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The days are getting short and the weather is turning foul, but we’re still testing a ton of new bikes and gear. David Golay and Zack Henderson sat down to discuss a bunch of it, including the very burly Priority Vanth, the super lively Propain Hugene, a bunch of wet-weather apparel, and more.
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Blister Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide
TOPICS & TIMES:
Wet weather gear (2:47)
Propain Hugene (18:00)
Priority Vanth (29:14)
FSA KFX i28 XC/Trail wheels (40:05)
MRP Lift V2 damper (46:31)
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Since its inception in 2001, Red Bull Rampage has demanded athletes walk a fine line between risk and reward, and the unfortunate injuries that go with that have been numerous. But with four riders heli-evac’d with serious injuries, this year’s Rampage was arguably the heaviest we’ve seen, and has left us with many questions about how, and if, the event should continue.
Shortly afterward, several of our reviewers weighed in with their thoughts in our “Debatable” series, which asked the question, “should Rampage be shut down?” Today, we continue that conversation with an open (and quite passionate) discussion on what we think needs to happen to make the event safer for the athletes, more transparent to the fans, and ideally better to watch, too.
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Debatable: Should Rampage Be Shut Down
Blister Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide
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TOPICS & TIMES:
Xan: The Venue (1:07)
Dylan: Let the Athletes Course Correct (11:04)
Simon: On-Site Medical Assessments (19:09)
Zack: Expand the Event (28:34)
David: Make it a Jam instead of a Comp (35:58)
Jonathan: Increase Transparency, Cover Athletes (46:27)
The Athlete's Decision (55:12)
Our Consensus: Changes for Next Year (1:01:29)
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Priority Cycles may be a new brand to the full-suspension MTB world, but they’ve got a ton of experience building belt-drive, gearbox bikes — and now they’ve launched the Vanth, a remarkably affordable high-pivot Pinion gearbox-equipped Enduro bike. So, why did Priority decide to enter the full-suspension bike market now, how did they come up with the wild-looking Vanth design, and what makes the Vanth so much more affordable than most other full-suspension gearbox bikes? We dive into all that and much more with Eddie Meek of Priority and Mike Schwartz, who served as an engineering consultant on the project.
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TOPICS & TIMES:
Introducing Eddie (3:20)
The Priority brand (4:38)
Introducing Mike (6:34)
Why a high-pivot Enduro bike? (11:20)
Other prototypes (16:01)
Marketing the Vanth as a brand not known for MTBs (20:55)
Belt vs. chain drive for a gearbox (27:53)
The Vanth (38:10)
Kinematic goals (45:00)
Frame materials (51:43)
Pricing & availability (56:45)
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Madrone Cycles got its start making parts to repair a variety of SRAM mountain bike derailleurs, but now they’re taking on a much more ambitious project: building their own derailleur from the ground up. Third-party derailleurs had a brief run in the earlier days of mountain biking, but SRAM and Shimano have completely dominated the market for decades now. So why is Madrone taking on the big players now, and what sets their new Jab derailleur apart? We sat down with Madrone founder, Aaron Bland, to discuss all that and more.
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Blister Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide
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TOPICS & TIMES:
Founding Madrone & starting with SRAM derailleur rebuilds (1:57)
Electronic shifting & the resurgence of third-party mechanical derailleurs (4:02)
The hardest details to get right (12:57)
Evolution of the Jab design (17:25)
Serviceability & Madrone’s rebuild service (22:58)
Clutch & pivot designs (27:43)
Modularity (32:26)
Jab options (41:34)
What’s next from Madrone? (47:37)
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Rocket Ramps built a progressive bike park in the sovereign nation of Picuris Pueblo in northern New Mexico that has grabbed headlines and the attention of slopestyle athletes. We caught up with Rocket Ramps founder Henry Lanman to get the story behind the project and to find out what else they’re up to. Henry talks about their mission to grow the action sports scene in New Mexico, the science of ramp building, and why building a rad mountain bike trail is like cooking an amazing dinner for your friends (that lasts a lot longer).
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TOPICS & TIMES:
How Rocket Ramps got Started (2:33)
The Most Important Part of a Good Ramp (14:20)
The First Flat Packed Ramp Kits (18:09)
Dirt vs Wood (22:13)
Building Action Sports Infrastructure (26:18)
The Crazy Big Lines of the Picuris Pueblo Bike Park (29:54)
Funding Trail Development in New Mexico (39:04)
What's Next for Rocket Ramps? (43:55)
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Paladin Bikes was founded by a group of robotics engineers who love bikes and wanted to build their own — and do it in the US. The AM1 is the result, and while it’s a relatively conventional All-Mountain bike when it comes to its geometry and specs, there’s a ton about it that stands out, from its machined construction to its suspension layout, and in a lot of the smaller details.
