk to Ian Sharman and Dana Kracaw about how they met; the art of pacing; the art of DNF-ing; Tanya Harding; deer costumes; trolling; all-mountain roller skates; and yes, murder.

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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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
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2021 GT Force
High-pivot Enduro bikes are popping up all over the place these days, and now there’s another option on the market — the all-new GT Force. Check out our First Look for more info.

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.

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.

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.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:

Altra Timp 4
Altra could have easily gotten away with making a few minor tweaks when updating their high-cushioned Timp; instead, the brand completely reengineered the Timp 4 from the ground up. Check out our review to see what we think of all the new changes.

Win Percussion Massage Devices from Roll Recovery
This week TWO lucky winners will each get Roll Recovery’s new R1 percussion massage device!

2022-2023 Rossignol Sender 106 Ti Plus
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pics, and flex pattern numbers for the new Rossignol Sender 106 Ti Plus.

2022-2023 Lange RS 130 LV
Here are our measured specs, photos, and a quick rundown on the 22/23 Lange RS 130 LV.

Reviewer Reports: Santa Cruz, Pivot, Kavenz, & More (Ep.124)
We’ve been testing a ton of bikes across the spectrum, from XC(ish) to big Enduro sleds, and we’ve got updates on a lot of them, plus some teasers for other things we’re cooking up.

Flash Review — Rossignol Mandate
The Rossignol Mandate is a killer value in terms of parts spec, but is the frame up to it? Check out our Flash Review for our early impressions.
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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2021-2022 Stereo Piste RS
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pics, and flex pattern numbers for the Stereo Piste RS.

Naked Sports Innovations Co-founder Lindsay Dakota on “Simplexity” & Their New Laceless Trail Racing Shoe (Ep.126)
Naked Sports Innovations’ line of products has evolved a lot from the popular Running Band that started it all, and this month they announced plans for their first (laceless!) trail running shoe, the Naked T/r. So we sat down with Naked’s President and Co-founder, Lindsay Dakota, to break down their debut model and to talk about how the notion of “simplexity” drives their design process

Blister Brand Guide: Arc’teryx Trail Running Shoe Lineup, 2022
Best known by many for their high-end outerwear, Arc’teryx has now been making trail running shoes for a few years — including one of the lightest models on the market. Check out our Brand Guide to learn more about their current options and how they stand out from each other.

2022-2023 Renoun Earhart 88
Here are our thoughts on Renoun’s women-specific all-mountain ski, the Earhart 88, how it compares to the competition, and what sorts of skiers we think should have it on their lists.

Flash Review — Kavenz VHP 16
We’ve started spending time on the Kavenz VHP 16. Check out our Flash Review for our early impressions.
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.
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2022-2023 Dynastar M-Pro 108
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pics, and flex pattern numbers for the new Dynastar M-Pro 108.