BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
2024-2025 Lange Shadow 130 LV & Shadow 130 MV
Lange says their new Shadow boots offer “more power with less effort” via their unique shell design, and after logging more than 100 days in the Shadow 130 LV & MV, our reviewers have a LOT to say about them. Check out what might be our longest, most in-depth boot review for the whole story.
A Very Deep Dive on Bootfitting, Pt. 6: Ski Boot Flex w/ Pulse Boot Labs (Ep.286)
How should you think about ski boot flex patterns, and which one is “right” for you? We talk with Pulse Boot Lab’s Bryn Vickers about the complex and often misunderstood aspects of ski boot flex; why your own biomechanics are a huge piece of the puzzle; how to work with a bootfitter during the process; and some of the latest Pulse Boot Lab technology.
Win Skis From Atomic
The winner of this week’s Gear Giveaway will get to choose between Atomic’s new Maverick 105 CTI or Maven 103 CTI!
Women’s Midlayer & Insulation Roundup – 2024
The right insulator can be the difference between a great day and a terrible one, especially when it comes to balancing cold temperatures with high-output activities. In this Midlayer & Insulation Roundup, several of our female reviewers discuss some of their recent favorites.
Ed Masters on Hardline, the 2024 Race Landscape, Pivot’s Prototype DH Bike, & More (Ep.210)
Ed Masters is back on Bikes & Big Ideas to talk about his 2023 season, the upcoming Tasmanian iteration of Hardline, the 2024 race landscape, the state of pro-level Enduro, and a whole lot more.
Flash Review — SRAM Maven Ultimate Brakes
SRAM’s new Maven brakes promise an immense increase in power over their longstanding Codes, and we’ve started spending time with the big new stoppers. 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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2024 Canyon Spectral CF
The 2021 Canyon Spectral CF blurred the line between a do-it-all Trail bike and a burlier Enduro one, but Canyon has now launched a new version, which they claim pushes the bike more squarely into Trail-bike territory. Check out our First Look to see how they’ve done it.
2023-2024 Blizzard Sheeva 11
The Sheeva 11 is the widest women-specific ski in Blizzard’s overhauled freeride series, and we’ve had 2 reviewers testing 2 different lengths. So, how does it compare to the previous iteration and other soft-snow women’s skis on the market? Check out our Full Review & Deep Dive Comparisons.
Deep Dive: Blizzard Sheeva 11
We compare the Sheeva 11 to the first-gen Sheeva 11, Blizzard Sheeva 10, K2 Mindbender 106C W, Folsom Cash 106, K2 Mindbender 116C W, Armada ARV 116 JJ UL, Faction Dancer 3X, Salomon QST Stella 106, RMU Valhalla 107, Nordica Unleashed 108, Majesty Vadera Ti, Line Pandora 110, Coalition Snow Rafiki, & Wagner Summit 106.
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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Yeti SB135
Has the ship sailed for 27.5” wheeled mountain bikes? Yeti’s answer is a hard no. Are they on to something? We’ve been spending a lot of time on the SB135 and are ready to weigh in — check out our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons.
Deep Dive — Yeti SB135
We compare the Yeti SB135 to the Yeti SB140 27.5’’, Esker Rowl, Ibis Ripmo V2S, Pivot Shadowcat, Transition Scout, Yeti SB140 29’’, Trek Fuel EX, Transition Smuggler, and SCOR 2030.
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 Atomic Maverick 105 CTi
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the Atomic Maverick 105 CTi.
Flash Review: 24/25 Tecnica Zero G Tour Pro W
Tecnica recently announced updates to their Zero G Tour ski boots for 24/25, and we’ve been skiing the newest and stiffest women-specific model in the lineup, the Zero G Tour Pro W. Here are some of our initial thoughts on the new boots’ fit and performance.
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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2023-2024 Arbor Bryan Iguchi Pro Camber
Bryan Iguchi’s pro model is designed for “having fun on it, on any mountain, in any condition.” So, where does this do-everything, freestyle-inspired board really shine? Here’s our Full Review.
2024-2025 Nordica Enforcer 99
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the Nordica Enforcer 99.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
2024-2025 Dynastar M-Cross 88
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, flex pattern numbers, and more info on the widest model in Dynastar’s all-mountain collection, the M-Cross 88.
Adrian Ballinger on Everest, Ethics, & Unexplored Places (Ep.313)
We talk with Adrian Ballinger about the multiple sides of Everest, the many different ways to approach it, the culture of high-altitude mountaineering, and more.
Deep Dive: 2024 Norco Sight
We compare the Norco Sight to the Trek Slash, Kavenz VHP 16, Norco Range, Norco Optic, We Are One Arrival 152, Santa Cruz Bronson, Propain Tyee, Pivot Firebird, Deviate Highlander II, Orbea Rallon, Ibis HD6, and REEB Steezl.
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 Norco Sight
Norco has been one of the pioneers in the recent resurgence of high-pivot bikes, but their decision to move their mid-travel Sight to the layout still came as a bit of a surprise. But has it paid off? We’ve been spending a lot of time on the updated Sight and are ready to weigh in.
Win MTB Rims From We Are One Composites
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get their choice of any pair of carbon fiber mountain bike rims from We Are One Composites!
The Life of a Ski Engineer + 24/25 LINE & K2 Skis (Ep.302)
Sean Fearon, ski development engineer for LINE & K2, helped design over a dozen of the brand’s new 24/25 skis, and he gave us the full backstory on LINE’s overhauled Pandora and Vision series; the new K2 Reckoner and Omen lines; working with Karl Fostvedt on his unique pro model; what life as a ski engineer actually entails, and more.
Flash Review — EXT Storia V4
Check out our early impressions of the EXT Storia V4 and how it compares to the previous version of the shock.
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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EXT Storia & Arma V4
EXT hasn’t been shy about the fact that new V4 iterations of their Storia and Arma rear shocks were on the way, but now they’re here. Check out our First Look for all the info on their new offerings, and our Flash Review for our early impressions of the Storia V4.
Cannondale Habit
In a market full of generalist Trail bikes that strive to do well at a little of everything, the Cannondale Habit occupies a clear niche that is bound to excite the right rider. Check out our Full Review for the whole story, and our Deep Dive comparisons to see how it stacks up to several other Trail bikes.
Deep Dive: Cannondale Habit
We compare the Cannondale Habit to the Pivot Trail 429 Enduro, Niner JET 9 RDO, Yeti SB120, Esker Rowl, Commencal T.E.M.P.O., Trek Fuel EX, and Santa Cruz Hightower.
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 Wild Tale of Constru-Bikes & Their Massive Bike Theft and Trafficking Ring (Ep.227)
Thousands of high-end bikes have been stolen across the Western US and wound up in Jalisco, Mexico. The story behind the trafficking ring and how Bryan Hance of Bike Index uncovered it is a *wild* one — hear all about it on this episode.
2025 RockShox Flight Attendant Forks & Shocks
Right on the heels of RockShox launching their new Vivid Coil shock and Charger 3.1 fork damper, they’ve released new electronically-controlled Flight Attendant versions of all the above (and the air-sprung Vivid). Check out what they’ve come up with.