BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Flylow’s Dan Abrams on Burrito Grease & PFAS; Slide Gliding; Palisades Tahoe; & More (Ep.312)
Dan Abrams is back to talk about toxic positivity, slide gliding, burrito grease, give his review of Palisades Tahoe, and more.
Win Our 24/25 Winter Buyer’s Guide
The three winners of our Gear Giveaway this week will each get a print and digital copy of our new 2024-2025 Winter Buyer’s Guide!
Norco Fluid VLT
Norco’s Fluid VLT 130 pairs a responsive suspension platform, a lightweight build, and Bosch’s powerful SX drive system to create a unique offering in the light-assist eMTB category. Check out our Full Review and Deep Dive comparisons, as well as our “Head to Head” video comparing it to the Pivot Shuttle SL.
Deep Dive: Norco Fluid VLT 130
We compare the Norco Fluid VLT 130 to the Pivot Shuttle SL, Trek Fuel EXe, Santa Cruz Heckler SL, Canyon Neuron:ONfly, Mondraker Dune XR, and Cannondale Moterra SL.
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Reviewing the News w/ Mike Ferrentino, August 2024 (Ep.238)
Mike Ferrentino is back handling the co-host duties on this episode of Reviewing the News. Simon admits to missing Mike during his absence, and the lads waste no time getting into recapping the UCI MTB World Championships; cross-country mountain bike courses getting too short; Mike’s take on the Specialized and Frameworks partnership; a belt drive lawsuit; and lots more.
Liv Intrigue X
The Intrigue X is the latest addition to Liv’s women-specific MTB lineup, and it claims to offer tons of versatility and adjustability for those who want to ride all sorts of trails on one bike. After several months with it, we’re now ready to weigh in on how accurate those claims proved to be — here’s our Full Review.
Chef Mark Connell on Craft & Trust; Tasting Menus; & Olive Oil Candy, Part 2 (Ep.49)
Mark Connell is the executive chef at PARC Aspen, and he’s back to talk about fine dining and the importance of tasting menus; what he learned at Alinea; the difference between striving for consistency vs. striving to be consistently good; and more.
Industry Nine SOLiX M TR300/290 DUO Wheels
Industry Nine’s new SOLiX M TR300/290 DUO wheels have a very long name and a very low weight — but how do they ride, and how have they held up to a summer of riding? Check out our Full Review to find out.
Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend, August 2024 (Ep.322)
Cody and Jonathan discuss summer skiing; the new FIS wildcard rule; some good news & dumb news re: national parks; art exhibits at ski areas; their top-3 mountain towns; & more.
‘Rad’ with Eddie Fiola, Jen Zeuner, & Simon Stewart (Ep.21)
There’s no denying that the film Rad is a cult classic, and we sat down with one of the stunt riders, BMX freestyle legend Eddie Fiola, as well as BMX Hall of Famer Jen Zeuner, to get the backstory on how Eddie got involved, how he got knocked out, the terrifying Helltrack drop-in, wearing Lori Loughlin’s pants, plus a whole lot more.
Shimano GRX Di2 12-Speed Drivetrain
Shimano’s GRX RX825 group brings Di2 technology to a 2 x 12 Gravel layout. After logging plenty of miles on the new setup, we think RX825 will have a lot of appeal to a broad set of riders. Our Full Review has all of the details.
2024-2025 Northland AM178
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the Northland AM178.
Venture Snowboards — and New Venture Skis — w/ Klem Branner (Ep.311)
Venture Snowboards just announced that they will also be making Venture skis. So Jonathan talked with Klem Branner about why skis & why skis now; what’s harder or easier about making skis vs snowboards; and what, exactly, is this new ski of theirs, the Sultan?
Win MTB Shoes From Ride Concepts
The TWO winners of our Gear Giveaway this week will each get the new Tallac Mid BOA® MTB Shoe from Ride Concepts!
Pivot Shuttle SL
The Pivot Shuttle SL was one of the first light-assist eMTBs. But even after many other brands have added their takes on this hotly contested category, the Shuttle SL remains an excellent option for many reasons.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Natural Selection Tour Expands to Ski, Snowboard, Bike, & Surf Events
Big News: Travis Rice and the Natural Selection Tour have announced their most extensive development yet — the addition of ski, bike, and surf events. Here are the details.
Amie Engerbretson on Ugly Sweater Parties + Can the Outdoor Community Actually Make a Difference? (Ep.330)
Jonathan talks with professional skier Amie Engerbretson about our upcoming ugly sweater / ski-movie-rom-com event; her film, Hypocrite; and the question, “Can the outdoor community actually make a difference?”
Ohlins DH38 & RXF38 Coil Spring Kits
Öhlins is one of the few suspension brands offering a coil conversion kit for their forks, and it manages to incorporate some compelling features at a reasonable price point. Does it deliver that fabled coil-sprung magic, or is there more to the story? Our reviewers have some thoughts after a few months of testing.
2025 Transition Sentinel
It may look familiar, but the new Transition Sentinel has been fully revised with new geometry, new frame details, and broader configuration options. Read on for more on how Transition has evolved one of the most versatile bikes in their range.
4-Ski Quivers: Reviewers’ Selections (24/25)
Rounding out our annual 4-ski quiver picks, Jonathan Ellsworth and Kristin Sinnott share their thoughts on what their personal 4-ski quivers would look like.
Moment Skis 24/25 Lineup with Luke Jacobson (Ep.319)
Jonathan talks with Moment Skis CEO, Luke Jacobson, about Moment’s latest skis; some former Moment skis; some other companies’ skis; why Hoji is a traitor(!!); and more.
Kona Process 134
The Kona Process 134 stays true to its roots and proves — yet again — that a bike doesn’t need to be complicated to be good. Check out our Full Review to see what it’s all about.
Arid Cycles on Self-Taught Frame Design, the Spade Enduro Bike, & More (Ep.245)
The Arid Spade Enduro bike prototypes are awfully striking for a host of reasons — including that their designer, Ethan Eggert, is just 19 years old. We sat down with Ethan to hear how and why he decided to start building bikes; how the Spade has evolved over its first three iterations; his plans for eventually selling frames; and a bunch more.
Propain Rage 3 R CF
Propain has been on a roll with new bike releases this year, and now it’s their Downhill bike’s turn — enter the new Rage 3 R CF. Feedback from Propain’s race team has yielded small changes that focus on frame stiffness and a quieter ride. All of the details are in our First Look.
Park City Ski Boot
With 43 years of experience, and the impressive balance of being both a ski industry expert and bootfitter as well as a board-certified Pedorthist, Brent Amsbury at Park City Ski Boot has the expertise, passion, and tools to ensure that you are comfortable and dialed in your next pair of ski boots!
2025 Pivot Shuttle LT
The updated Pivot Shuttle LT is the latest eMTB with the new Bosch Performance Line CX motor, but it goes one step further with the Race Limited Edition version of the drive system. The new version gets some other updates, too — our First Look has the details.
Dr. Gloria Beim on the Paris Olympics; Pre-Season Training Advice; the Most Common Ski & Snowboard Injuries; & More (Ep.329)
Dr. Gloria Beim, the head physician for the USA Olympic Team in Paris, is back to talk about her experience at the Paris games; pre-season training; the most common ski & snowboard injuries; and some of the things you can do to prevent them.