BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Debatable: Short on Time? Skip the eMTB, Go XC
eMountain Bikes are dominating sales, but reviewer Zack Henderson argues that your next ride actually ought to be an XC bike. Check out his argument, and let us know what you think.
Jonathan Gagné on Astrophysics, Coffee, & The Physics of Espresso (Ep.84)
Jonathan Gagné is producing some of the best work in the world in terms of increasing our understanding and appreciation of coffee. And we’re ecstatic to talk with him about his day job (astrophysics), boulders, dust, soup, crema, headspace, and more.
‘Girl Climber’ w/ Emily Harrington, Amie Engerbretson, & Jonathan Ellsworth (Ep.52)
Amie & Jonathan talk with Emily Harrington about her fantastic new film, and go behind the scenes of her project to free-climb the Golden Gate route on Yosemite’s El Capitan in under 24 hours. This is a must-see movie, and this conversation makes it clear why.
Flash Review: Yeti LTe
We’ve been riding the new Yeti LTe for a few weeks now. Check out our Flash Review for our initial on-trail takeaways on this race-focused Enduro eMTB.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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The Latest Attack on Public Lands — and What You Can Do to Stop It (Ep.374)
The Roadless Rule has had a major impact on the preservation of our public lands and wildlife, but it is currently set to be thrown out altogether. So today, we discuss how and why it was created; the current efforts to rescind it; and what that would mean for bikers, hikers, skiers, climbers, and other outdoor enthusiasts across the United States.
OneUp Wave Flat Pedals
Convex, concave, or… both? OneUp’s Wave flat pedals aim to merge the benefits of both convex and concave platform designs. Did their claimed benefits come to fruition? We’re ready to weigh in after four months with the Wave pedals.
Win Apparel From Finisterre
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get a men’s or women’s Bolster Full Zip Fleece from Finisterre!
Flash Review: Trek Fuel LX
We’ve converted our Trek Fuel EX review bike to a Fuel LX — so how does the longest-travel member of the new Fuel family ride, and what’s the conversion process like? Here are our initial thoughts.
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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The Incredible Cycling Talent Coming out of Durango Devo (Ep.291)
The Durango Devo junior cycling program has been churning out some of the best bike riders in the world for some time now, so Simon checks in with founder Chad Cheeney to find out what the secret sauce is.
The Business of Craft Beer (Ep.83)
With all the economic & cultural shifts swirling about these days, what does the current landscape of “craft” beer look like? What are the biggest challenges, and what are the most interesting opportunities? We discuss with New Image Brewing founder, Brandon Capps.
‘Wild’ with Amie Engerbretson & Jonathan Ellsworth (Ep.51)
Amie & Jonathan discuss Wild, Cheryl Strayed’s best-selling book that was turned into a hit movie starring Reese Witherspoon and Laura Dern — both of whom were nominated for Oscars for their stellar performances.
Blister Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide: Enduro Bikes
The second chapter of our Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide is live, comparing more than two dozen current Enduro bikes, from game-on race bikes to playful Freeride-oriented options, and everything in between.
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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Nick Goepper on X Games Gold, Olympic Pressure, & Skiing in Jeans (Ep.373)
Olympic medalist and X Games champion, Nick Goepper, provides a behind-the-scenes look at the mindset, struggles, and triumphs of one of skiing’s most recognizable athletes.
Salsa Blackthorn 125 C & Blackthorn 145 C
Salsa’s Blackthorn 145 C offers class-leading efficiency, making it a very inspiring climber, but are there sacrifices made elsewhere to attain that level of climbing performance? We’ve had multiple editors in different locations spend time on the Blackthorn 145 and aim to answer that question and more in our Full Review.
Deep Dive: Salsa Blackthorn 145 C
We compare the Salsa Blackthorn to the Rocky Mountain Instinct, Transition Sentinel V3, Santa Cruz Bronson 5, Santa Cruz Hightower 4, Spot Mayhem 140, Esker Woodsy, Propain Tyee, Norco Sight, Transition Sentinel V3, and Kona Process 153.
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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BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Win Outerwear from Obermeyer
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get the A.M.F. Jacket & Pant or the Skyward Jacket & Pant from Obermeyer!
Madrone Cycles on the Jab Derailleur & Going Head to Head w/ SRAM and Shimano (Ep.297)
Developing a high-end MTB derailleur is hard, and SRAM and Shimano have vast resources (not to mention decades of experience) to draw on. So why is a small Oregon-based brand throwing its hat into the ring?
‘LISTERS: A Glimpse Into Extreme Birdwatching’ w/ Luke Koppa, Jonathan Ellsworth, & Eli Brown (Ep.55)
‘LISTERS: A Glimpse Into Extreme Birdwatching’ is the hilarious — and surprisingly heartfelt — documentary you didn’t know you needed in your life. But you do. And today, Luke, Eli, and I make an impassioned case for why you do.
Trickstuff Maxima Brakes
Trickstuff’s brakes have long been the stuff of legend — and legendarily hard to come by, even if you’re willing to throw down their steep asking price. But now they’re becoming more widely distributed and more readily available under DT Swiss’ ownership, and we’ve put a massive amount of vert on their flagship Maxima gravity brake to see how it stacks up.
Hashing Things Out: Lincoln Knowles, Cody Townsend & Jonathan Ellsworth (Ep.379)
Cody and Jonathan have been talking about Lincoln Knowles, the climber, free soloist, and content creator who has been making waves in the climbing world. And today, Lincoln joins them to hash things out and discuss some big topics that have implications for the entire outdoor industry.
Pivot Firebird V5
The latest 5th-generation version of the Pivot Firebird is still an impressive take on a go-fast Enduro race bike, but pigeonholing it into that one role would sell it short. Here’s our take on what makes the new Firebird a compelling option for a surprisingly wide array of riders.
Deep Dive: Pivot Firebird V5
We compare the Pivot Firebird V5 to the Pivot Firebird V4, Yeti SB160, Yeti SB165, Rocky Mountain Altitude, Propain Tyee, Santa Cruz Megatower, Santa Cruz Nomad, and Ibis HD6.
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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5 Years of Prototypes: AlpenFlow Ski Bindings Origins & Overview
In the first of our videos from Blister Summit 2025, we sit down with AlpenFlow Designs to get the whole story on how and why they decided to make a ski-touring binding; how their prototypes of the AlpenFlow 89 have evolved over the first 5 years of development; what they believe sets it apart from the rest of the market; how it actually works; and more.
Win a Helmet & Goggles from Pret
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get the Pret Fury or Vision Helmet, as well as a pair of Pret Effect Goggles!
Best Skis of the Century from Each Brand, Part 2 (Ep.365)
In Part 2 of our series on the Best Skis of the Century, Luke Koppa and Sascha Anastas join Jonathan Ellsworth to dive into the best skis from 23 more brands, and we also discuss some of the best and most notable women-specific skis of the past 25 years.
Propain Sresh SL
Propain’s lightweight Sresh SL eMTB has proven to be an option that’s hard to define, but easy to get along with in a wide variety of settings. Check out our Full Review for our takeaways after 3 months aboard this mid-travel eMTB.
Deep Dive: Propain Sresh SL
We compare the Propain Sresh SL to the Yeti MTe, Pivot Shuttle SL/AM, Pivot Shuttle SL, Norco Fluid VLT 130, Santa Cruz Heckler SL, Trek Fuel EXe, and Mondraker Dune XR.
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.)