BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Flash Review — 2025 Trek Top Fuel
The new Trek Top Fuel aims to compete with a crowded class of light, efficient shorter-travel Trail bikes including the Specialized Epic Evo, Rocky Mountain Element, and Santa Cruz Tallboy. Check out our early impressions of how the Top Fuel stacks up.
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Geometron Bikes on the Design & Development of the New G1 (Ep.230)
Geometron arguably did more than any other bike brand to kick off the geometry revolution of the late 2010s, but they haven’t been content to rest on those laurels. The latest version of their G1 Enduro bike features a host of interesting — and maybe surprising — updates, so we sat down with them to hear all about it.
Kona Process 153 & 134
Now back under the ownership of its original founders, Kona is dropping new versions of its Process 153 and Process 134. Check out our First Look for more on these all-new frames, which feature mixed wheel compatibility and myriad other refinements.
The Vinyl Revival, Records, & Turntables w/ Michael Fremer (Ep.46)
Vinyl expert Michael Fremer joins Simon in a conversation about why listening to music on records is better — and everything you need to know to get into it. Consider it an education in vinyl.
SCOR 2030
SCOR has cooked up something really special with their short-travel Trail bike, the 2030. Check out our Full Review to see how they’ve done it — and whether it’d be a good fit for you.
Deep Dive: SCOR 2030
We compare the SCOR 2030 to the Commencal T.E.M.P.O, Yeti SB135, Revel Rascal, Yeti ASR, and Santa Cruz Hightower.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Flash Review — Cannondale Scalpel
Riding season is in full swing, and we’ve been spending some time aboard the latest version of the Cannondale Scalpel. 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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![When the world’s elite athletes compete later this month at the Olympic Games in Paris, who treats them? And when injuries happen, how are decisions made about whether the athlete can continue to compete? For answers, we talk to Dr. Gloria Beim, the Head Team Physician at the Olympic Games for Team USA. [Blister Podcast]](https://blisterreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/glo-rings-640x422.jpg)
The Team Behind the Team: USA Olympic Head Team Physician, Dr. Gloria Beim (Ep.315)
When the world’s elite athletes compete later this month at the Olympic Games in Paris, who treats them? And when injuries happen, how are decisions made about whether the athlete can continue to compete? For answers, we talk to Dr. Gloria Beim, the Head Team Physician at the Olympic Games for Team USA.
2024-2025 Liberty Radian 100
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the Liberty Radian 100.
2024-2025 Ferreol Explo 86
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the Ferreol Explo 86.
Win a Dropper Post From OneUp Components
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get OneUp’s new V3 Dropper Post and V3 Dropper Post Remote!
Deep Dive: Specialized Epic Evo 8
We compare the Specialized Epic Evo to the Trek Top Fuel, Banshee Phantom V3, Santa Cruz Tallboy, Revel Rascal V2, Transition Spur, Canyon Spectral 125, and Rocky Mountain Element.
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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Specialized Epic Evo 8
The new Specialized Epic Evo uses the same exact frame as the race-oriented Epic, but the Evo pairs it with a slightly more aggressive build to conquer rougher trails outside the tape. Read our Full Review for our take on how the Epic Evo blends its race-born DNA with more well-rounded Trail-bike intentions.
2024-2025 FullSend Max K 106
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the FullSend Max K 106.
Sage Cattabriga-Alosa on Pizza Making & Big-Mountain Skiing (Ep.45)
One of the greatest big-mountain skiers of all time is also passionate about making great pizza. So what’s the story here, and what do you need to know to start making great pizza yourself?
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Vorsprung Smashpot V2 Coil Spring Fork Conversion Kit
Vorsprung’s new Smashpot V2 still lets you convert your fork to a coil spring, but V2 offers increased tunability, a wider range of travel and fork compatibility options — including dual-crown ones — and a new dual-rate progressive spring setup for longer-travel configurations. Check out our First Look for all the details.
Formula Nebbia
The Nebbia is Formula’s first air shock, with a strong focus on tunability and ease of service. After a few months of testing, we have gotten a good sense of how it performs — and the results are even more interesting than expected.
GEAR THERAPY: Elite Football Player Gets Back into Skiing (Ep.317)
BLISTER+ member, Pete Brantley, talks about getting back into skiing; playing football for the Oregon Ducks (and Chicago Bears!); poses his most-pressing gear questions; and gets Jonathan’s best recommendations.
Win an IR Waxer From mountainFLOW
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get an Infrared (IR) Waxer from mountainFLOW!
The Design, Development, & Testing of Enve’s new M-Series Wheels (Ep.243)
Enve’s new M-Series wheels are the result of a very long and involved development process, and they don’t look, or ride, anything like M-Series wheels of old. So we sat down with Jake Pantone of Enve to get the whole story behind their development.
Flash Review — Enve M6 Wheels
Enve says that their new M-Series wheels ride very differently from Enve wheels of old, and we’ve started putting those claims to the test with their new Trail bike wheels, the M6. 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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Enve’s Fifth-Generation M-Series Wheels
Enve has launched the fifth-generation versions of their flagship M-Series mountain bike wheels, promising a very different ride feel from past M-Series wheels. The data they’ve provided to quantify that is pretty eye-popping, and there’s a lot of interesting stuff going on with their design — including new, Enve-designed hubs. Check out what they’ve come up with.
How Do You Know How “Safe” Your Helmet Is? | Blister Summit Video
Testing standards are hugely important, but when it comes to ski/snowboard and cycling helmets, the current ones have limitations. In this clip, Steven Kennedy, Sr. Director of R&D at Giro, shares some thoughts on Giro’s in-house testing approach, the Virginia Tech helmet testing standards, and more.
‘A Sunday in Hell’ w/ Joe Parkin & Simon Stewart (Ep.26)
We revisit the 1977 film ‘A Sunday in Hell,’ often regarded as one of the greatest bike racing films of all time. To do it justice, Simon Stewart is joined by former pro cyclist Joe Parkin, who raced Paris-Roubaix himself in 1988, and knows what it takes to suffer through “The Hell of the North.”
Trek Slash+
The Trek Slash+ combines big travel with a little motor — a pairing that sets it apart from the rest of the market. We have logged plenty of miles on the Slash+ this summer and have a lot to say about its impressive performance — and some tradeoffs that come with it.
When & WHY Should You Replace Your Helmet? | Blister Summit Video
How do you know when or why you should replace your ski, snowboard, or bike helmet? It’s not a simple or easy question to answer, but at Blister Summit 2024, we got some insight from Steven Kennedy, Frederik Kjellberg, Drew Petersen, and Sascha Anastas.
Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend, September 2024 (Ep.327)
Cody and Jonathan discuss the release of Cody’s first FIFTY+ film; some big controversies in the world of FKT’s & running; a great edition of Blevin’s Corner; mountain guides and the often confusing practice of tipping; what they’re reading & watching; … and more.