BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
2021-2022 Folsom Rapture
“One of the most versatile powder skis I have ever used” — that’s what reviewer and heli-ski guide Paul Forward said about the Folsom Rapture. Check out his full review & Deep Dive comparisons for more on how the ski has performed during a full season of heli skiing and during days at the resort.
Mojo Suspension & Geometron Bikes founder, Chris Porter (Ep.64)
Chris Porter has long been known as one of the earliest and most vocal proponents of the longer/lower/slacker trends in mountain bike geometry, and his Geometron bikes have pushed the envelope further than just about anything else out there. Chris has opinions on a whole lot more than just bike geometry, though, and in our recent conversation we got his takes on wheel sizes, eBikes, suspension tuning, Vladimir Putin(?), and a whole lot more.
Giro Source MIPS & Giro Manifest Spherical
It’s not hard to spend several hundred dollars on a mountain bike helmet, but should you? And what do you give up, in opting for a less-expensive option? We’ve been doing some head-to-head testing of Giro’s moderately-priced Source and high-end Manifest Spherical helmets to find out, and you can now read our full review to see how they compare.
2021 Marin El Roy
Marin calls the El Roy “the ultimate aggressive steel hardtail,” and its geometry numbers are certainly eye-popping, even in our current world of longer, lower, and slacker. But who should be interested in a hardtail that’s so emphatically oriented towards descending? And does the El Roy really deliver on what looks like a promising recipe? Check out our full review to find out.
Blister Summit Brand Lineups: Black Crows Skis 21/22
We talk to Tristan Droppert about the entire 21/22 Black Crows lineup, several new skis (including the Mirus Cor and Serpo); their “Birdie” lineup for women — or anyone; and how to correctly pronounce the names of all of these skis!
Flash Review: 21/22 Prior Northwest 116
Twin tip, hefty weight, progressive mount point, & a strong flex pattern — Prior’s Northwest 116 has the makings of a playful charger. Check out our initial thoughts.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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2021-2022 Atomic Maven 93 C
Atomic is overhauling their all-mountain lineup for 21/22, and we spent a lot of time on one of the new women’s skis in the line, the Maven 93 C. Check out our full review to see where this new ski sits in the market.
Öhlins RXF36 m.2 Air
Öhlins has long been known for their motorsports suspension, but have more recently branched out into the mountain bike world, and we’ve been testing their RXF36 m.2 Air Enduro fork. It’s an impressive offering, but who does it make the most sense for, and how does it stack up to the competition from Fox, RockShox, and Manitou? Check out our full review to find out.
Spring Running Apparel Roundup
Spring can be a tricky time when it comes to figuring out what to wear while heading out for a run, so we’ve put together a roundup of pieces that we’ve found to work well for spring’s ever-changing temperatures and weather.
Win a Bike Rack from Rocky Mounts
This week the winner will get one of Rocky Mounts’ hitch-mounted bike racks!
AT Boots, Bindings, & Skis w/ Sebastian Steinbach (Ep.145)
We talk with the owner of Blacksheep Sports Freeride Shop in Munich, Germany, about a bunch of ski touring gear, including the new Tecnica Cochise 130, Lange XT3 Tour Pro, Dalbello Quantum Free 130, Plum Summit 12 binding, Moment Wildcat Tour 108, and more.
2021-2022 Salomon QST 98
The Salomon QST 99 was one of the most versatile skis we’ve reviewed in the past few years, and for 21/22, Salomon is replacing it with the new QST 98. While they’re pretty different, we think Salomon has once again made a ski that could work for a lot of people, but you should check out our full review & Deep Dive comparisons to see if the new QST 98 is the ski for you.
Deep Dive: Salomon QST 98
We compare the QST 98 to the Salomon QST 99, Salomon Stance 96, Salomon QST 106, 4FRNT MSP 99, Volkl M6 Mantra, Blizzard Bonafide 97, Nordica Enforcer 100, Moment Commander 98, Fischer Ranger 102 FR, Dynastar M-Pro 99, K2 Mindbender 99Ti, Black Crows Camox, Black Crows Justis, Liberty Origin 96, Blizzard Rustler 10, Nordica Soul Rider 97, Dynastar Menace 98, & J Skis Masterblaster.
