BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Father’s Day Roundup — 2020
Looking for a way to celebrate and appreciate the fathers and father figures in your life? We polled several of our reviewers to get their suggestions for Father’s Day gifts — check out their picks.
Win Sunglasses from ROKA
This week TWO people will get to pick any pair of sunglasses they want from ROKA!
2020 Santa Cruz Hightower
For six months now, we’ve had three different reviewers riding the recently overhauled Santa Cruz Hightower. Check out our long-term review to see why we think this 140 mm 29er is so versatile, and how it compares to the previous Hightower, Hightower LT, Megatower, & Yeti SB130.
Hoka One One Carbon X
The Hoka Carbon X is part of a new class of shoes designed with one goal in mind: running as fast as possible. But this carbon-reinforced road shoe doesn’t look like the race shoes of the past, so we were curious to see how it handled a variety of distances and speeds, and how it compared to more “normal” shoes like the Hoka Clifton 6. Check out our review to see what we found.
Flash Review: 20/21 Faction Agent 3.0
Update 6.11.20: Drew Kelly adds his thoughts on the Agent 3.0’s overall performance.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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2021 Ibis Mojo 4
Shorter-travel, 27.5″ Trail bikes are becoming rare these days, especially if you want more modern geometry. But Ibis is breaking that trend with the introduction of their overhauled Mojo 4 — check out our First Look for more.
Creating Your Own Sport: Buzz Burrell & the Invention of the ‘FKT’ (Ep.53)
A few weeks ago Brendan Leonard and Jonathan Ellsworth talked to the legend, Buzz Burrell, about his first ever long-distance run; starting the first organic farm in Colorado; the time he delivered a baby; inventing the hydration pack; and more. Then we discuss Buzz’s role in establishing the concept of the Fastest Known Time; creativity and FKTs, the process of approving FKT submissions, and some of the trends he’s seeing in the world of FKTs.
Food Sovereignty, Indigenous Rights, & the Film, Gather (Ep.131)
We talk with our friend, Sanjay Rawal, about his new film, Gather. (Sanjay directed the film, Renan Ozturk was the cinematographer, & Jason Momoa produced it.) Gather tells the story of the growing food sovereignty movement among Native American tribes across the U.S., and this film is sure to cause you to re-evaluate your own relationship to food and to land and to a lot of other things.
Nathan VaporKrar 2.0 4L Race Vest
The Nathan VaporKrar 2.0 4L Race Vest is a part of a crowded category of running vests targeted at shorter, self-supported runs and we’ve spent 100 miles comparing it to some of its competition. Check out our review to see how it compares.
Flash Review: 20/21 Blizzard Black Pearl 88
Check out our initial on-snow impressions of the new Black Pearl 88.
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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Biking 101: Hubs
How do mountain bike hubs work, what do you gain with a more expensive hub, and why should you care? In this GEAR 101 article, we dive into those questions and more.
2020-2021 Kastle FX106 HP
The Kastle FX106 HP is a ski that’s quick & lively but that some skiers will still be able to ski quite hard. Check out our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons to see if it’d be a good fit for you.
Deep Dive: Kastle FX106 HP
We compare the FX106 HP to the Rossignol Soul 7 HD, Head Kore 105, DPS Alchemist Wailer 106 C2, Rossignol BLACKOPS Sender & Sender Ti, Black Crows Corvus, Black Crows Atris, Fischer Ranger 102 FR, Fischer Ranger 107 Ti, Line Sick Day 104, Moment Wildcat 108, 4FRNT MSP 107, Blizzard Rustler 10, Liberty Origin 106, Salomon QST 106, Nordica Enforcer 104 Free, & K2 Mindbender 108Ti.
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.)
Women’s Mountain Bike Bike Jersey Roundup
We’ve rounded up 13 of the women’s MTB jerseys we’ve been using, all of which are designed for hot summer rides and many of which work well off the bike. Check out our roundup to see how they compare and which ones might work well for you.
OneUp Dropper Post V2
OneUp’s V2 Dropper Post manages to stand out in a crowded category with several unique features and a more affordable price. We’ve been testing the post for several months now and you can check out our review to see how it compares to the competition.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Shop Talk: Willi’s Ski and Snowboard Shops (Ep.167)
We’re talking with Greg Klein, president of Willi’s Ski and Snowboard Shops, which is family owned and operated with several locations in the greater Pittsburgh area of Pennsylvania. We talk about what brought Greg’s father (Willi) to PA; Seven Springs Mountain Resort; the key ingredients of a great ski shop; ski length & ski width; Willi’s women’s program; shop beer vs. shop pizza; & more.
Win a Helmet & Shoes from Leatt
This week the winner can pick any half-shell helmet and pair of shoes from Leatt!
La Sportiva Cyklon
With a BOA fit system, aggressive outsole, and minimal midsole, the Cyklon is designed specifically for off-camber, mountainous terrain — and for that, it’s excellent. But there’s more to it, so check out our full review for the whole story.
Getting Here: Gunnison & Crested Butte
We’re big fans of our home valley, and for anyone who’s interested in visiting, we put together this guide to give you the information you’ll need to make your trip here easier and better.
Vinny Armstrong on the Future of Freeride (Ep.88)
We catch up with Vinny Armstrong to get her take on what the future of freeride looks like to this highly accomplished 22-year-old rider.
Flash Review: Guerrilla Gravity Trail Pistol
The new Guerrilla Gravity Trail Pistol is now full-carbon, but does this shorter-travel bike still feel like a mini-Enduro bike, or something else entirely? 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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Dakine Agent Knee Pad
Dakine’s newest Agent knee pad is reportedly for “those who earn their airtime.” But are these best for those who like to pedal all day, folks who are primarily focused on rough descents, or people who do both? Check out our review.
Blister Summit Artist Panel: Art & the Outdoor Industry (Ep.186)
We brought together four very accomplished artists and designers to discuss the intersection of art and the ski and snowboard worlds, as well as the broader outdoor industry. Our panelists are Yorgo Tloupas, co-founder of Black Crows Skis; Geoff McFetridge, who has worked with brands like Patagonia, Nike, & Apple, and is Jonathan Ellsworth’s telemark coach; John Fellows, who lives in Crested Butte, designed our Blister Summit logo, and whose artwork is displayed all around the outdoor industry; and Travis Parr, co-founder of Icelantic Skis, and the person behind Icelantic’s very distinctive artwork.
2021 Commencal Meta TR 29
Two of our reviewers spent several months on Commencal’s downhill-oriented Trail bike, the Meta TR 29. Check out our video & written full reviews for their thoughts on who it suits and how it compares to several other bikes in its class.
Flash Review: We Are One Arrival
We just started spending time on the We Are One Arrival, and so far, it stands out from the crowd in more ways than just its looks. Check out our Flash Review for our initial take on the 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.
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.)
Would You Rather: Crappy Riding Conditions Edition
Hot, dusty, and dry or cold, wet, and muddy? This week in our Would You Rather series, our reviewers are weighing in on which flavor of sub-optimal mountain biking conditions they’d prefer to be stuck with.
Win Line Skis
This week our winner will get one of the strangest yet most fun skis on the market, the Line Blade.