BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
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
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 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.
The Pro’s Gear: Chris Davenport (Ep.157)
Chris Davenport walked over to Blister HQ from Aspen to talk about how he thinks about ski gear and his own personal preferences. We also discuss monoskiing; which gear he is most and least picky about; ski width; mount points; weight; and whether Shane McConkey would be into these GEAR:30 conversations.
Win a RUX Gear Organizer
The RUX is currently the “piece of gear our editor most wants to steal from another reviewer,” and this week you can win one!
Reviewer Reports: DW-link Head-to-Head; Forbidden Dreadnought; Shimano vs. Sram; & Category-Defying Pedals
David Golay talks to Dylan Wood about two short-travel, DW-link bikes at opposite ends of the price spectrum; a range of longer-travel Enduro bikes from fairly conventional to quite unusual; some category-defying pedals; thoughts on the importance (or lack thereof) of bike weight; & the current state of the Shimano vs. SRAM drivetrain wars.
Nathan Pinnacle 12L Race Vest
We thought the Nathan VaporKrar 2.0 running vest was “really close to being an awesome pack.” Now Nathan has released its successor, the Pinnacle 12L, so does it address some of the downsides of the previous one while maintaining the upsides? Check out our review.
Flash Review — Ibis Ripley AF
Update 8.3.21: Luke Koppa adds his thoughts on Ibis’s budget-friendly, shorter-travel Trail 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.
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2021 Pivot Trail 429
Pivot’s longstanding Trail 429 recently got a major update, but how true to the original recipe is the new, V3 version? We’ve now had two reviewers spending a lot of time on the new bike, and you can check out our full review for their thoughts on the new bike and how it compares to the rest of the market.
Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend (July 2021) (Ep.176)
Cody and Jonathan discuss athletes & mental health; the affordable housing issues facing mountain towns; Pit Viper vs. far-right extremists (??); the ongoing consolidation of outdoor media; and more.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
2022-2023 Head Kore RS 130 GW
Here are our measured specs, photos, and a quick rundown on the 22/23 Head Kore RS 130 GW.
Trinity MTB on Their Wild High-Pivot Prototypes (Ep.125)
Trinity MTB has been putting out some of the wildest prototype bikes in recent memory, so we sat down with Chase Warner and Mic Williams to get the rundown on their latest V2 bike, with its incredible adaptability and 3D printed construction; what’s next for V3; when you’ll be able to buy one; & a whole lot more.
Under Armour Charged Bandit Trail 2
Most people don’t associate Under Armour with trail running — but the brand’s new do-everything shoe, the Charged Bandit Trail 2, just might change that. The latest model from UA was designed with accessibility for novice runners in mind, and to that effect, we think the Charged Bandit Trail 2 could be a pretty competent option for a lot of people — not just those venturing off-road for the first time.
Blister Brand Guide: La Sportiva Trail Running Shoe Lineup, 2022
La Sportiva has made a name for itself in many categories, including the trail running world. Their trail running shoes range from minimal race shoes to burly options designed for rough terrain, and you can check out our 2022 Brand Guide to see what sets each La Sportiva shoe apart from the others.
2022 Niner JET 9 RDO
The Niner JET 9 RDO has proven to be a well-sorted short-travel Trail bike that balances a lot of traits well, and could work for a lot of different riders. Check out our full review for all the info.
2022-2023 Head Kore 93
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pics, and flex pattern numbers for the Head Kore 93.
TrainingPeaks Co-founder Dirk Friel on Coaching, Artificial Intelligence, & the Future of Endurance Training (Ep.127)
Endurance training has come a long way from handwritten logs and fax machines, and we owe a lot of that progress to web-based platforms like TrainingPeaks. Founded in the late 90s by endurance coaches Dirk Friel and his father, Joe Friel, TrainingPeaks has helped modernize the ways athletes can track, analyze, and plan their training. So, we sat down with Dirk to hear more about how better data leads to better performance; artificial intelligence; and a whole lot more.
Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend (June 2022) (Ep.216)
Cody and Jonathan discuss the Mountain Gazette story about outdoor influencers & accountability; Matthew Fairbrother’s bikepacking — and enduro racing — across Europe; the ‘most Canadian’ news story; what we’re reading & watching; recent Supreme Court rulings; mountain-town advice; & more.
Trail Running 101: How to Fuel a Trail Run
Learning to eat on the run can be one of the most challenging parts of trail running; figuring out what kinds of foods work for you (and maybe more importantly, identifying those that don’t) can be tricky. But here are some basic ways to get started.
Flash Review — Öhlins RXF 34 m.2
We’ve started spending time on Öhlins’ new RXF 34 m.2 — 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.
(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.)
European Food Reviews & Trip Report + Updates on our Buyer’s Guides (Ep.203)
Luke and Jonathan discuss Jonathan’s travels across France & Italy; his visits to the Lange factory and ATK bindings factory; provide updates on our Mtn Bike Buyer’s Guide and Winter Buyer’s Guide; and more.
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.