BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Win MTB Gear from POC
The two winners of our Gear Giveaway this week will both get mountain bike riding gear from POC!
Brook Macdonald on Fresh Starts, DH Race Bike Design, Moving to Forbidden, & More (Ep.216)
Brook Macdonald’s return to racing World Cup DH after breaking his back at Mont Sainte Anne in 2019 was nothing short of remarkable, but the last few race seasons have still been difficult ones for Brook. On this week’s episode of Bikes & Big Ideas, he opens up about a lot of those struggles, and the things he’s changed in order to come into the 2024 season feeling refreshed, reenergized, and with a renewed hunger to compete.
Propain Sresh CF
Propain calls the new Sresh CF a lighter, more Trail-oriented eMTB alongside their burlier Ekano, but it’s got a full-power drive system and options for more Enduro-oriented builds, too. So what have they come up with? Check out our First Look for all the info.
2024-2025 Black Crows Corvus
Black Crows is once again overhauling their original ski, the Corvus, and the new version looks very different from the previous one. Here are our measured specs, flex pattern numbers, rocker profile pictures, & some basic info about the latest Pink Crow.
Reynolds Blacklabel 307 and 309 Enduro and DH Wheels
Reynolds says that their Blacklabel 309 Enduro Pro wheels offer a massive increase in compliance over their predecessors while still being strong enough for DH use. We’ve logged a ton of vert on their flagship Enduro wheels over the past 6 months and are ready to weigh in.
Angel Collinson, Mallory Duncan, Elyse Saugstad, & Vasu Sojitra: Stories from the Field
In this video from Blister Summit 2024, Angel Collinson, Mallory Duncan, Elyse Saugstad, & Vasu Sojitra share stories about their all-time favorite days in the mountains; their scariest experiences; times they were the most starstruck; what they wish they could tell their younger selves; and more.
Flash Review: 24/25 K2 Mindbender 116C W
Kara Williard just wrapped up a pow-skiing trip to Alaska, and one of the skis she brought with her was the recently updated Mindbender 116C. Here are her initial on-snow impressions.
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Flash Review — Kavenz VHP 16 V7
The Kavenz VHP 16 V6 was a surprisingly versatile, playful high-pivot Enduro bike, but what about the new V7? Check out our early impressions.
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Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend, March 2024 (Ep.303)
Cody and JE discuss the end of The Fifty; the Crankworx riders’ strike; JHMR’s parking lot controversy; the drugged-up Olympic Games; the ‘Road House’ remake; & more.
Flash Review: 24/25 Rossignol Sender Free 118
The Rossignol Blackops 118 is one of the all-time favorite skis of several of our reviewers. So, when we heard that Rossignol changed it for the 24/25 season, we couldn’t help but hold our collective breath. This week, we finally spent a few pow days on the new model, the Sender Free 118. So, can everybody exhale now, or can Rossignol expect an angry mob at their doorstep? Check out Luke Koppa’s Flash Review to find out.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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New Shift2 Binding, QST X Ski, Race Boots, & More | 2025 Salomon Ski Gear
Salomon has a LOT of new products coming for the 2024-2025 season. In this video from Blister Summit 2024, we got the backstory and details on a whole bunch of them, including the new pow-oriented QST X ski; why and how they tweaked the original Shift binding when designing the new Shift2 binding; their brand-new Shift Alpha BOA & S/Pro Race boots; their fully recyclable Brigade INDEX Helmet; several new apparel pieces, and more.
Moment & Icelantic Skis on Ski Design & U.S. Ski Manufacturing (Ep.291)
What’s in and what’s out in ski design? And how have U.S. ski companies been doing over the past few years? We discuss this and much more with Moment Skis CEO, Luke Jacobson, and Icelantic Skis founder, Ben Anderson.
Win a BCA Spring Touring Prize Package
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get a late-season spring touring prize package from BCA, including a radio, pack, shovel, and probe!
Georgia Astle on Racing, Freeriding, & Finding Her Way to MTB (Ep.215)
Georgia Astle’s path to freeride stardom was an unconventional one — she didn’t bike much growing up, despite living in Whistler — and it’s given her an interesting perspective on the state of the sport, finding and developing talented young riders, and a whole lot more.
2024-2025 Zag Harfang 96 & Harfang 96 Lady
The ZAG Harfang 96 is a very traditional ski in some regards, and less so in others. And for certain folks, this all-mountain ski’s rare combo of traits will be a whole lot of fun. Check out our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons, where both our male and female reviewers weigh in.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
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.
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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.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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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
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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![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.