BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
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
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.)
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.
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.)
2024-2025 4FRNT MSP CC
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the women’s 4FRNT MSP CC.
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.
Deep Dive: RAAW Madonna V3
We compare the RAAW Madonna to the Chromag Lowdown, Kavenz VHP 16, Rocky Mountain Altitude, Orbea Rallon, Norco Sight, Nicolai Nucleon 16, Santa Cruz Nomad, Santa Cruz Megatower, Trek Slash, Ibis HD6, Yeti SB160, Pivot Firebird, Yeti SB165, and Marin Alpine Trail.
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.)
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
High Above on US Manufacturing, Pack Design, Expanding Their Lineup, & More (Ep.244)
High Above has been making high-quality bike packs and accessories — in the US — for well over a decade. We sat down with them to get their thoughts on the value (and downsides) of US manufacturing; talk about their design and testing process; get some teasers of what they’re working on; and a whole lot more.
Cannondale Moterra SL vs. Mondraker Dune XR | Head-to-Head Video
The Cannondale Moterra SL and Mondraker Dune XR both offer lots of travel at fairly low weights for the eMTB category, but they accomplish that in very different ways. In this Head-to-Head video, Blister editors Simon Stewart and Dylan Wood compare and contrast these two eMTBs, discuss what sorts of riders will get along best with each one, and (try to) decide which one they’d each personally pick.
Cannondale Moterra SL
The groundbreaking Cannondale Moterra SL is claimed to be the lightest full-power eMTB on the market, but has it made too many compromises to get there, or does it deliver something truly unique? Check out our Full Review for our take.
Deep Dive: Cannondale Moterra SL
We compare the Cannondale Moterra SL to the Pivot Shuttle LT, Pivot Shuttle AM, Orbea Wild, Devinci E-Troy, Rocky Mountain Instinct Powerplay, and Mondraker Dune XR.
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.)
Wayfarer Vans w/ Andy Mullins (Ep.50)
Camper vans are everywhere, and in today’s CRAFTED conversation, Simon is joined by Wayfarer Van’s Andy Mullins to answer commonly asked questions about camping in — and building — vans.
Teton Village Sports
Teton Village Sports has been at the base of the fabled Jackson Hole tram since it opened for skiing. They are a full-service ski shop offering top-tier bootfitting and custom footbeds, large demo ski rental fleet that matches their retail ski offering, and an award-winning tune and repair shop offering overnight tunes ready for first chair the next day.
2025 Rocky Mountain Element
The Rocky Mountain Element was an early example of a cross-country bike with more aggressive geometry, and the new Element makes some refinements without messing with that winning recipe. Read all about it in our First Look.
‘The Hard Way’ w/ Paul Forward & Jonathan Ellsworth (Ep.27)
Jonathan talks with our friend and longtime Blister reviewer, Paul Forward, about a beautiful new series of three short films about Paul, called The Hard Way, that delve into Paul’s lifelong passion for traditional bow hunting, and the ethics that guide Paul’s practice.
Manitou Mara Pro PB
Manitou’s rear shocks aren’t necessarily a common sight on the trails, but the updated Mara Pro PB makes a strong case for why that should change. Our Full Review chronicles our findings after a few months of heavy use.
Mondraker Dune
The Mondraker Dune XR is exceptionally good at going downhill and adds the impressive Bosch SX drive system to help bring it back up for more. Check out the Full Review to see what Mondraker has done to make the Dune XR so unique.
Deep Dive: Mondraker Dune XR
The Mondraker Dune XR is one of the more unique light-assist eMTBs we’ve tested, and as such there aren’t many direct comparisons, so we’re including some full-power eMTBs that match up a bit closer as well.
We compare the Mondraker Dune to the Pivot Shuttle LT, Orbea Wild, Devinci E-Troy, Canyon Torque:ON CF, and Trek Slash+.
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.)
Team USA Snowboarder, Bea Kim (Ep.328)
At the age of 17, not many of us find ourselves competing for World Cup titles, or speaking in front of the United Nations. But then there’s Bea Kim, and you’re definitely going to want to get to know her and her story.