BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Alaska’s Epic El Niño Season, Ski Bindings, & More with Powder Hound (Ep.294)
We’re back with Eric Helmbrecht, co-owner of Powder Hound in Girdwood, AK, to discuss Alaska’s banner El Niño season; the gear he enjoyed most; the gear Kara Williard brought to Girdwood; what’s changed at Alyeska Resort since joining the Ikon pass; the reliability of various AT & alpine bindings, and more.
2024 Sea Otter Classic Recap, Part 1
Simon Stewart is on site at the 2024 Sea Otter Classic. Check out some of the stuff that caught his eye on day one.
Win a MTB Fork from Manitou
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get the Mattoc 29 Pro mountain bike suspension fork from Manitou!
Flash Review: 24/25 Dynastar M-Pro 94 Ti
Dynastar updated many of their directional freeride skis for 24/25, and we logged several days on the new M-Pro 94 Ti — 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.
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.)
Reviewer Reports: So Many New Bikes (Ep.218)
It’s been an insanely busy last few weeks for new bike launches, and we’ve been riding a whole lot of them. We sat down to chat about our early impressions of a *lot* of new bikes, from the Specialized Epic Evo to the Yeti SB165, and a whole bunch in between.
TIME’s Refreshed Pedal Lineup
TIME is refreshing its popular clipless pedal range to include new sizes and axle materials, with options to suit all disciplines from Downhill to Cross Country. Join us as we dig into the details of the new lineup.
Flash Review: 24/25 Salomon Shift Alpha BOA 130
Salomon overhauled their freeride-touring boots for 24/25, and the new Shift Alpha BOA 130 was reportedly inspired by Salomon’s iconic MTN Lab. Here are our initial thoughts on the new boot.
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 Atomic Maven 103 CTI
For 24/25, Atomic widened their women’s all-mountain lineup with the addition of the Maven 103 CTI, and the new ski achieves the rare feat of standing out both on piste and in powder — but that’s not the whole story. Check out our Full Review & Deep Dive Comparisons for the full rundown on the Maven 103 CTI.
Deep Dive: Atomic Maven 103 CTI
We compare the Atomic Maven 103 CTI to the Fischer Ranger 102, Nordica Santa Ana 102, K2 Mindbender 99Ti W, Volkl Secret 102, Blizzard Sheeva 10, DPS Kaizen 105, Line Blade Optic 104, K2 Mindbender 106C W, Folsom Cash 106, Faction Dancer 3X, Salomon QST Stella 106, Nordica Unleashed 108, & Majesty Vadera Ti.
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.)
Industry Nine SOLiX M Hubs and Wheels
Industry Nine’s Hydra hubs have been ubiquitous in high-end wheels for years, but now they’ve got a new, lighter, faster-rolling option for XC and Trail use — and they’re offered both as standalone hubs and in a range of new wheelsets. Meet the SOLiX M lineup.
Blister Summit 2025: What, When, & How to Join
Join us at Blister Summit 2025 this February 23–27! We’re extremely excited to once again host our annual Blister Summit next winter in Mount Crested Butte — here are the details.
RockShox Psylo and Domain Forks
RockShox is resurrecting the Psylo and refreshing the Enduro-focused Domain, with both forks getting the new Isolator RC damper alongside other updates. Check out our First Look for all the info.
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.
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.)
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Vermont Mountain Bike Association on Assessing, Funding, & Building Adaptive Trails (Ep.234)
Vermont Mountain Bike Association, in conjunction with Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports, are building an impressive network of adaptive trails. So we sat down to find out what has made them so successful; what goes into adaptive trail building; and why other trail organizations should take a look at what they’re doing.
Rocky Mountain Altitude
The new Rocky Mountain Altitude doesn’t look anything like the old one, but how do the new suspension layout and overhauled geometry come together on the trail? Check out our Full Review for our take.
Deep Dive: 2024 Rocky Mountain Altitude
We compare the Rocky Mountain Altitude to the prior-generation Altitude, Orbea Rallon, Santa Cruz Megatower, Chromag Lowdown, Yeti SB160, Pivot Firebird, RAAW Madonna, Trek Slash, Ibis HD6, and Yeti SB165.
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.)
Trek Fuel EXe Aluminum
Built around the quiet and smooth TQ HPR50 motor, Trek’s Fuel EXe provides an eMTB experience that non-motorized mountain bikers will find familiar. But, this eMTB also surprised us in a few ways that have nothing to do with its drive system. Check out our Full Review and accompanying video review.
Deep Dive: Trek Fuel EXe Aluminum
We compare the Trek Fuel EXe Aluminum to the Pivot Shuttle SL, Norco Fluid VLT 130, Cannondale Moterra SL, Pivot Shuttle AM, Trek Slash+, Santa Cruz Heckler SL, Rocky Mountain Instinct Powerplay, & Trek Fuel EX.
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 WNDR Alpine Vital 98
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the WNDR Alpine Vital 98.
Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend, July 2024 (Ep.319)
Cody and Jonathan discuss the Olympics; what makes someone an “athlete”; LeBron James & bikes; Amaury Pierron; the Most Canadian News; what we’re reading and watching; & more.
Flash Review — Formula Nebbia
The Nebbia is Formula’s unique take on a highly adjustable, modern air shock. We’ve been able to get a few rides on it, and our Flash Review has our early 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.
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.)
Blister Labs: Results from our On-Snow Ski Testing & Dynamic Modeling (Ep.307)
Interested in ski design? Curious about where the next advancements in ski design might come from? Then you need to check out this conversation with Dr. Sean Humbert.
SRAM Maven Brakes
Mountain bike brakes have been creeping up in power in recent years, but SRAM’s claim that their new Maven brakes best their longstanding Codes by *50%* is still pretty wild. But it takes a lot more than just raw power to make a good brake, and after spending six months on the Maven Ultimates, we’re ready to weigh in on how well SRAM has done.
Win MTB Apparel From Endura
The two winners of our Gear Giveaway this week will each get a pair of shorts, gloves, socks, and a jersey from Endura!
Reviewing the News w/ Wade Simmons, July 2024 (Ep.233)
Simon is joined by freeride legend Wade Simmons for the July edition of Reviewing the News. Wade and Simon try to figure out why they keep crashing; then get into Crankworx Whistler, the wild Les Gets World Cup, the Olympics, chain lube, and a whole lot more.