BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles

2021 Rocky Mountain Altitude
The Altitude has been in the Rocky Mountain lineup for more than a decade now, but what, exactly, the Altitude is has changed a lot over the years, and the bike got a dramatic overhaul for 2021. We’ve been riding the latest iteration, and have found it to be surprisingly versatile for a 160 / 170 mm travel Enduro bike.

Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend (April 2021) (Ep.167)
Cody and Jonathan discuss some recent criticism of REI; spraying vs. not spraying the locations of your outdoor adventures; Mt. Bohemia’s plan to incentivize vaccinations; gear libraries & outdoor accessibility; sex and ski touring; & more.

TRP TR12 Drivetrain
TRP’s TR12 drivetrain is marketed as a high-end option at a high-end price, but can it compete with the likes of Shimano XTR and SRAM X01? Check out our full review to find out.

Deep Dive: Folsom Rapture
We compare the Rapture to the Volkl Shiro, DPS Alchemist Lotus 124, 4FRNT Renegade, Kye Shapes Numinous, Praxis Protest, Moment Chipotle Banana, DPS Foundation Koala 119, Volkl Revolt 121, Faction La Machine, Blizzard Spur, Blizzard Rustler 11, & Whitedot Ragnarok ASYM.
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Ski Touring Gear & Listener Questions (Ep.146)
Which tech bindings feel the most like alpine bindings? What “very light” skis offer the best suspension and damping? In this episode, Luke Koppa and Jonathan Ellsworth talk about a bunch of ski touring gear they’ve been reviewing and answer a number of your touring-related questions.

Win a Sleep System from HEST
This week the winner will get HEST’s high-end, memory-foam mobile sleep system!

Flash Review: 21/22 Elan Ripstick 106 Black Edition
Elan is once again offering a special “Black Edition” of their Ripstick 106 for 21/22 — check out our initial thoughts on how it compares to the standard version.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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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.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:

2023 Icelantic Ski Collection | Blister Summit Brand Lineup
We talk with Icelantic Skis marketing director, Hanna Whirty, about the past, present, and future of Icelantic; their focus on durability and 3-year warranty; the role of graphics at Icelantic; and then we run through all the different collections in Icelantic’s 2022-2023 lineup.

Jess Blewitt is a Natural (Ep.119)
Multi-talented MTB phenom Jess Blewitt is on Bikes & Big Ideas this week to talk about her meteoric rise & her lofty goals for the future; her incredible 2021 season and the crash that ended it; and much more.

Flash Review — 2023 RockShox ZEB and Super Deluxe
We’ve been riding RockShox’s new ZEB and Super Deluxe, and so far they’re a significant improvement over the outgoing versions. 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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RockShox’s New 2023 Forks & Shocks
RockShox is completely overhauling its suspension lineup for 2023, including all-new versions of the Pike, Lyrik, and ZEB forks, and Deluxe and Super Deluxe shocks. Check out our First Look for the rundown.

2022-2023 Renoun Endurance 98
The latest version of Renoun’s do-everything all-mountain ski, the Endurance 98, is the most refined and intuitive one yet (and its unique construction still equates to a ride that feels like nothing else on the market). Check out our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons for more.

Deep Dive: Renoun Endurance 98
We compare the Endurance 98 to the Renoun Endurance 88, Volkl M6 Mantra, Salomon QST 98, Blizzard Bonafide 97, Salomon Stance 96, 4FRNT MSP 99, Blizzard Rustler 9, Black Crows Camox, J Skis Masterblaster, Moment Commander 98, Dynastar M-Pro 99, Line Blade Optic 96, Dynastar M-Free 99, Atomic Maverick 95 Ti, Faction Dancer 2, & K2 Mindbender 99Ti.
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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Robbie Balenger on Testing Limits, Exploring Recovery Techniques, & Outrunning a Tesla (Ep. 121)
After discovering running in his 30’s, ultra-endurance athlete Robbie Balenger became obsessed with the power of human endurance and quickly found that he needed challenges far exceeding standard ultramarathons to test his limits. So, he started creating his own. Since then, Robbie has run across America, completed the “Colorado Crush,” and recently outran a Tesla. We had him on to unpack all of these efforts before asking him about the mental side of endurance, recovery techniques, his next challenge, and much more.

Johnny Collinson, Wendy Fisher, Sander Hadley, & Drew Petersen on The Mental Game (Ep.212)
Professional skiers are often asked about the mental preparation it takes to ski big lines and perform at a high level. But in this conversation (recorded at our Blister Summit), John Collinson, Wendy Fisher, Sander Hadley, and Drew Petersen offer a much broader perspective on ‘the mental game’ as it relates to dealing with injury and adversity; self identity; mental health; and much more.

2023 K2 Dispatch, FL3X, & Recon Team Boots | Blister Summit Brand Lineup
We talk with K2 Boots’ Product Line Manager, Tom Pietrowski, about all the new boots they’re launching for the 2022-2023 season, including the brand-new Dispatch series of touring boots, Recon Team alpine boot, and the rebranding of Full Tilt as “K2 FL3X” boots.

Flash Review: 22/23 Dynastar E-Pro 99
Here are some of our initial on-snow impressions of the women’s Dynastar E-Pro 99, after skiing two lengths.
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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2022-2023 Majesty Vadera Carbon
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pics, and flex pattern numbers for the Majesty Vadera Carbon.

2022-2023 Stereo Piste V3
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pics, and flex pattern numbers for the Stereo Piste V3.