BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
2-Ski Quivers: Reviewers’ Selections (24/25)
Wrapping up our reviewers’ 2-ski quiver selections, Jonathan Ellsworth and Paul Forward add their picks. Check it out to see which skis our various reviewers have chosen this year, and let us know how you would go about assembling your own 2-ski quiver!
Yu Sasaki on Big-Mountain Skiing, Deep-Powder Skiing, & Running a Successful Food Truck (Ep.52)
We talk with professional skier, Yu Sasaki, about deep powder skiing; what it takes to start — and maintain — a successful food truck; his beautiful short film, Home From Home; moving from Hokkaido, Japan, to Revelstoke; and more.
Deep Dive: Cannondale Scalpel
We compare the Cannondale Scalpel to the Yeti ASR, Commencal T.E.M.P.O, Revel Ranger, Yeti SB120, Niner JET 9 RDO, Pivot Trail 429, SCOR 2030, Specialized Epic Evo, and Trek Top Fuel.
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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Cannondale Scalpel
Has Cannondale changed the recipe for one of the most iconic XC race bikes of all time by adding a dash of versatility, or is the new Scalpel just as focused on winning races as ever? Check out our Full Review for our take.
Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend, October 2024 (Ep.331)
Cody and Jonathan are back to review some of the outdoor-related news of October; introduce a new Reviewing the News segment (Rate My Take); and more.
Project321 G3 Hubs
It’s hard to do anything that novel or exciting when it comes to hub design, but Project321’s G3 hubs have a couple of unique features that really stand out — and have real performance benefits.
Powder Ski Comparisons: Old vs New vs What Should Be Next? (Ep.320)
The snow’s been falling, and we’re already fantasizing about those really deep days. So today, Paul Forward and Jonathan Ellsworth make the case for wide pow skis, then they talk about a bunch of current pow skis, old pow skis, and some design specifics they think are good ideas.
EXTENDED: Win Antti Ollila’s Ski & Boot Setup
The winner of this week’s Gear Giveaway will win the Prodigy 3 ski from Faction and the fs 01 120 boot from phaenom Footwear, the go-to setup of Finnish freestyle skier Antti Ollila!
3-Ski Quivers: Reviewers’ Selections (24/25)
Rounding out Part Three of our reviewers 3-ski quiver picks, we hear from Kristin Sinnott and Jonathan Ellsworth — check out their selections and let us know what your ideal 3-ski quiver would look like!
‘Inner Boots’ vs. Liners in Ski Boots | ZipFit 2025 Lineup Video
Several of our reviewers have used a single pair of ZipFit “inner boots” for hundreds of days, as have many pro and everyday skiers around the world. But how exactly do they accomplish that, and what makes them different from a regular boot liner? In this video from Blister Summit 2024, we get answers from ZipFit’s Jeff Colt.
Deep Dive: Knolly Fugitive 140
We compare the Knolly Fugitive 140 to the Santa Cruz Hightower 3, Trek Fuel EX, Revel Rascal V2, Santa Cruz Bronson, REEB Steezl, Rocky Mountain Instinct, Transition Smuggler, Norco Optic, Deviate Highlander II, Forbidden Druid V2, Norco Sight, Yeti SB140, Banshee Phantom V3, and Propain Hugene.
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 a 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.)
Knolly Fugitive 140
We’ve had a couple of reviewers riding Knolly’s updated Fugitive 140, and it stands out from the mid-travel Trail bike market in a few interesting ways — not an easy task in that typically “jack of all trades, master of none” category. Here’s our Full Review.
Casey Brown on the Inaugural Women’s Red Bull Rampage (Ep.246)
Red Bull Rampage finally, belatedly, included a women’s category this year — and it was outstanding. Casey Brown arguably did more than anyone else to get her foot in the door, and to smash it down for others to follow, so we sat down with her to hear all about it. Don’t miss this one.
