BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Flash Review — Schwalbe Albert Tires
Schwalbe says that their new radial casing tires offer a very different feel from more conventional tire constructions, and we’ve started to put those claims to the test. Here are our early impressions.
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Schwalbe Radial Tire Casings + New Albert & Shredda Tires
Schwalbe has added a couple of new tires to their mountain bike lineup, and they debuted a new radial casing construction that they’re making some very big — and very intriguing — claims about. Check out what they’ve come up with.
Kavenz VHP G2
The Kavenz VHP G2 takes their latest VHP V7 design and adapts it to a gearbox application, with broad compatibility across Pinion and Effigear systems. We’ve walked through Kavenz’s latest creation in our First Look.
‘Deeper’ w/ Jeremy Jones & Jonathan Ellsworth (Ep.25)
Jeremy Jones & Jonathan Ellsworth revisit the 2010 film, Deeper, which Jeremy calls the most important movie of his snowboarding career — which is saying something, coming from a guy who was named snowboarder of the year 10 times, and a guy that’s starred in over 100 films.
Stuff We Like: September 2024
This edition of our ‘Stuff We Like’ series is all about apparel — from ultralight rain shells to versatile baselayers, cozy insulators, bike shorts, and much more. Check it out to learn more about the standout products our reviewers have been testing.
Mountain Gazette’s Mike Rogge on ‘His’ New Ski; Baseball & Skiing; MG Issue #202; & More (Ep.326)
Mountain Gazette owner & editor Mike Rogge is back to talk about good skis and bad gear reviews; put Shohei Ohtani’s accomplishments in skier terms; discuss a growing new development in the outdoor industry; & more.
Flash Review — Ohlins RXF38 m.2 Coil Kit
Ohlins’ Coil Spring Kit is easy to install, doesn’t add too much weight, and, unlike kits for other forks, still allows you to go back to an air spring later. So, what’s it like to ride? We have some initial thoughts in our Flash Review.
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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Does the Color of Your Jacket Affect Its Performance? Blister Labs Apparel Testing Update (Ep.315)
For this Blister Labs update, we talk with Dr. Jeni Blacklock about exploding fabrics, microwaving hotdogs, and whether the color of your jacket affects its performance.
Lightest Avalanche Airbags? | Ortovox LiTRIC 2025 Packs | Blister Summit Video
Ortovox’s new line of LiTRIC avalanche airbags includes some of the lightest models on the market, and in this video, we get all the details on their development; how the supercapacitor-based system works; why Ortovox prioritized ease of use in its design; the various pack models, and more.
Win Puffy Jackets From Wild Rye
The two winners of our Gear Giveaway this week will each get the Payette Jacket or Payette Pullover from Wild Rye!
Reviewer Reports: Lightweight eMTBs, XC Race Bikes, and Slack Head Angles (Ep.241)
Dylan and Simon discuss the bikes they’ve been comparing in our upcoming head-to-head videos, which cover everything from Enduro eMTBs like the Cannondale Moterra SL to XC bikes like the Yeti ASR — which doesn’t have a motor but almost feels like it does.
How HOJI Designs His Skis + New 4FRNT Nevar | Blister Summit Video
Eric ‘Hoji’ Hjorleifson has his own unique skiing style, and his own approach to ski design. So we sat down with Hoji to hear all about it, including how he and 4FRNT developed his current signature series of skis, the brand-new (and cambered!) 4FRNT Nevar, and more.
2025 Devinci Troy & Troy ST
The new Devinci Troy is here, and it has arrived with a new sibling in the Troy ST. Both bikes get all new Canadian-made frames, updated geometry, and ample adjustment — check out our coverage of Devinci’s new pair of Trail bikes.
In Praise of Ski Movie Season w/ Drew Petersen (Ep.24)
We’re celebrating the start of Ski Movie Season by talking with Drew Petersen about the impact that ski movie screenings had on him; his all-time favorite ski movies; and the Salomon Quality Ski Time Film Tour that kicks off tonight!
Flash Review — Fox DHX Live Valve Neo
We’ve been logging miles on Fox’s new DHX Live Valve Neo shock, and it’s been an interesting — and very highly customizable — new electronic suspension offering. Our Flash Review covers 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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BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Flash Review — Vorsprung Telum
It’s always noteworthy whenever a brand ventures into a new product category, but that’s just the start of the story with Vorsprung’s first shock, the Telum. We’ve begun testing it, and you can now 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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2024-2025 La Sportiva Salto
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the La Sportiva Salto skis.
Flash Review: 24/25 Black Crows Octo
Update 12.2.24: Luke Koppa adds his thoughts on the new Black Crows Octo after spending some of his first days of the season aboard it.
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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2-Board Quivers: Reviewers’ Selections (24/25)
Following their 3-board quivers, our reviewers chime in with which snowboards and splitboards they’d select for their personal 2-board quivers.
Reviewer Reports + a Shop Talk First (Ep.324)
Luke and Jonathan offer their early-season reviewer reports, then Jonathan talks to Bangtail Bike & Ski’s new owner about why he did something that no other shop in the world has done — but why others might want to.
Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend, November 2024 (Ep.335)
Cody and Jonathan are back to review some of the news of November; rate your takes; offer some mountain town advice; share what we’re reading & watching; and more.
2024-2025 K2 Omen 90
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the K2 Omen 90 freestyle ski.
Flash Review: 24/25 Ferreol Explo 86
Ski season is officially underway at our home base, and the Explo 86 is one of the first skis we got back on this winter. Here, Luke Koppa shares his initial take.
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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Forbidden Druid V2
There are more high-pivot Trail bikes than ever before, but the Forbidden Druid V2 is still one of the shortest-travel options. So, has Forbidden come up with a coherent short(ish) travel bike with a suspension layout more typically of Enduro and DH sleds, or does it feel caught between those categories? What we’ve found is pretty interesting.
Deep Dive: Forbidden Druid V2
We compare the Forbidden Druid V2 to the Transition Smuggler, Chromag Darco, Norco Optic, Norco Sight, Deviate Highlander II, and Orbea Rallon.
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 Baselayers from Arms of Andes
The two winners of our Gear Giveaway this week will each get the men’s or women’s Alpaca Wool Long Sleeve Shirt and Leggings from Arms of Andes!
Reviewer Reports: Lightweight eMTBs, Ultra-Adjustable Enduro Bikes, Electronic Suspension Battle & More (Ep.250)
Simon Stewart and David Golay give the rundown on a ton of bikes and other gear we’ve been testing, from a wide range of Trail bikes to a couple of lightweight eMTBs, the ultra-adjustable Geometron G1, and more — including a head-to-head comparison of Fox Live Valve Neo and RockShox Flight Attendant.