So we sat down with Paladin co-founder and General Manager, Stefan Klein, to get the rundown on Paladin and the AM1, from the decision to found the company in the first place, to opting for machined construction, the challenges of founding a bike company in 2025, and a whole lot more.
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TOPICS & TIMES:
Introducing Stefan (1:49)
Founding Paladin (4:18)
Why machine a frame? (6:22)
The AM1 & forgoing clamshell construction (9:25)
Tradeoffs in manufacturing techniques (12:49)
AM1 design details (22:11)
Next steps & refinements (28:00)
Flex testing (32:19)
FEA vs. physical strength tests (33:57)
Bringing the AM1 to market (34:40)
Future plans & models (36:50)
Entering the bike industry in 2025 (40:05)
Standing out in the market without being too out there (42:08)
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September delivered some incredible bike racing, featuring the Mountain Bike and Road Bike World Championships, the Lenzerheide World Cup DH and XC, and the US Open Downhill, providing us with plenty to discuss. News on the bike industry side was a familiar affair, with YT going through a rough patch and retail sales being slow. There was also some rather shocking news about Giant regarding alleged labor law violations in Taiwan. Dylan and Simon go over all that, plus some cool new products we’re testing, and we give our thoughts on the potential new mountain bike wheel size that looks to be gaining traction. All this and more in this month’s Reviewing the News episode.
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Blister Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide
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TOPICS & TIMES:
Are 32” Wheels Coming? (2:01)
Markus Flossman Buying Back YT (8:07)
Giant’s Alleged Labor Law Violations (14:33)
MTB World Championships Recap (18:01)
XC World Championships Recap (22:25)
Road World Championships Recap (30:21)
US Open in Killington (33:35)
Has Dakota Norton Found His Form? (33:58)
New Products (37:03)
Off-Grid eMTB Battery Charging (52:53)
Handlebar width? (58:18)
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We sat down to talk about Chromag’s growing full-suspension lineup, and how the new Reazon slots into it; Trek’s surprising move to turn the Fuel into a modular platform, including adding a second 160+mm-travel Enduro bike in the Fuel LX; a couple of new eMTBs from Yeti and Propain; Hope’s new GR4 brakes; and a bunch more.
RELATED LINKS:
Blister Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide
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TOPICS & TIMES:
Norco Revolver 120 (1:12)
Chromag Reazon (7:01)
Trek Fuel LX (13:24)
Propain Sresh SL (26:30)
Yeti LTe (36:02)
Hope GR4 Brakes (44:54)
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With their athletes taking wins at the Tour de France and Red Bull Hardline, Enve has been having a hell of a summer. So today we’re talking with Enve’s Jake Pantone about what they’ve been up to, the increasingly blurry lines between bike categories, how wide Gravel tires should be, and why you might want to put a suspension fork on your drop bar bike. And Jake also shares exciting news about their plans to make Mountain Bikes.
RELATED LINKS:
Blister Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide
Get Our Free Newsletter & Gear Giveaways
TOPICS & TIMES:
Winning the Tour de France & Red Bull Hardline (1:31)
Having the GOAT as an Enve Athlete (2:47)
Blurry Lines Between Bike Categories (7:57)
How Wide Should Gravel Tires Be? (16:40)
Bigger Tires vs Suspension Forks (21:40)
Gravel Bikes as a One Bike Quiver (24:47)
Going From Wheels to Road & Gravel Frames (33:02)
Enve to Make Mountain Bikes? (40:13)
What’s Next for Enve (41:39)
Investing in R&D (43:54)
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The list of world-class cyclists that have come out of the Durango Devo junior cycling program is astounding. Christopher Blevins is on a tear and is currently leading the UCI XCO overall. Riley Amos crushed the XC U23s last year. Sepp Kuss made a name for himself shepherding Jonas Vingegaard through the mountains and then went on to win a Grand Tour himself, and Quinn Simmons’ aggressive attacks made headlines during this year's Tour de France. So today, we catch up with Durango Devo co-founder Chad Cheeney to find out what the secret is to consistently turning out some of the best bike riders in the world.
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TOPICS & TIMES:
Culture & Passion (1:43)
Paying Attention to Kids (3:15)
OG Durango XC History (3:35)
Athletes Having Kids (5:50)
What is Durango Devo? (9:30)
Finding Coachable Moments (12:05)
Raising Money as a Non Profit (13:34)
Super Athletes of Durango Devo (15:52)
Little & Scrawny Christopher Blevins (17:41)
Sepp Kuss’s La Vuelta España Win (21:44)
Life as a Fort Lewis Cycling Coach (36:40)
Up and Coming Talent (38:56)
What bike are you riding? (44:08)
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For this month's Reviewing the News Episode, Mike and I start with a topic that hits close to home: we both know extremely fit people who have passed away recently while riding their bikes. So, today we talk about how it's common for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease to go undiagnosed, especially in athletes, and what you can do, and should do, to protect yourself. Plus, we just had a fantastic, wet, and muddy weekend of racing in Les Gets, France, which gives us plenty to go on about, like the amazing Alran brothers, Gracy Hemstreet looking unbeatable, Ronan Dunne’s comeback, and road superstar Mathieu van der Poel getting back on the mountain bike for another crack at World Cup XCO, and more.