Stuff We Like: October 2024
This edition of Stuff We Like includes some excellent camera-friendly outdoor gear, several shoulder-season layering pieces, two of our bike editors’ favorite grips, and more. Check it out to see all the latest gear our reviewers have been digging.
Diner Coffee, Sour Beers, Well-Done Steaks, Putting Greens, & Brand Building with Alex LeBlanc of Calibration Coffee Lab (Ep.51)
Last year, we talked with Alex LeBlanc about starting Calibration Coffee Lab in Greenville, South Carolina. Today, Alex is back to talk about how it’s going, what he’s been learning, how his thinking about coffee has evolved, and how he’s trying to build a brand that people will love.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Yeti ASR
It had been seven years since Yeti produced an ASR — but now their XC race bike is back. And while the new ASR is undoubtedly a competitive modern XC race bike, its appeal will extend beyond the race course for some folks. Check out our Full Review for all the details.
Deep Dive: Yeti ASR
We compare the Yeti ASR to the Cannondale Scalpel, Commencal T.E.M.P.O, Yeti SB120, Pivot Trail 429, Niner Jet 9 RDO, Revel Ranger, SCOR 2030, Specialized Epic Evo, and Trek Top Fuel.
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 a 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.)
XC Race Bikes for Everyday Riders? | Yeti ASR vs. Cannondale Scalpel Video
Modern XC race courses keep getting more technical, and modern XC bikes have adapted as a result. Simon and Dylan have been logging a whole lot of miles on two of those bikes, the Cannondale Scalpel and Yeti ASR, to not only see how they compare to each other, but also how practical they are for riders who are *not* racing against the clock. Here’s their Head-to-Head video review.
3-Board Quivers: Reviewers’ Selections (24/25)
We’ve recently been talking a lot about quivers of skis, but now it’s time for boards. We asked several of our snowboard reviewers to assemble their ideal 3-board quivers — check out their picks.
Reviewing the News w/ Dylan Wood, October 2024 (Ep. 247)
Simon and Dylan recap the latest happenings in the bike world, including the historic Red Bull Rampage women’s competition; they give their take on the men’s competition; cover plenty of good and bad industry news; plus some new eMTBs Simon is really excited about.
MTB Pant Roundup — 2024
We’ve been testing a whole bunch of MTB pants from ultra-lightweight summer options to fully waterproof winter options. Check out our latest roundup to get the rundown.
2-Ski Quivers: Reviewers’ Selections (24/25)
Wrapping up our reviewers’ 2-ski quiver selections, Jonathan Ellsworth and Paul Forward add their picks. Check it out to see which skis our various reviewers have chosen this year, and let us know how you would go about assembling your own 2-ski quiver!
Yu Sasaki on Big-Mountain Skiing, Deep-Powder Skiing, & Running a Successful Food Truck (Ep.52)
We talk with professional skier, Yu Sasaki, about deep powder skiing; what it takes to start — and maintain — a successful food truck; his beautiful short film, Home From Home; moving from Hokkaido, Japan, to Revelstoke; and more.
Deep Dive: Cannondale Scalpel
We compare the Cannondale Scalpel to the Yeti ASR, Commencal T.E.M.P.O, Revel Ranger, Yeti SB120, Niner JET 9 RDO, Pivot Trail 429, SCOR 2030, Specialized Epic Evo, and Trek Top Fuel.
Cannondale Scalpel
Has Cannondale changed the recipe for one of the most iconic XC race bikes of all time by adding a dash of versatility, or is the new Scalpel just as focused on winning races as ever? Check out our Full Review for our take.
Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend, October 2024 (Ep.331)
Cody and Jonathan are back to review some of the outdoor-related news of October; introduce a new Reviewing the News segment (Rate My Take); and more.
Project321 G3 Hubs
It’s hard to do anything that novel or exciting when it comes to hub design, but Project321’s G3 hubs have a couple of unique features that really stand out — and have real performance benefits.