Ep. 263: GEAR THERAPY! – Session #3

GEAR THERAPY: A Mother Gets Back into Skiing — Where to Start?? (Ep.263)

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When it comes to gear, we’ve all been there: loads of questions, crippling confusion, severe analysis paralysis. Sometimes you don’t even know where to start. You need some help! So in our 3rd session of GEAR THERAPY, Blister Member, Arika Poulin Weller, joins Blister reviewers Kara Williard and Kristin Sinnott to get some advice on 1-ski quivers, alpine ski boots, broad ski-gear jargon and what it all means, and more.
Eric Freson reviews the Yeti SB140 for Blister

Flash Review — 2024 Yeti SB140

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We’ve started spending time on Yeti’s long-awaited successor to the SB130 — so is the new SB140 a refreshed take on that longstanding and ultra-popular all-rounder, or is it something else entirely? Check out our early impressions.

Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions

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David Golay reviews the Manitou Mattoc Pro for Blister

2023 Manitou Mattoc

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Our Bike Editor has long been a big fan of the Manitou Mezzer and got pretty excited when Manitou dropped a new version of their Mattoc Trail bike fork, since it looked a lot like a mini-Mezzer on paper. Having now spent a lot of time with the Mattoc, the story is a bit more complicated than that — but that’s probably a good thing for a lot of folks.
Simon Stewart reviews the Santa Cruz Heckler SL for Blister

Flash Review — Santa Cruz Heckler SL

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Santa Cruz has entered the lightweight eMTB market, and we've started spending time on the new Heckler SL. 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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Dylan Wood reviews the Shore and Chore Beach and Utility Cart for Blister

Shore and Chore Beach and Utility Cart

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Shore and Chore’s utility cart is a well-built, thoroughly-featured hauling device that’s proven to be practical for a wide variety of uses — from paddling our local rivers to DIY projects, errands, and more. Check out our Full Review for the whole rundown.
Ep.262: BOA & Ski Boot Design with Hoji, K2’s Tom Pietrowski, Fischer’s Christoph Lentz, Dalbello’s Riccardo Bonaiti, and Dynafit’s Ross Herr

BOA & Ski Boot Design with Hoji, K2’s Tom Pietrowski, Fischer’s Christoph Lentz, Dalbello’s Riccardo Bonaiti, and Dynafit’s Ross Herr (Ep.262)

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Hoji and ski boot designers from K2, Fischer, Dalbello, and Dynafit discuss ski boot design in general; the hype and skepticism around BOA (are boot buckles dying?); the balancing act of designing a walk mechanism; the challenges presented by the boot-binding interface, and more.

Vemdalen Ski Shop

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Vemdalen Ski Shop is a dedicated, specialty ski shop right beside the ski area Vemdalsskalet. At Vemdalen Ski Shop, you are guaranteed a great shopping experience with their staff full of expertise, an authentic atmosphere, and excellent gear to suit your needs.
David Golay reviews the We Are One Triad wheels for Blister

We Are One Convergence Wheels

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We Are One has been making some of our favorite carbon wheels for quite a while now, and the latest models in their Convergence line are claimed to be stronger and more damped than their longstanding Union rims — and they use a wild-looking design to get there. We’ve been spending a lot of time on the middle-width wheel in the range, the Triad, and are ready to weigh in.
David Golay reviews the 2024 Trek Slash for BLISTER

Trek on the New High-Pivot Slash (Ep.186)

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The Trek Slash has been in their lineup for a long time, but the new sixth-generation bike is a big departure from the earlier iterations — first and foremost because of its new high-pivot suspension layout — and we sat down with the lead engineer on the project, Matt Yerke, to hear all about it.
David Golay reviews the 2024 Trek Slash for BLISTER

Flash Review — 2024 Trek Slash

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The Trek Slash has gone high-pivot and grown a mullet, and we've started spending time on the new one.

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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Simon Stewart reviews the Specialized Turbo Levo for BLISTER

Deep Dive: Specialized Turbo Levo

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We compare the Specialized Turbo Levo to the Pivot Shuttle LT, Pivot Shuttle AM, Orbea Wild, and Rocky Mountain Instinct Powerplay.

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.)

Simon Stewart reviews the Specialized Turbo Levo for BLISTER

Specialized Turbo Levo

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Having logged more than 600 miles on the Specialized Turbo Levo (and burned through a couple of sets of brake pads and tires in the process) we’re well acquainted with the bike and ready to chime in — check out our full review of one of the most popular eMTBs on the market.
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