BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles

Women’s MTB Jersey Roundup – 2023
Lots of miles on the bike this summer has meant plenty of time for testing a bunch of women-specific jerseys, and for this year’s women’s MTB Jersey Roundup, we have nine options that span everything from tank tops to long-sleeve downhill jerseys.
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A Recipe, by Brendan Leonard
In our latest Open Mic piece, Brendan Leonard shares a recipe and asks us to consider, What is ‘Real’?
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Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend, August 2023 (Ep.276)
Cody and Jonathan discuss marketing jargon in the outdoor industry; the sale of Jackson Hole Mtn Resort; another mountaineering controversy; mountain town advice; and more.
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Deep Dive: Specialized Turbo Levo
We compare the Specialized Turbo Levo to the Pivot Shuttle LT, Pivot Shuttle AM, Orbea Wild, and Rocky Mountain Instinct Powerplay.
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Specialized Turbo Levo
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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Blister Labs: Technical Apparel Testing Update (Ep.261)
Apparel testing, show pigs, & the underrated importance of ballpoint pens. Luke Koppa and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss these things with our Blister Labs colleague, Melanie Peddle.
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Extended: Win a Carbon Wheelset from Forge+Bond
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get a new carbon fiber wheelset from Forge+Bond!
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MRP AMg Chain Guide
MRP is one of the biggest names out there when it comes to products that keep your drivetrain protected and operating as it should; the latest iteration of their AMg chain guide brings some nice refinements to their upper guide and bash guard style offering, with an eye to ease of setup and adjustability.
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D3O On The Past, Present, and Future of MTB Armor (Ep.185)
The mountain bike armor market has evolved a lot in recent years, and D30’s non-Newtonian materials have had a big hand in shaping those changes. So we sat down with them to chat about the ways MTB armor has changed; where they see it going in the future; the tradeoffs inherent to designing protective gear; testing standards + their pros and cons; kids’ armor; and a whole lot more.
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Flash Review — 2024 RockShox BoXXer
We’ve started spending time on the long-awaited 38 mm version of the RockShox BoXXer. Check out our initial impressions.
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2023-2024 Armada Reliance 102 Ti
Here are our measured specs and rocker profile pictures for the Armada Reliance 102 Ti.
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Boone Mountain Sports
Boone Mountain Sports is a family-owned and operated ski and snowboard shop in Evergreen, Colorado, and they offer a whole lot more than just amazing gear, including an unforgettable customer experience, word-class bootfitting and ski services, a brewery and coffee shop, and a place to connect with community and appreciate the outdoors.
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2024 Fox Float
Fox says their new Float rear shock is meant to bring a lot of the performance of the Float X to a smaller, lighter package, but have they succeeded, and what are the tradeoffs? We’ve been logging a lot of time on the two back-to-back, and we’ve got some answers.
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Stuff We Like: August 2023
For August’s edition of Stuff We Like, we’ve got everything from lightweight rain jackets to duffels and daypacks, trail running shoes, coolers, bike pumps, & more. Check it out to see all the latest stuff our reviewers have been digging.
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Zack Giffin on Skiing, Tiny Houses, & Big Solutions (Ep.275)
Skier Zack Giffin (host of the TV series, Tiny House Nation & co-host of the podcast, Tiny House Tales) makes a compelling case for how smaller living spaces can be a significant part of the solution to affordable housing; homelessness; climate issues, energy consumption, and creating more real, actual, healthy communities.
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BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:

Consignment, Gear Repair, & Sustainability w/ Lone Pine Gear Exchange (Ep.284)
We talk with co-founder & CEO of Lone Pine Gear Exchange, Katy Jackson, about the importance of used gear, how to shop consignment, sustainability in outdoor retail, and a whole lot more.
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Flash Review: 23/24 Dynafit Tigard 130 Boot
This season, Dynafit launched a new 130-flex AT boot that was pretty different for the brand — 2-piece overlap construction, GripWalk soles, and 4 buckles. Eric Freson has been spending a lot of time with it in the backcountry this season — check out his initial thoughts.
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Reviewer Reports: Nicolai Nucleon Supre Drive, Ibis HD6, & More (Ep.208)
David Golay and Zack Henderson give their early impressions on a bunch of bikes they’ve been testing lately, including the wild Nicolai Nucleon Supre Drive, Ibis HD6, and Chromag Lowdown.
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Flash Review — Chromag Lowdown
The Chromag Darco was one of our Bike Editor’s favorite bikes from last year, but how about its bigger sibling, the Lowdown? Check out his early impressions.
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EXT Era V2.1 Fork
The original EXT Era fork was hugely impressive in a number of respects but also had a few rough edges. Since then, EXT has been making iterative refinements to this high-end Trail / Enduro fork, and we’ve spent a ton of time on the latest V2.1 iteration. So has all that work paid off? Check out our full review for our take.
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Ski Touring & Backcountry Gear: The Basics & What You Need to Know
Ski touring is great, but there’s a lot to know before you go. So whether you’re looking to go on your first ski tour, you want to sign up for an avalanche-safety course, or you want to skin uphill at your local resort, this video is for you.
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Blister Labs Update: Ski (and Boot) Flex Test (Ep.283)
Dr. Sean Humbert is back to provide an update on our Blister Labs’ ski flex project, and to explain how and why ski boots are becoming an integral part of this project, too.
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Flash Review: 24/25 Fischer Nightstick 97
We’ve been spending time on Fischer’s new Nightstick 97 — here are our initial thoughts on this all-mountain freestyle ski, including some comparisons to Fischer’s Ranger skis.
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Fischer Announces 2025 Nightstick Freeski Collection
Fischer has officially announced their 24/25 Nightstick collection, which includes four brand-new freestyle skis — here are the details.
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Win Apparel from Minus33 & Melin
The two winners of this week’s Gear Giveaway will get a head-to-toe merino wool kit from Minus33 and a thermal hat from Melin!
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2023-2024 Volkl Blaze 114
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the Volkl Blaze 114.
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2024-2025 Majesty Havoc 100 Ti
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the Majesty Havoc 100 Ti.
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