BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
The Basics of Servicing Your Bike, with Simon Stewart (Ep. 18)
For many of us, it will soon be time to dust off our bikes and get back to riding. So what are some of the most important things you can do to your bike if you haven’t been riding it? To answer this, we talked to Simon Stewart, who has a long history in the bike industry, and who currently owns and runs the bike shop, Boneshaker Cycles, in Buena Vista, Colorado.
2020-2021 K2 Disruption 82Ti
K2 is overhauling its frontside lineup for 20/21, and the new Disruption skis feature a construction that has the potential to set them apart from the competition. Check out our First Look of the Disruption 82Ti for more info.
Giro Method Goggle
The Giro Method is far from the most expensive goggle on the market, yet it offers excellent optics and a versatile fit, all of which have made it one of our favorite goggles for those on a budget. Check out our full review.
Flash Review: 20/21 Renoun Citadel 114
Check out our initial on-snow impressions of the Citadel 114.
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Joe Grant: Adventurer, Endurance Athlete, & Storyteller (Ep.42)
Joe Grant is an endurance athlete, a mountain runner, a reader, a writer, a thinker, a filmmaker, and, as you are about to find out, an exceptional storyteller. In this conversation, Brendan Leonard and Jonathan Ellsworth talk to Joe about how he got into running; racing (and winning) the 2008 Caballo Blanco Copper Canyon Ultra and how that affected his life; his Tour de Fourteeners, a self-powered and self-supported link up of all Colorado’s 14,000-foot peaks by bike and on foot; and a whole lot more.
Blister Brand Guide: Scott Mountain Bike Lineup, 2020
You’ll see riders on Scott bikes in everything from Cross Country to EWS to Downhill races, and their mountain bike lineup reflects that. Check out our Brand Guide to see which Scott mountain bike might work best for you.
Bobby Brown on Big Air & Backcountry Skiing
Bobby Brown is one of the best slopestyle and big-air comp skiers of all time, but he’s currently focused on finding out what he’s capable of in the backcountry. So I talked to Bobby about his trajectory; the art of landings, air awareness, and making mid-air adjustments; who he most enjoys watching these days; what’s next for him; and more.
Flash Review: 20/21 Line Vision 118
Check out our initial on-snow impressions of the new Vision 118.
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New Skis, Tight Pants, & Farm Animal Analogies (Ep.90)
Luke Koppa, Kristin Sinnott, and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss some of the new skis, boots, and apparel they’ve been testing, including products from K2, Blizzard, Nordica, Rossignol, WNDR Alpine, Atomic, Dynastar, & more. We also discuss what skis we prefer for off-piste, icy conditions; the merits of slim-fit ski pants; which ski boots are best described as “donkeys”; and more.
Deep Dive: DPS Alchemist Wailer 106 C2
We compare the Wailer A106 C2 to the previous Wailer A106, Rossignol BLACKOPS Sender Ti, Black Crows Corvus, Nordica Enforcer 104 Free, Fischer Ranger 102 FR, Folsom Blister Pro 104, Volkl Mantra 102, Fischer Ranger 107 Ti, ON3P Wrenegade 108, Moment Wildcat 108, Salomon QST 106, K2 Mindbender 108Ti, Moment Commander 108, Blizzard Rustler 10, 4FRNT MSP 107, Moment Deathwish, Liberty Origin 106, Rossignol Soul 7 HD, & Line Sick Day 104.
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 Men’s & Women’s Rain Jackets from Mountain Hardwear
Enter for your chance to win Mountain Hardwear’s Exposure/2 Gore-Tex Paclite Plus Jacket!
Mountain Hardwear Kor Cirrus Hybrid Hoody
The Mountain Hardwear Kor Cirrus Hybrid Hoody has become one of our all-time favorite midlayers for high-output activities like ski touring and mountaineering. Check out our review to see why.
2020-2021 DPS Alchemist Wailer 106 C2
We’ve had a few reviewers putting a lot of time on DPS’s recently revised Wailer A106 C2, and you can now check out our full review for our take on the ski and how it compares to the previous Wailer A106.
The Upcoming DH Season (Ep.17)
The World Cup Downhill season starts in just a couple of weeks, so we checked in with Blister reviewers Noah Bodman, David Golay, and Ben Sims to get their thoughts on and predictions for the upcoming season. We also discuss the future prospects and popularity of World Cup DH racing versus the popularity and trajectory of Enduro World Series racing, and we place one very big wager on the upcoming season.
Flash Review: 20/21 Salomon Stance 96
We just spent a day on the new Stance 96 — check out our initial on-snow impressions.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Flash Review — Canfield Lithium
We’ve been riding Canfield’s new longer-travel 29er — check out our thoughts on the bike so far.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Flash Review — Canyon Spectral 29
We’ve been spending time on Canyon’s overhauled Spectral 29 — check out some of our initial impressions and comparisons.
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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2021 GT Force
High-pivot Enduro bikes are popping up all over the place these days, and now there’s another option on the market — the all-new GT Force. Check out our First Look for more info.
Mountain Town Economics, Pt 1: Affordable Housing, Short-Term Rentals, & More (Ep.177)
Our guest is Dr. Jenny Stuber, a sociologist and author of the book, Aspen and the American Dream. Jenny talks about some of the policies that the town of Aspen has employed, and which of them might be applicable to other towns trying to navigate the needs of full-time residents, part-time residents, local workers, and the visitors that many of these towns rely on.
La Sportiva VK BOA
The Sportiva VK BOA is designed for something pretty specific — running up steep trails. That said, for the right people, we think it could be a really good option even if you’re not always sprinting up mountains. Check out our review for more.
What We’re Watching — August, 2021
Our What We’re Watching series is back, with an assortment of videos short & long; goofy & important; & relaxing to very high adrenaline. Check out a bunch of the best video content we’ve recently seen — plus a sneak preview of our next Bikes & Big Ideas guest.
The Pro’s Gear: Chris Davenport (Ep.157)
Chris Davenport walked over to Blister HQ from Aspen to talk about how he thinks about ski gear and his own personal preferences. We also discuss monoskiing; which gear he is most and least picky about; ski width; mount points; weight; and whether Shane McConkey would be into these GEAR:30 conversations.
Win a RUX Gear Organizer
The RUX is currently the “piece of gear our editor most wants to steal from another reviewer,” and this week you can win one!
Reviewer Reports: DW-link Head-to-Head; Forbidden Dreadnought; Shimano vs. Sram; & Category-Defying Pedals
David Golay talks to Dylan Wood about two short-travel, DW-link bikes at opposite ends of the price spectrum; a range of longer-travel Enduro bikes from fairly conventional to quite unusual; some category-defying pedals; thoughts on the importance (or lack thereof) of bike weight; & the current state of the Shimano vs. SRAM drivetrain wars.
Nathan Pinnacle 12L Race Vest
We thought the Nathan VaporKrar 2.0 running vest was “really close to being an awesome pack.” Now Nathan has released its successor, the Pinnacle 12L, so does it address some of the downsides of the previous one while maintaining the upsides? Check out our review.
Flash Review — Ibis Ripley AF
Update 8.3.21: Luke Koppa adds his thoughts on Ibis’s budget-friendly, shorter-travel Trail 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.
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2021 Pivot Trail 429
Pivot’s longstanding Trail 429 recently got a major update, but how true to the original recipe is the new, V3 version? We’ve now had two reviewers spending a lot of time on the new bike, and you can check out our full review for their thoughts on the new bike and how it compares to the rest of the market.