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.)
Catching Up with Carson Storch (Ep.63)
Carson Storch is one of the most talented freeriders in the world, but his intense passion for mountain biking might actually be the most notable thing about him. We caught up with Carson about how his recovery is going from a recent injury — and how he approaches rehab in general; his background and ascendance in slopestyle and freeride mountain biking; his plans for 2021; and more.
Ride Concepts Transition Clipless Shoe
The Ride Concepts Transition is a gravity-oriented clipless shoe with a bunch of compelling features, and two of our reviewers have been spending time in it. Check out their thoughts in our full review.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
2022-2023 DPS Pagoda Tour 106 C2
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pics, and flex pattern numbers for the DPS Pagoda Tour 106 C2.
Contra Bikes on Building a Bike From Scratch (Ep.118)
Designing a bike frame is hard enough. Taking it to production is an even bigger challenge, but that hasn’t stopped Evan Turpen, and his Contra Bikes high-pivot prototype is extremely impressive. So this week on Bikes & Big Ideas, we sat down with Evan to chat about why he decided to start a bike company, and what he hopes to achieve with the bike; learn all about designing and fabricating frames from scratch (and how he learned to do it), and a whole lot more.
Hoka Tecton X
Hoka has a reputation for taking risks, and their first carbon-plated trail shoe, the Tecton X, benefits from the brand’s willingness to experiment with design and forgo the conventional. While the shoe has some drawbacks that limit its versatility, it’s nonetheless a worthy entrant into the hyper-performance trail shoe category and a model we expect to see on plenty of start lines this summer. Check out our full review for more.
Trail Running 101: What Do I Need to Trail Run?
Trail runners often like to say that simplicity is one of their favorite aspects of the sport. All you need is a pair of running shoes and you’re ready to go, right? Well, sort of. A pair of trail running shoes alone can get you started, but when you start logging longer miles, you’ll probably find yourself shopping for a few other helpful items. Here’s where to start.
Elan Lieber on the Miwok 100k, Coffee, and Running Fearlessly (Ep.120)
Elan Lieber called his recent performance at the 2022 Miwok 100K, “the run of his life,” but not for reasons you might expect. Shortly before his 2nd place finish, Elan said goodbye to his grandfather for the final time. So we talked to Elan about the role running plays in overcoming loss, how to learn to let go of fear, and much more.
2022-2023 Tecnica Zero G Tour Scout W
The Zero G Tour Scout W is the stiffest women-specific model in Tecnica’s Zero G line — here are our thoughts on it, and how it compares to the Tecnica Cochise Pro W.
2022-2023 Blizzard Hustle 10
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pics, and flex pattern numbers for the new Blizzard Hustle 10.
The Guide Life, with Ian Havlick (Ep.211)
Jonathan is in Iceland this week, skiing at Deplar Farm and being guided by AMGA-certified guide, Ian Havlick. They sat down to talk about Ian’s path to becoming a professional guide; the misperceptions about the profession; recommendations for how to get into guiding; the confusion around tipping; and more.
Antidote Carbonjack
Antidote calls their Carbonjack an Enduro bike, but that sells its versatility short — it’s a really good all-rounder that we think will be an especially good fit for certain riders. Check out our full review to find out who.
Spark R&D founder, Will Ritter, on the Current State of Splitboarding (Ep.196)
We talk with Spark R&D founder, Will Ritter, about the current happenings at Spark; compare the splitboarding and backcountry skiing communities and gear trends; go over design highlights from their current lineup; and more.
Win a Sleep System from Thermarest
This week the winner of our Gear Giveaway will get a sleeping pad, sleeping bag, and pillow from Thermarest!
2022-2023 Faction Mana 3
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pics, and flex pattern numbers for the new Faction Mana 3.