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Blister Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide
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TOPICS & TIMES:
Mike’s Grimy Handshake (3:26)
Heart Disease in Athletes (13:52)
Les Gets Mud Bath (26:29)
You Need Skills to Win (33:54)
The Amazing Alran Brothers (39:24)
Can Durango Kid Asa Veremette Ride in Mud (41:15)
Ronan Dunne Didn’t Leave in a Helicopter (43:57)
Specialized’s Most Expensive Bike Ever (49:42)
What We’re Reading & Watching (56:43)
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Fox’s new Podium inverted fork has understandably garnered a lot of attention, and we’ve got an update on how our testing of it is going, along with the updated Float X2 and DHX2 shocks. But it’s not all gravity suspension on the docket, as we weigh in on the very good and very light Fox 34 SL fork; the ultra-versatile Trek Fuel EX; Revel’s first eMTB, the ReRun; and a bunch of brakes from brands large and small.
RELATED LINKS:
Blister Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide
Get Our Free Newsletter & Gear Giveaways
Casey Brown on the Inaugural Women’s Red Bull Rampage (Ep.246)
TOPICS & TIMES:
Revel ReRun (1:13)
Trek Fuel EX (9:34)
Fox 34 SL (17:37)
Fox Podium (27:47)
Fox Float & DHX2 Update (34:46)
SRAM Motive Ultimate (37:47)
HEL Advocate (43:01)
Trickstuff Maxima (47:30)
Magura Gustav Pro (51:43)
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For today’s Gear Therapy episode, the team gets together to try to solve Jonathan’s pedal dilemma. Like many riders out there, Jonathan is questioning his current pedal choice, and not surprisingly, he’s considering ditching his clipless pedals and replacing them with flats. Sascha and Zack bring a valuable mountain bike coaching perspective to the conversation, and together with Simon’s years of experience in the industry and bike shops, they look at the advantages and disadvantages of both styles of pedals and do our best to guide Jonathan’s decision. They know he’s not alone, and anyone in a similar pedal conundrum will benefit from tuning in.
RELATED LINKS:
Blister Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide
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TOPICS & TIMES:
Pedal Horror Stories (1:24)
Why the Hell are They Called “Clipless”? (13:29)
Jonathan’s Pedal Issues (18:49)
Clips are Jonathan’s Security Blankie (24:39)
Pros & cons of flats (27:25)
Clipless Pedals Promoting & Masking Bad Habits (35:50)
Cornering Technique & Flat Pedals (36:40)
Sascha Calls Simon Out (40:15)
New Flat Pedal and Shoe Design (42:18)
Jonathan’s Pedal Prescription (47:21)
Uphill Technical & Pedal Strikes (1:02:36)
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Last year, we sat down with Casey Brown right after the first iteration of Red Bull Rampage to feature a women’s category to chat about what it meant to finally break that particular glass ceiling, what it took to do it, and how the event went.
Casey is, once again, among a stacked roster of women who will be dropping in for this year’s competition, but she’s been up to a whole lot more than just preparing for Rampage — from bringing back Dark Horse, now on her own property; working with D3O to develop better women’s protective gear; and putting together a bunch of other projects in between. So we brought her back on the podcast to talk about all of it, the state of women’s freeride & the generation of riders following in her footsteps, and a whole lot more.
RELATED LINKS:
Blister Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide
Get Our Free Newsletter & Gear Giveaways
Casey Brown on the Inaugural Women’s Red Bull Rampage (Ep.246)
TOPICS & TIMES:
The return of Dark Horse (2:51)
The new venue(7:12)
What’s next for Dark Horse? (14:50)
Louise Ferguson at Hardline (16:11)
The state of women’s freeride & Casey’s role in shaping it (18:32)
Planning for Rampage (21:38)
Opportunities to help women’s freeride grow (30:41)
Working with D3O & making better women’s protective gear (36:47)
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Why didn’t Jackson Goldstone race Red Bull Hardline in Wales and give us the highly anticipated showdown between him and Asa Vermette? Dylan and I dive right into our opinions on that, and then break down the rest of July’s incredible racing results, including a quick recap of one of Simon’s favorites — the Tour de France. And itt wouldn’t be a Reviewing the News episode without some tariff chaos, and unfortunately, also some bike companies in trouble. Still, thankfully, there’s a bit of good news in here, too, since Chris King is apparently going to make internal headset cable routing better (we’re doing our best to be open-minded), and we have a new tire valve standard to get excited about (we’re actually not kidding).
