BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Knolly Warden MX
Knolly has overhauled the final model in their full-suspension MTB lineup, with the new Warden getting mixed wheel sizes, revised geometry, improved aesthetics, and a bunch more. Check out what they’ve come up with.
‘Tour de Pharmacy’ with Jonathan Ellsworth & Simon Stewart (Ep.16)
What outdoor sports film has the most star-studded cast of all time? Probably the 2017 mockumentary, ‘Tour de Pharmacy.’ It’s hilarious, kinda disturbing, completely ludicrous, and very NSFW.
Flash Review: 24/25 Dynastar M-Cross 88
Where does the M-Cross 88 fall in the class of narrower “all-mountain” skis? Here are our initial on-snow 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 Dynastar M-Cross 88
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, flex pattern numbers, and more info on the widest model in Dynastar’s all-mountain collection, the M-Cross 88.
Adrian Ballinger on Everest, Ethics, & Unexplored Places (Ep.313)
We talk with Adrian Ballinger about the multiple sides of Everest, the many different ways to approach it, the culture of high-altitude mountaineering, and more.
Deep Dive: 2024 Norco Sight
We compare the Norco Sight to the Trek Slash, Kavenz VHP 16, Norco Range, Norco Optic, We Are One Arrival 152, Santa Cruz Bronson, Propain Tyee, Pivot Firebird, Deviate Highlander II, Orbea Rallon, Ibis HD6, and REEB Steezl.
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 Norco Sight
Norco has been one of the pioneers in the recent resurgence of high-pivot bikes, but their decision to move their mid-travel Sight to the layout still came as a bit of a surprise. But has it paid off? We’ve been spending a lot of time on the updated Sight and are ready to weigh in.
Win MTB Rims From We Are One Composites
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get their choice of any pair of carbon fiber mountain bike rims from We Are One Composites!
The Life of a Ski Engineer + 24/25 LINE & K2 Skis (Ep.302)
Sean Fearon, ski development engineer for LINE & K2, helped design over a dozen of the brand’s new 24/25 skis, and he gave us the full backstory on LINE’s overhauled Pandora and Vision series; the new K2 Reckoner and Omen lines; working with Karl Fostvedt on his unique pro model; what life as a ski engineer actually entails, and more.
Flash Review — EXT Storia V4
Check out our early impressions of the EXT Storia V4 and how it compares to the previous version of the shock.
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.)
EXT Storia & Arma V4
EXT hasn’t been shy about the fact that new V4 iterations of their Storia and Arma rear shocks were on the way, but now they’re here. Check out our First Look for all the info on their new offerings, and our Flash Review for our early impressions of the Storia V4.
Cannondale Habit
In a market full of generalist Trail bikes that strive to do well at a little of everything, the Cannondale Habit occupies a clear niche that is bound to excite the right rider. Check out our Full Review for the whole story, and our Deep Dive comparisons to see how it stacks up to several other Trail bikes.
Deep Dive: Cannondale Habit
We compare the Cannondale Habit to the Pivot Trail 429 Enduro, Niner JET 9 RDO, Yeti SB120, Esker Rowl, Commencal T.E.M.P.O., Trek Fuel EX, and Santa Cruz Hightower.
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.)
The Wild Tale of Constru-Bikes & Their Massive Bike Theft and Trafficking Ring (Ep.227)
Thousands of high-end bikes have been stolen across the Western US and wound up in Jalisco, Mexico. The story behind the trafficking ring and how Bryan Hance of Bike Index uncovered it is a *wild* one — hear all about it on this episode.
2025 RockShox Flight Attendant Forks & Shocks
Right on the heels of RockShox launching their new Vivid Coil shock and Charger 3.1 fork damper, they’ve released new electronically-controlled Flight Attendant versions of all the above (and the air-sprung Vivid). Check out what they’ve come up with.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Win Jackets From Strafe
The two winners of our Gear Giveaway this week will each get the men’s or women’s Highlands Shirt Jacket from Strafe!
2024 Pivot Phoenix
The new Pivot Phoenix has dropped the lugged construction from the prototype versions but kept their wild six-bar, dual-idler, high-pivot suspension layout, and the result is awfully interesting. Check out the latest iteration of Pivot’s DH bike.
Reviewing the News w/ Mike Ferrentino, September 2024 (Ep.242)
On the latest episode of Reviewing the News, Mike and Simon dig into what may have happened to close the doors of one of the biggest retail bike stores in the country; why selling Rad Power bikes in Best Buy stores is a terrible idea; the exciting inaugural Lake Placid XC World Cup; plus a bunch more and the usual banter you don’t want to miss.
2025 Orbea Wild
Orbea has refreshed their Wild eMTB. It’s a story of incremental rather than radical change, but also includes the new Bosch Performance Line CX motor — plus there’s now a shorter travel ST model. Read on for our First Look.
Making Skis in a Ski Town | 2025 Romp Ski Lineup | Blister Summit Video
Few ski companies make their skis as close to the slopes as Romp, and at Blister Summit 2024, we sat down with Romp’s Eligh Purvis to discuss the ins and outs of operating a ski factory in Crested Butte, CO; Romp’s fully custom vs. “Romp Ready” ski options; some new models they rolled out for the 24/25 season, and more.
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.
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.)
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.
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.)