BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Claudio Caluori on Chasing Nino & Going All-Electric (Ep. 31)
Everybody’s favorite bike-POV-commentator is back to talk about chasing Nino Schurter down trails in Switzerland; his thoughts on e-bikes (now that he’s been riding one frequently); his company, Velosolutions’ first “all-electric” build; the status of the Red Bull UCI Pump Track World Championships; and more.
Mtn Bike Chamois Roundup
Whether you use one for every ride or just for those extra-long days in the saddle, a good chamois can make your time on the bike much more enjoyable. We’ve rounded up 9 women’s and men’s options we’ve been using — from thin liners, to ones that can work as standalone shorts.
2021-2022 Majesty Superwolf
We’ve spent much of this past spring & summer on the new Majesty Superwolf, and think it warrants strong consideration from anyone seeking an intuitive, versatile, narrower touring ski. Check out our full review & Deep Dive comparisons.
Addie Bracy on Her Trajectory, Sports Psychology, & OUTrun (Ep. 58)
Addie Bracy is an accomplished runner who thinks hard about the psychology of sports performance. So we talk to Addie about her background and how it led her to the study of sports performance psychology; the book she is now writing on the topic; and OUTrun, the organization she founded with her partner, Corey Conner, to empower and connect LGBTQ+ individuals within the running community and to create an environment that is encouraging, supportive, and inclusive to all.
Deep Dive: Majesty Superwolf
We compare the Superwolf to the Salomon MTN Explore 95, Majesty Werewolf Carbon, Fischer TransAlp 90, Dynastar Mythic 97, K2 Wayback 96, and Armada Tracer 98.
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Summer Dress Roundup — 2020
A lightweight, comfortable dress is not only nice for casual nights out, the offerings from many companies can also now serve as functional pieces for a variety of warm-weather activities. Check out our roundup for some of our current favorites.
Salomon Ultra /Pro
As you might be able to guess by its name, the Salomon Ultra /Pro is the brand’s take on a trail running shoe for longer distances. Check out our review to see how it compares to shoes with similar design intentions, and how it works for more moderate-length runs.
Skid Row Running Club founder, Judge Craig Mitchell (Ep. 136)
Whether or not you’re a runner, you ought to know about the Skid Row Running Club and the Skid Row Marathon. We talk to the club founder, Judge Craig Mitchell, about why he started the club; his background; the duty of police officers to protect and serve; the need for minimum sentencing reform; and much more.
Reviewing the Reviewer: Kristin Sinnott (Ep.106)
On our latest “Reviewing the Reviewer” episode of GEAR:30, we talk to Kristin Sinnott about her gear preferences; Family Feud; killer bees; her background in alpine and nordic skiing; and more.
Win Sunglasses from Dragon
Enter for a chance to win any pair of Dragon’s floatable H20 sunglasses.
Pivot Cycles’ Elorie Slater on Industry Trends, Bike Prices, & Female Participation in MTB (Ep. 30)
We talk with Elorie Slater about her unusual path to becoming the head of marketing for Pivot Cycles; her take on the bike industry in the time of COVID, and where the industry goes from here; bike prices and “entry level” pricing; and the notion of women-specific gear and female participation in mountain biking.
Sunglasses Roundup — 2020
Sunglasses: you use them, and if you spend a lot of time outside, you probably use them all the time. We’ve rounded up a variety of our current go-to sunglasses, from affordable, casual options to versatile, yet stylish frames to performance-oriented shades.
Men’s Mountain Bike Shorts Roundup — 2020
We’ve been using several different “all-purpose” MTB shorts for the past two seasons, and in this roundup our reviewers break down what makes each one stand out and where each excels.
Flash Review: 20/21 K2 Reckoner 122
Update 7.7.20: we’ve added some thoughts on how the Reckoner 122 handles resort “pow” and choppier conditions.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Skid Row Running Club founder, Judge Craig Mitchell (Ep. 57)
The Skid Row Running Club is “an unusual running club that uses the power of running to improve the lives of those who are at risk of homelessness and addiction” in the Skid Row area of Los Angeles, CA. We talk to its founder, Judge Craig Mitchell, about why he started the club; his background as a runner and teacher; the duty of police officers to protect and serve; the need for minimum sentencing reform; and much more.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
What We’re Watching — December 2021
This month’s iteration of What We’re Watching includes a whole bunch of skiing and mountain biking videos from a huge range of athletes — and a physics video thrown in, for good measure.
The Pro’s Gear: Hadley Hammer (Ep.173)
We talk to professional skier, Hadley Hammer, about the gear she’s most & least picky about; her own gear preferences; and we fight about The Queen’s Gambit.
Win Any Head Kore Ski
Enter for a chance to win some new lightweight freeride skis!
Flash Review: 21/22 Head Kore 87
Here are some of our initial thoughts on the narrowest ski in the Kore lineup.
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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Cedric Eveleigh of LAL Bikes, on Reinventing the Derailleur (Ep.94)
Mountain bike derailleurs have improved immensely, but is there a better way entirely? Cedric Eveleigh thinks so, and he founded LAL Bikes to make his Supre Drive a reality. We sat down with Cedric to break down this extremely promising new design, and get the full story on its development, the next steps, and more.
Flash Review: 21/22 Salomon Stance W 88
Check out our initial impressions of this metal-laminate women’s all-mountain ski from Salomon.
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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Topo Athletic Mtn Racer 2
The new Topo Athletic Mtn Racer 2 is in contention to be our running editor’s favorite long-distance mountain running shoe of the year. Check out his review to see why, and why this 2nd version is such an improvement over the original.
4-Ski Quivers: Reviewers’ Selections (21/22)
Check out Part Two of our reviewers’ 4-ski quiver picks, with additions from Paul Forward, Kristin Sinnott, Eric Freson, Jonathan Ellsworth, & Dylan Wood.
Blister’s Holiday Gift Guide 2021 — Stocking Stuffers
It’s once again the season for giving, and we are back with our annual Gift Guides to help you think creatively about some of the gifts you give this year. We’re kicking things off with 19 stocking stuffer ideas.
21/22 Black Crows Mirus Cor
We’ve got another update on Black Crows’ new, strange carver, and it’s a bit surprising.
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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Marcus Caston on the Return of the Turn (Ep.192)
When it comes to true ‘all-mountain’ skiing, Marcus Caston makes one of the nicest turns in the game. He’s also got one of our favorite video series, Return of the Turn. So we talked to Marcus about the new episode; coaching; why people think he’s from the East Coast; and we discuss some Best / Worst episode ideas. (Paging Glen Plake…)
Blacked-Out Top Sheets & Objective Ski Testing
On our latest GEAR:30 podcast, we were discussing the best and worst practices for testing skis. This raised the question: would blacking out the top sheets of skis produce more objective results? Here is our take. Give it a read, and let us know what you think.