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TOPICS & TIMES:
Dylan’s Beer League Race
Why Strava Might be the Best Social Media Platform
Redbull Hardline
Where Was Jackson Goldstone?
World Cup DH racing in July
Tom Pidcock’s Impressive Cross-country Win
Tour de France Recap
Tariffs Again
Chris King is Taking a Crack at Headset Cable Routing
YT Restructuring
New Products
What we’re Reading and Watching
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Our new Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide is live, and while it takes some cues from our Winter Buyer’s Guide — the eleventh edition of which is in the works right now — it’s very much its own beast. So we sat down to talk about what’s in the Guide, how it’s structured, and why; how the mountain bike market has evolved; the return of ‘All-Mountain’ as a class of bikes; and a whole lot more.
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Blister Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide
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TOPICS & TIMES:
The new MTB Buyer’s Guide & how it’s structured (1:48)
What makes our Buyer’s Guide different (5:35)
Reviewing bikes now vs. a decade ago (9:06)
Zack’s worst bike purchase (15:23)
Direct-to-consumer models & the evolution of bike sales (16:32)
Classifying bikes & the return of ‘All-Mountain’ as a category (23:26)
Which All-Mountain bike would we each buy? (34:19)
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Stashed founder Elliot Tanner has many talents, like making ultra-light climbing gear and designing components for Marker’s Kingpin touring binding. But that’s not all: he also built his own high-pivot, gearbox-equipped Enduro bikes, and that was before high-pivots or gearboxes were cool.
But it wasn’t until his family had amassed more bikes than they had room for that he got the inspiration to create a bike storage solution. We caught up with Elliot to chat about that first design, and how it went from something he built to solve his storage problem to the Spacerail Bike Storage System that is the foundation of Stashed, plus a whole lot more.
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TOPICS & TIMES:
Elliot’s Engineering Background
Designing Climbing Gear
Making Marker KingPin Components
Elliot’s High-Pivot Gearbox Bikes
Designing his First Bike Storage System
Founding Stashed
Manufacturing in Wales
What’s hanging on Elliot’s Spacerail
Favorite Place to Ride
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The Pivot Firebird and Propain Tyee don’t look super different on paper — they’ve got about the same suspension travel, generally similar geometry, and both can convert between 29’’ and MX setups — but they ride quite differently from one another.
So what sets them apart? We wade into that topic, offer our early take on a couple of new pieces of Italian suspension, argue about what does (and doesn’t) make for a good mixed wheel bike setup, discuss Bosch’s output-boosing software upgrade for their Gen 5 CX motor, and a whole bunch more.
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TOPICS & TIMES:
Pivot Firebird (2:29)
Propain Tyee (21:12)
Salsa Blackthorn (25:24)
EXT Vecta (33:23)
Formula Selva V (40:04)
Bosch CX Software Upgrade (51:11)
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Our Bike Editor, David Golay, has a long history with BTR. Back when 26’’ wheels were still the norm, he found them while making a wide search for a builder who made a hardtail with the sort of aggressive geometry he had in mind at the time — and the Ranger was, by far, the most promising option.
Over a decade later, he’s on his third Ranger, having ordered two more with increasingly custom geometry as his preferences have evolved — and they’ve consistently been fantastic. But they’re also quite expensive, with build quality, finishing details, and construction to match.
So it immediately caught our attention when Paul ‘Burf’ Burford, the man behind BTR, launched a new project to build affordable, simple frames, by hand, in the UK: Rat Bikes. And for this week’s episode, we sat down with Burf to hear all about it.
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TOPICS & TIMES:
The Rat Bikes concept (3:00)
How to make affordable, UK-built frames? (7:54)
Cutting costs in frame design (15:59)
The Dad Rat (24:13)
Prototyping & next steps (35:25)
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In the June edition of Reviewing the News, we start with some good news regarding the GOP’s withdrawal of the proposal to sell millions of acres of public land. We move on to discussing the merger of We Are One Composites and Industry Nine, followed by a recap of all the exciting World Cup DH, XC, and Enduro racing that happened in June, plus some Tour de France predictions, a selection of new products, and a whole lot more.
RELATED LINKS:
Dustin Adams on Racing, Manufacturing, & We Are One’s Next Big Thing (Ep.19)
TOPICS & TIMES:
Mike’s ride on the Monarch Crest Trail (2:12)
The GOP’s Public Lands Sale Proposal (11:46)
Don Cook’s Passing (16:45)
We Are One Composites and Industry Nine’s Merger (20:54)
Leogang and Val di Sole DH and XC Racing Recap (25:47)
Amaury Pierron and Anna Newkirk’s Injuries (29:54)
The State of Enduro Racing (36:48)
Tour de France Predictions (41:45)
New Products (48:21)
What we are Reading and Watching (58:33)
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