BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Frameworks Enduro
Frameworks is releasing a limited first run of their Enduro frame. Drawing plenty of inspiration from the Downhill frame released last year, the US-made Enduro frame stands out from the crowd with unique construction details and intriguing geometry. Our First Look has the details.
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 2 x 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!
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
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
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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.
No, Thank YOU
In our latest Open Mic piece, Brendan Leonard tells us how to deal with a world full of F@!% Yous.
Flash Review: 24/25 Peak 104 by Dav
We recently spent a day touring on the lighter version of Peak’s 104 mm-wide ski, the Peak 104 by Dav. Check out our initial impressions.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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James Bond, ‘The World Is Not Enough’ w/ Jonathan Ellsworth & Simon Stewart (Ep.29)
James Bond films have probably put skiing and snowboarding in front of more people than any other film series. So we discuss this, then, in honor of the 25th anniversary of ‘The World is Not Enough,’ we break down that film and its absolutely-all-time ski scene.
BCA Float E2-35 Avalanche Airbag Backpack
Avalanche airbag backpacks have come a long way, and one of our reviewers has tested most of them over the past decade. BCA’s newest option, the Float E2-35, is his current favorite — check out our Full Review to see why.
Maxxis High Roller
Maxxis says that the newest iteration of their High Roller is a gravity tire for conditions that are somewhat soft and loose, but not to the point of demanding a full-on mud spike. That’s a big departure from earlier iterations of the High Roller, but it would fill a real gap in Maxxis’ lineup (and the MTB tire market as a whole). So, is their description on point? We’ve ridden the High Roller in a wide range of conditions and are ready to weigh in.
Flash Review: 24/25 Volkl M7 Mantra
Last season we started spending time on Volkl’s newest Mantra (in two different lengths) to see just how much has changed between the M6 and M7. Here are some of our initial 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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