BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Stuff We Like: June 2024
This month’s edition of our Stuff We Like series includes tons of warm-weather and travel-friendly apparel, bike tools, camera gear, hair-care products, and more. Check it out to see what gear our reviewers have recently been digging.
Coffee Gear, Pt. 4: “Hero Espresso” & Jonathan’s Current Setup (Ep.43)
Today’s the day. Simon Stewart and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss the coffee gear Jonathan ended up going with on his quest to create daily doses of ‘hero espresso’.
Flash Review — Shimano GRX Di2 2 x 12-Speed Drivetrain
Shimano’s new semi-wireless GRX Di2 drivetrain brings a lot of interesting new functionality to the table, and we’ve started spending time on it. Check out our early impressions.
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‘Wade in the Water’ with David Mesfin & Jonathan Ellsworth (Ep.15)
Our guest is David Mesfin, the writer, director, and producer of ‘Wade in the Water: A Journey into Black Surfing and Aquatic Culture’ that chronicles the 1000-year-old tradition of Black surfing and highlights some of the black surfers and surfing organizations that are forging the next chapters of this tradition.
2024 Specialized Chisel
Hot on the heels of the recently released Epic and Epic EVO, Specialized is announcing the new Chisel. The Chisel keeps similar kinematics and geometry to the Epic, but gets an impressively light aluminum frame to bring down cost. Let’s look at what Specialized has welded up.
2024-2025 Peak 110 by Bode
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the Peak 110 by Bode.
Flash Review — Scott Solace Gravel eRide
We’ve been riding the Scott Solace Gravel eRide on two different continents. Check out our impressions so far.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Scott Solace Gravel eRIDE
The Scott Solace Gravel eRIDE puts the excellent TQ HPR50 drive system in a Gravel / All Road package. Throw in a few geometry tweaks, generous tire clearance, and options for Road and Gravel builds, and the Solace starts to look very interesting.
Here to Climb: Sasha DiGiulian on Fitting In, Standing Out, & Her New Documentary (Ep.312)
We talk to professional climber Sasha DiGiulian about her unconventional journey, major setbacks, and remarkable achievements in and beyond the climbing world. We also go behind the scenes of the new documentary about her life, Here to Climb.
Flash Review — COROS Dura Cycling Computer
We’ve been logging some hours on the new COROS Dura cycling computer. Check out 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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Win MTB Gear From Giro
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get a helmet, a pair of goggles, and a pair of gloves from Giro!
Travel Gear + Bringing Back the Snake Bite Black (Ep.301)
Jonathan and Kristin discuss their recent trips; the question of ‘why we travel?’; bringing back the endangered Snake Bite Black; and they dive into some of their favorite travel gear.
Kavenz VHP 16 V7
The Kavenz VHP 16 is now in its 7th iteration, and it still stands out as a unique combination of often disparate handling traits. Check out our Full Review and Deep Dive for our impressions after a few months of saddle time.
Deep Dive: Kavenz VHP 16 V7
We compare the Kavenz VHP 16 V7 to the Yeti SB165, Orbea Rallon, Ibis HD6, Deviate Highlander II, Raaw Madonna V3, Banshee Titan, and Specialized Enduro.
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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Dan Bacon of Wheelbased on the (Potential) Future of MTB Tech (Ep.226)
A lot of wild patent applications have been filed in the bike world of late, so we brought Dan Bacon from Wheelbased back on Bikes & Big Ideas to talk about a bunch of them, from Bilstein’s wild fork damper to Shimano’s electronic brakes, a carbon fiber cooler from Yeti (the BIKE company), and many more.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Does the Color of Your Jacket Affect Its Performance? Blister Labs Apparel Testing Update (Ep.315)
For this Blister Labs update, we talk with Dr. Jeni Blacklock about exploding fabrics, microwaving hotdogs, and whether the color of your jacket affects its performance.
Lightest Avalanche Airbags? | Ortovox LiTRIC 2025 Packs | Blister Summit Video
Ortovox’s new line of LiTRIC avalanche airbags includes some of the lightest models on the market, and in this video, we get all the details on their development; how the supercapacitor-based system works; why Ortovox prioritized ease of use in its design; the various pack models, and more.
Win Puffy Jackets From Wild Rye
The two winners of our Gear Giveaway this week will each get the Payette Jacket or Payette Pullover from Wild Rye!
Reviewer Reports: Lightweight eMTBs, XC Race Bikes, and Slack Head Angles (Ep.241)
Dylan and Simon discuss the bikes they’ve been comparing in our upcoming head-to-head videos, which cover everything from Enduro eMTBs like the Cannondale Moterra SL to XC bikes like the Yeti ASR — which doesn’t have a motor but almost feels like it does.
How HOJI Designs His Skis + New 4FRNT Nevar | Blister Summit Video
Eric ‘Hoji’ Hjorleifson has his own unique skiing style, and his own approach to ski design. So we sat down with Hoji to hear all about it, including how he and 4FRNT developed his current signature series of skis, the brand-new (and cambered!) 4FRNT Nevar, and more.
2025 Devinci Troy & Troy ST
The new Devinci Troy is here, and it has arrived with a new sibling in the Troy ST. Both bikes get all new Canadian-made frames, updated geometry, and ample adjustment — check out our coverage of Devinci’s new pair of Trail bikes.
In Praise of Ski Movie Season w/ Drew Petersen (Ep.24)
We’re celebrating the start of Ski Movie Season by talking with Drew Petersen about the impact that ski movie screenings had on him; his all-time favorite ski movies; and the Salomon Quality Ski Time Film Tour that kicks off tonight!
Flash Review — Fox DHX Live Valve Neo
We’ve been logging miles on Fox’s new DHX Live Valve Neo shock, and it’s been an interesting — and very highly customizable — new electronic suspension offering. Our Flash Review covers 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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Fox Live Valve Neo Electronic Shocks
Fox’s original Live Valve electronically controlled suspension has been around for quite a while now, but it never became a common sight on the trails. So, Fox went back to the drawing board and came up with Live Valve Neo — a wireless, dramatically streamlined second generation. Check out what they’ve come up with.
Jeremy Jones on His New Sport & New Film, ‘Purple Mountains Live Free or Die’ (Ep.325)
Today we’re catching up with Jeremy Jones to talk about what he’s been up to this summer — including his new sport; his new movie, Purple Mountains Live Free or Die; and, which classic film he & Jonathan will be breaking down on our Blister Cinematic podcast.
Flash Review — Kona Process 134
Kona recently revised their longstanding Trail bike, and it’s shaping up to be an impressive offering. Here are our initial thoughts.
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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The Pro’s Gear: Cody Townsend (Ep.314)
Cody Townsend is back on GEAR:30 to talk about his current gear preferences and the specific gear he’s using most these days.