BLISTER — Outdoor Gear Reviews, Podcasts, Buyer’s Guides, Giveaways

BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles

David Golay reviews the Rimpact Chain Damper for Blister

Rimpact Chain Damper

Rimpact’s Chain Damper looks a whole lot like their take on an Ochain. And, yes, they’ve got some real similarities, but the thinking behind their designs — and the designs themselves — are much more different than you might expect. Here’s what you need to know, including our early on-trail impressions.

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BLISTER — Outdoor Gear Reviews, Podcasts, Buyer’s Guides, Giveaways

Ibis Ripley AF and Ripmo AF

Ibis just introduced new aluminum versions of their Ripley and Ripmo, with the same modern, size-specific geometry as their carbon fiber counterparts, in-frame storage, and competitively priced build kits. Check out all the details here.

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Santa Cruz Vala AL

Santa Cruz Vala AL

The new Vala AL brings the first aluminum frame to the Santa Cruz eMTB lineup. Many of the details are the same as the carbon Vala, but there are some differences, beyond just a lower price. Check out our First Look to see what they’ve come up with.

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BLISTER — Outdoor Gear Reviews, Podcasts, Buyer’s Guides, Giveaways

Flash Review: Propain Sresh SL

We’ve been riding Propain’s first light-assist eMTB, the Sresh SL, equipped with TQ’s latest HPR60 drive system. Check out our initial on-trail impressions, including comparisons to the Yeti MTe and Pivot Shuttle SL/AM.

Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions

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David Golay reviews the Schwalbe Albert Radial tires for Blister

Schwalbe Albert Radial

Schwalbe claims to have made a real leap forward in MTB tire construction with their new radial casings — but how does it actually pan out on the trail? And what about the new Albert tread pattern? We’ve spent a lot of time on the radial-casing Albert in a huge range of conditions and are ready to weigh in.

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David Golay reviews the Pivot Firebird V5 for Blister

Flash Review: Pivot Firebird V5

Update 7.16.25: We’ve got some more thoughts on the latest iteration of Pivot’s Enduro bike after spending some more time experimenting with the wheel size and geometry options.

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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BLISTER — Outdoor Gear Reviews, Podcasts, Buyer’s Guides, Giveaways

Cannondale Moterra

Cannondale just launched the latest version of their Moterra eMTB in alloy frame options, featuring Bosch’s Performance Line CX drive system, a range of build kits that accommodate a variety of budgets, and more. Check out our First Look for all the info.

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BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:

Zack Henderson reviews the RockShox Vivid Coil

RockShox Vivid Coil

The coil shock market is loaded with great options, but the RockShox Vivid Coil stands out for merging easy setup with ample adjustability — and distinct on-trail performance. Our Full Review unpacks our thoughts after six months with RockShox’s flagship coil shock.

BLISTER — Outdoor Gear Reviews, Podcasts, Buyer’s Guides, Giveaways

Stuff We Like: July 2025

In this edition of ‘Stuff We Like,’ our reviewers discuss some new hiking / trekking boots, ultralight sleeping pads, impressive everyday apparel, portable bike ramps, and more. Check it out to see which products have been standing out this month.

Quicksilver

‘Quicksilver’ w/ Steve Smith & Simon Stewart (Ep.47)

Former San Francisco bike messenger Steve Smith joins Blister senior editor, Simon Stewart, to talk about this film starring a young Kevin Bacon. The lads dive right into why the film had a memorable bike influence on them, how realistic it is, and what the hell Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon is all about.

Blister Mountain Bike Buyer's Guide

Blister Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide

It’s here! Our new Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide, comparing the many current bikes we’ve reviewed, in a more digestible format than ever before. First up: All-Mountain bikes.

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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BLISTER — Outdoor Gear Reviews, Podcasts, Buyer’s Guides, Giveaways

Kona Hei Hei 10

The latest Kona Hei Hei strikes a balance between XC climbing efficiency and trail-ready descending capability. After months of testing, we break down its fit, climbing and descending performance, and how it stacks up against XC race bikes and shorter-travel Trail bikes alike. You’ll also read why we think this is a great do-it-all short-travel MTB for riders who love to climb fast but don’t shy away from technical descents.

BLISTER — Outdoor Gear Reviews, Podcasts, Buyer’s Guides, Giveaways

Deep Dive: Kona Hei Hei 10

We compare the Kona Hei Hei 10 to the Yeti SB120, Revel Ranger, Cannondale Scalpel, Yeti ASR, Commencal T.E.M.P.O, Niner JET 9 RDO, Cannondale Habit, Pivot Trailcat SL, 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

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BLISTER — Outdoor Gear Reviews, Podcasts, Buyer’s Guides, Giveaways

Win Titan Straps

The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get a bunch of Titan’s multifunctional straps — 2 of each length of Utility Straps, 2 of each length of Industrial Straps, and 4 of each length of Mini Straps for a total of 28 Titan Straps!

David Golay reviews the Rimpact Chain Damper for Blister

Flash Review: Rimpact Chain Damper

The thinking behind the Rimpact Chain Damper is more novel than it may first appear, and its effects on bike suspension stand out, too. Here’s what we’ve learned so far during our initial testing.

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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