BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Win Sandals From Tread Labs
The two winners of our Gear Giveaway this week will each get any pair of Tread Labs sandals!
Neko Mulally on the Upcoming Frameworks Enduro Bike, DH Bike Testing & More (Ep.231)
Neko Mulally is getting ready to offer his Frameworks Enduro bike for sale, so we sat down to hear about its development; discuss the various DH frame variants Neko has been testing; talk about the expanded Frameworks team and how Neko’s approach to his own racing has evolved; and a lot more.
Flash Review — Spot Mayhem 140
The Spot Mayhem 140’s suspension layout doesn’t look like anything else out there, but how does it ride? Check out our early impressions.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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How to Design (and Own) a Well-Crafted, Affordable Home, with Zack Giffin (Ep.47)
These days, owning a beautiful home is often prohibitively expensive, while “affordable” housing too often fails to include quality craftsmanship. But there is a solution, and Zack Giffin reminds us of this and discusses the craft of designing smaller structures that address our true needs.
‘Breaking Away’ with Jonathan Ellsworth & Simon Stewart (Ep.17)
Breaking Away features one of the biggest and coolest bike races ever (the Little 500) while also doubling as a fantastic coming-of-age film. So in honor of its 45th anniversary, Jonathan & Simon debate what’s aged the best; discuss its most rewatchable scenes; and Simon drops the hottest of Hot Takes.
Ibis Ripley and Ripmo
The Ibis Ripley and Ripmo have gotten an overhaul, with new lines, new geometry, and mixed wheel compatibility. Ibis left no stone unturned with its updates, so take a look at our First Look for the full rundown.
TRP Evo 12 Drivetrain
The big two S-brands have a stranglehold on the mountain bike drivetrain market, but that isn’t stopping TRP from trying to join them. So, is TRP’s Evo12 drivetrain a worthy contender? Check out our Full Review for our take.
2023-2024 Fischer The Curv
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for The Curv ski by Fischer.
Order Now: Our 24/25 Blister Winter Buyer’s Guide
Order your print and/or digital copy of the biggest, most honest, accurate, and genuinely useful buyer’s guide in the ski industry. Includes 350+ skis, 65+ boots, & much more.
Skin & Ski 3 Million Feet in a Year?? Noah Dines’ Big Objective (Ep.316)
Is it possible to skin and ski 3 million vertical feet in a year? On Jan 1st, 2024, Noah Dines set out to find out. So what prompted Noah to attempt this? What does his typical day look like? What have been the biggest challenges so far, and what gear is he using to pull this off?
Flash Review — 2024 Marin Alpine Trail
The new Marin Alpine Trail looks extremely promising, with modern, adjustable geometry, good builds at impressive prices, and more bells and whistles than you might expect from such an affordable package. So, is there a catch? Check out 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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New Zealand Ski Season, Gear Trends, & How a Specialty Retailer Curates Their Products (Ep.304)
How has the ski / snowboard season in the southern hemisphere been this year? To find out, we caught up with Benji Knight and Darren Grimmett from Outside Sports in New Zealand, and they also fill us in on their local gear trends, how they go about curating the gear they offer, and more.
Win MTB Apparel From Flylow
The two winners of our Gear Giveaway this week will each get a shirt, a pair of shorts, a pair of gloves, and a pair of socks from Flylow’s men’s or women’s “Trail” line of MTB apparel!
RAAW Madonna V3
RAAW has made a name for themselves by building burly, simple bikes that are easy to live with for the long haul, and we’ve spent the last several months with their updated Madonna V3 to see how that promise is borne out — and how the big Enduro bike rides. Check out our Full Review for the whole story.
2023-2024 Head Oblivion 116
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the Head Oblivion 116.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Fox Live Valve Neo Electronic Shocks
Fox’s original Live Valve electronically controlled suspension has been around for quite a while now, but it never became a common sight on the trails. So, Fox went back to the drawing board and came up with Live Valve Neo — a wireless, dramatically streamlined second generation. Check out what they’ve come up with.
Jeremy Jones on His New Sport & New Film, ‘Purple Mountains Live Free or Die’ (Ep.325)
Today we’re catching up with Jeremy Jones to talk about what he’s been up to this summer — including his new sport; his new movie, Purple Mountains Live Free or Die; and, which classic film he & Jonathan will be breaking down on our Blister Cinematic podcast.
Flash Review — Kona Process 134
Kona recently revised their longstanding Trail bike, and it’s shaping up to be an impressive offering. Here are our initial thoughts.
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.
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The Pro’s Gear: Cody Townsend (Ep.314)
Cody Townsend is back on GEAR:30 to talk about his current gear preferences and the specific gear he’s using most these days.
Win Camping Gear From Luno
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get the AIR+FOAM PRO Vehicle Mattress and Packable Camp Pillow from Luno!
Alex Showerman on ‘Coming Home’ and Finding One in Women’s Freeride (Ep.240)
Alex Showerman’s new short film ‘Coming Home’ tells the story of her journey to women’s freeride, and explores what a home is — in more than just the literal sense of a place to live. We sat down with her to hear all about it.
Deep Dive: 2024 Rocky Mountain Instinct
We compare the Rocky Mountain Instinct to the Orbea Occam LT, Trek Fuel EX, Transition Smuggler, Revel Rascal V2, SCOR 2030, Norco Optic, Norco Sight, Santa Cruz Hightower 3, Yeti SB135, Spot Mayhem 140, Forbidden Druid V2, REEB Steezl, and Deviate Highlander II.
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.)
2024 Rocky Mountain Instinct
It’s no big surprise that Rocky Mountain is touting the versatility of their 140mm-travel Trail bike, the Instinct — but what they’ve cooked up is pretty interesting, and it stands out from the do-it-all Trail bike market in some interesting ways. Check out our Full Review and Deep Dive comparisons to discover what sets it apart.
Hugo Harrisson, Ingrid Backstrom, & Mark Abma on the 20th Anniversary of ‘Yearbook’ (Ep.23)
20 years ago, ‘Yearbook,’ one of the most star-studded ski movies of all time, was released. So last week we talked with Matchstick’s Murray Wais and Scott Gaffney about the making of the film, and today, we’re talking with three of the stars of the film, Hugo Harrisson, Ingrid Backstrom, and Mark Abma.
Specialized Stumpjumper 15 & Stumpjumper 15 Alloy
Specialized’s Stumpjumper recently got a major update, and now they’ve released the more affordable alloy version of the Stumpjumper 15 alongside the carbon model. Check out the all-new frame, adjustments, and GENIE shock tech in our First Look.
Santa Cruz Hightower 4
The Hightower is still Santa Cruz’s do-everything 29er, but the latest version gets more travel and slacker geometry for improved descending prowess. But the updates don’t stop there — check out our First Look to learn more.
Nikolai Schirmer on Skiing & Surfing; the Most Norwegian News; Movies; & More (Ep.324)
Our guest today is Nikolai Schirmer, and we’re discussing skiing & surfing; skiing in Norway and the Most Norwegian News; movies — including how easy / hard it is for certain outdoor sports to translate on film; & more.