Mountain Bike Reviews

Luke Koppa reviews the Commencal Meta TR 29 for Blister

Flash Review: Commencal Meta TR 29

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We've got five rides on the latest version of Commencal's Trail bike — check out our initial thoughts.

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2021 Transition Spire - Blister First Look

2021 Transition Spire

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Transition’s just-released Patrol was the longest-travel non-DH bike in their lineup — for just 48 hours. Enter the all-new Spire, Transition’s 170mm-travel 29er. So how do the two bikes differ, and who should be most interested in each? Check out our First Look on the Spire for all the details.
2021 Transition Patrol First Look - Blister

2021 Transition Patrol

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The Patrol has long been in Transition’s lineup as their longest-travel Enduro bike, with 27.5’’ wheels. Today they dropped an updated version, and while the 160 mm of rear travel remains, the new Patrol gets the mullet treatment, with a 29’’ wheel and 160mm-travel fork up front. There’s a lot more that’s new than just wheel sizes, so check out our First Look for all the details.
David Golay reviews the EXT Era for Blister

Flash Review: EXT Era Fork

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We loved EXT's rear Enduro / Trail shock, the Storia, and now we've been spending time on the Era, the fork meant to pair with it. Check out our Flash Review for 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.

If you’re already a 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.)

David Golay and Zack Henderson review the Marin Alpine Trail for Blister

2021 Marin Alpine Trail

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The Marin Alpine Trail is one of the most playful Enduro bikes we’ve been on recently, but also manages to keep a great deal of capability in technical terrain — and is an impressive bang-for-buck to boot. We think it’s a really compelling option for the right sort of rider, and you can check out our full review to find out who we think will get on best with this unique offering from Marin.
Zack Henderson Reviews the Ride Concepts Hellion Elite for Blister

Ride Concepts Hellion Elite Shoe

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Ride Concepts recently added a new flat-pedal shoe to their lineup, the Hellion Elite, which is a relatively low-profile option with the brand's stickiest rubber. But how does it compare to popular options like the Five Ten Freerider Pro, and which riders are going to like this new shoe the most? Check out our full review to find out.
David Golay Reviews the 2021 Rocky Mountain Altitude for Blister

2021 Rocky Mountain Altitude

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The Altitude has been in the Rocky Mountain lineup for more than a decade now, but what, exactly, the Altitude is has changed a lot over the years, and the bike got a dramatic overhaul for 2021. We’ve been riding the latest iteration, and have found it to be surprisingly versatile for a 160 / 170 mm travel Enduro bike.
David Golay reviews the Marin El Roy for Blister

2021 Marin El Roy

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Marin calls the El Roy “the ultimate aggressive steel hardtail,” and its geometry numbers are certainly eye-popping, even in our current world of longer, lower, and slacker. But who should be interested in a hardtail that’s so emphatically oriented towards descending? And does the El Roy really deliver on what looks like a promising recipe? Check out our full review to find out.
David Golay reviews the Ohlins RXF36 m.2 for Blister

Öhlins RXF36 m.2 Air

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Öhlins has long been known for their motorsports suspension, but have more recently branched out into the mountain bike world, and we’ve been testing their RXF36 m.2 Air Enduro fork. It’s an impressive offering, but who does it make the most sense for, and how does it stack up to the competition from Fox, RockShox, and Manitou? Check out our full review to find out.
Zack Henderson reviews the Banshee Titan V3 for Blister

Banshee Titan V3

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We recently reviewed Banshee’s short-travel Phantom, and we've also spent the past year+ on its longer-travel sibling, the Titan. It’s an impressive (and incredibly good looking) 29er, but who is it best suited for, and where does it most notably excel? Check out our full review to find out.
David Golay Reviews the Privateer 161 for Blister

Privateer 161

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With progressive geometry, a bargain price for what you get, and thoughtful design touches and spec, the Privateer 161 looks awfully appealing on paper. We’ve been testing this aluminum Enduro race bike and think it delivers on what the brand claims about it — for the right types of riders. Check out our full review for all the details.
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