BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Santa Cruz Hightower 4
The 4th-generation Santa Cruz Hightower isn’t just a mid-travel All-Mountain bike — it’s a confident descender that could have been a true Enduro bike just a few years ago. With stable, versatile geometry and plush suspension, the Hightower 4 stands out as a capable one-bike quiver option.
Deep Dive: Santa Cruz Hightower 4
We compare the Santa Cruz Hightower 4 to the Santa Cruz Hightower 3, Santa Cruz Bronson 5, Santa Cruz Megatower 2, Santa Cruz Tallboy 5, Specialized Stumpjumper 15, Ibis Ripmo V3, Spot Mayhem 140, Cannondale Habit, Pivot Shadowcat, Transition Sentinel V3, and Trek Fuel EX Gen 7.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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‘Chasing The Triple Crown’ w/ Hannah Otto (Ep. 49)
Hannah Otto has been ticking off impressive FKTs, and her latest film documents the highs and lows of her White Rim record-breaking effort, as well as the struggles of riding and filming in very unforgiving terrain.
Spark R&D + ATK Bindings: a New Collab Sparked at the Blister Summit
Today’s episode contains a number of “firsts.” So tune in to learn about a new collab between Spark R&D and ATK bindings, or tune in to hear Jonathan caught completely off guard multiple times.
Mountain In My Mind: When Ski Films Talk About What We Don’t (Ep.370)
Filmmaker John Padilla joins us to talk about his ski film series, Mountain In My Mind, and how he’s opening the conversation about mental health in mountain communities.
Flash Review: Fox 34 SL
Cross-Country race courses have gotten a lot gnarlier in recent years, and bikes and parts have had to adapt. The new Fox 34 SL offers up to 130 mm of travel in a very lightweight package, but how does it ride? We are ready to share first impressions from a few rides with Fox’s new race-oriented XC fork.
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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Win Apparel From Curious Creatures & Party Shirt International
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get a pair of Bitterroot Bloom or Sun Dog shorts from Curious Creatures and a Sun Hoodie from Party Shirt International!
Formula Selva V
Formula’s latest twist on their single-crown All-Mountain / Enduro fork, the Selva V, defies convention within the category a bit — and will be a great option for the right riders for it.
Casey Brown on Dark Horse, Rampage, Women’s Protective Gear, & More (Ep.287)
Casey Brown is back on Bikes & Big Ideas to talk about the past, present, and future of women’s freeride; the resurrection of Dark Horse; year two of women in Rampage; the state of women’s protective gear & how to improve it; and a whole lot more.
The Cast Iron Comeback: Field Company Co-Founder, Stephen Muscarella (Ep.81)
Eli talks with Stephen Muscarella about how a vintage pan sparked a journey to reimagine cast iron from the ground up. They get into what makes cast iron so special — and so misunderstood; the small design choices that lead to better cooking; and what Field is doing to bring back the use of cast iron in modern cooking.
Tectonic Alibi Flat Pedals
Tectonic has taken the winning formula of their Altar V2 pedal and adapted it to a composite (and much cheaper) version: the Alibi. Does it match the Altar V2’s strong performance, or is the Alibi something else altogether? We’ve been riding them for a few months and have thoughts.
Flash Review: Shimano XT M8200 Di2 Drivetrain and Brakes
Update 8.12.25: We’ve started spending time on the 9-45 tooth cassette version of the new Shimano XT Di2 Drivetrain, and have some thoughts on how it stacks up against the standard 10-51 tooth version.
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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Big Balls, Flat Pedals, A-Line, & More with Lindsey Richter, founder of Ladies AllRide (Ep.369)
Lindsey Richter, the founder of Ladies AllRide, not only has one hell of a story herself, but what she and her team have created is incredibly inspiring, much needed, and should serve as a blueprint for other sports in the outdoor industry — for women and men.
RockShox Reverb AXS B1
The new RockShox Reverb AXS is a ground-up revision of the original, adding more drop, a new cartridge design, a lower price, and some built-in bounce. Does the redesign push the Reverb ahead of the competition? Our Full Review has answers.
Reviewer Reports: Luke & Jonathan on Summer Gear + Red Bull Rampage vs. Hardline (Ep.358)
We discuss some of our favorite gear we’ve used this summer, and make the argument for the single greatest piece of summer gear. But we begin by discussing our Weekly Blister Survey question, and bottom line: we think half of you might be crazy??
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Reviewing the News w/ Dylan Wood & Simon Stewart (Ep.294)
Dylan and Simon break down all the amazing bike racing from September, some industry news, the looming new mountain bike wheel size, a few cool new products they’re testing, and a whole lot more.
We’re Headed to Snowbound Expo 2025
Hey, East Coast: Join us at the Snowbound Expo this November 14-16 for some great conversations and much, much more.
Flash Review: Cannondale Moterra
We’ve been piling up the miles on Cannondale’s new Moterra. Check out our first impressions of Cannondale’s more mainstream take on the full-power eMTB category.
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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Stuff We Like: September 2025
In this edition of ‘Stuff We Like,’ our reviewers discuss all the latest gear they’ve been testing, from fly fishing packs to GPS watches, sleeping pads, hiking boots, ultralight carbon handlebars, and more.
Flash Review: 2026 Norco Revolver 120
Norco’s Revolver 120, featuring the lightest full-suspension frame the Canadian company has ever produced, is shaping up to be an option deserving — but not conforming to — the “World Cup XC Bike” moniker. Check out our initial 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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20 Years of Flylow w/ Dan Abrams, Flylow President & Co-Founder (Ep.376)
Flylow turns 20 this year, so we talk with Flylow co-founder, Dan Abrams, about the big victories, scary setbacks, and endless challenges he’s seen. Then, have you ever wondered why some jackets cost $700 and others only $200? They walk through the Flylow lineup as an exercise to lay out exactly what you get and what you don’t at all these different price points.
2025-2026 Atomic Bent 110 GFD
Atomic, Chris Benchetler, and the Grateful Dead have once again teamed up to release a limited-edition ski — here are the details on the Bent 110 GFD.
Our 25/26 Winter Buyer’s Guide: Trends, Controversies, & Luke’s Least Favorite Thing In It (Ep.362)
Luke and Jonathan talk about our big new book, the Blister 25/26 Winter Buyer’s Guide, including the big takeaways, trends, and controversies. (Plus, stick around to hear Luke’s insane bear story at the end.)
Revel ReRun
Revel’s first eMTB is a burly, 165 mm travel rig, but the ReRun’s performance proved that looks can be deceiving. Check out our thoughts after several months of testing.
Win a Travel Pack from The Brown Buffalo
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get a Conceal Waistpack from The Brown Buffalo!
2025-2026 Blister Digital Winter Buyer’s Guide
350+ skis, 70+ boots, and 280+ pages of honest, accurate product reviews and comparisons. Check it all out here.
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Reviewer Reports: Yeti LTe, Chromag Reazon, Trek Fuel LX, & More (Ep.293)
Dylan Wood and David Golay give some updates on a whole bunch of bikes they’re testing, including how the Trek Fuel LX stacks up against the Slash, the surprising ride feel of the Yeti LTe, an ultra-efficient XC bike from a brand better known for gravity bikes, and a whole lot more.