BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
2025 Fox Transfer
Fox has overhauled their Transfer dropper post with more (and adjustable) travel, full user serviceability, and more. Here’s our First Look for the new version.
2024-2025 Folsom Completo 100
The Completo is one of the longest-standing shapes in Folsom’s collection, designed to be highly maneuverable, accessible, and versatile. Two of our reviewers have been testing the Completo 100 in their pre-built “Signature Series” construction and are now ready to weigh in — check out our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons.
Deep Dive: Folsom Completo 100
We compare the Completo 100 to the Folsom Cash 106, Salomon QST 98, Salomon QST Lumen 98, RMU Apostle 96 Ti, RMU Valhalla 107, Line Optic 96, Renoun Endurance 98, Shaggy’s Mohawk 98, ZAG Slap 104, ZAG Slap 104 Lady, DPS Wailer 100, DPS Kaizen 105, Romp Zorro 100, Blizzard Rustler 10, Blizzard Sheeva 10, Black Crows Atris, Black Crows Camox, Nordica Unleashed 98, Armada Declivity 102 Ti, Armada Reliance 102 Ti, J Skis Masterblaster, Salomon Stance 102, Fischer Ranger 102, Fischer Nightstick 97, K2 Mindbender 99Ti, Volkl M6 Mantra, Volkl Secret 96, Nordica Enforcer 99, Nordica Santa Ana 98, & Majesty Havoc 100 Ti.
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Mountain Gazette owner, Mike Rogge on Feuds, Media Coverage, Movies, & More (Ep.305)
Mountain Gazette owner, Mike Rogge, is back to talk with Jonathan about their ongoing feud; media coverage of the eclipse; two stories from the soon-to-be-released MG #201; what they’re reading and watching; and more.
New Glade Goggles, Sunglasses, & Helmets | Blister Summit Video
Glade quickly made a name for themselves in the goggle market, offering versatile photochromic options that could be functional across a huge range of light conditions — and did so without eye-watering price tags. Since then, they’ve continued to refine their lenses, add new models, and expand into helmets and sunglasses. In this video from Blister Summit 2024, we got all the details on Glade’s newest collection of goggles, helmets, and sunglasses.
Flash Review: 24/25 Tecnica Zero G Tour Pro
We’ve been A/B testing the original and updated versions of Tecnica’s venerable Zero G Tour Pro — here are our thoughts so far on how the new boot compares.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Flash Review — Norco Fluid VLT
The 2024 Norco Fluid VLT gets a thorough redesign including Bosch’s potent new Performance Line SX motor, and our early impressions have us rethinking the lightweight vs. full-power eMTB argument.
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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Ski / Snowboard Outerwear Roundup — Women’s (2023-2024)
This year we got in a whole lot of outerwear, from cozy insulated kits to burly shells — and a lot of those pieces are now on sale! In this roundup, we compare and contrast nearly a dozen of the latest women’s ski / snowboard jackets, pants, and bibs we’ve been testing.
2024-2025 Armada Locator 112
Our reviewer, Paul Forward, has been testing all sorts of touring skis for years, especially light and fat ones, and he says the Armada Locator 112 has “quickly become one of my favorite all-round skis for any of my human-powered skiing endeavors.” Check out our Full Review to see why.
Whiskey, Murder, and a Bunch of New Skis (Ep.293)
Luke and Jonathan discuss some of the new skis they’ve been testing this spring
Win MTB Gear from Crankbrothers
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get a bunch of mountain bike gear from Crankbrothers, including their Mallet Trail Clip-In shoes, any pair of their pedals, and an S.O.S. tool kit of the winner’s choice!
Reviewing the News w/ Ryan Palmer, March 2024 (Ep.217)
In their third installment of Reviewing The News, Ryan and Simon get into: the slopestyle strike; Scott’s apparent management instability; riding in Tuscany; some reflections on how we ever rode without dropper posts; and some new lightweight eMTBs running the hotrod Bosch SX motor — including the 39 lb Norco Fluid VLT.
Giant Trance X
Giant has updated their longstanding Trance platform with the new Trance X and Trance X SX. Both the Trance X and Trance X SX get a lot more adjustability, more aggressive geometry, and some other refinements. Dig into our First Look to get all of the details on what Giant has cooked up.
Flash Review — Yeti SB165
The new Yeti SB165 has grown a mullet, but it sticks with (mostly) very similar geometry to the outgoing 27.5’’-wheeled version. Check out our initial impressions of how it all comes together.
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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RAAW Jibb V2
RAAW updated their Madonna V3 Enduro bike earlier this year, adding a lot of adjustability and refinements, and now their shorter-travel Jibb gets many of the same tweaks, updated geometry, and more. Check out our First Look for all the info.
BLISTER 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.
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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.
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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!