As a way to show our appreciation for our Bikes & Big Ideas listeners, we discussed our best / worst ideas for the bikes edition of our Blister ‘Crash Course’ video series — and some of the ideas are truly magnificent. So check it out, and then please feel free to suggest your own best / worst ideas for these Blister ‘Crash Course’ bike videos. TOPICS & TIMES Blister ‘Crash Course’ Videos? (5:12) Round 1 Ideas (8:04) Round 2 Ideas (13:42) Round 3 Ideas (18:05) Round 4 Ideas (21:48) Round...
Apr 24, 2020•42 min•Ep. 22
Bill Walton is not only one of the greatest basketball players of all time, his passion for bikes is all-time, too. In his book, “Back from the Dead, he writes, “My bike is the most important thing I have. It is my gym, my wheelchair and my church all in one. So it was a joy to talk to Bill about his life-long love affair with bikes, and about his upcoming event, Bike For Humanity , which is a virtual event that Bill created as a way for all of us to show our solidarity in these times. We also d...
Apr 18, 2020•33 min•Ep. 21
As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, a number of companies in the outdoor industry are pivoting away from their normal operations and product offerings to provide healthcare workers with critical gear. So we talked to physician assistant and Blister reviewer, Sascha Anastas, about the scope of the problem, and we then talk to Kitsbow , Industry Nine , & Shaggy’s Copper Country Skis about how they are each helping the cause. This is an inspiring conversation. TOPICS & TIMES Sascha Anastas o...
Apr 01, 2020•1 hr•Ep. 20
Many of you remember Dustin Adams from his DH-racing days (the guy was fast), and others of you know of Dustin as the guy behind We Are One , the company making carbon rims, wheels, and other bike stuff in British Columbia. So we talked to Dustin about what it’s like being a composites manufacturer in Kamloops, BC; Dustin’s path from racing DH to starting We Are One; manufacturing in the time of COVID-19; and we talk about the big new thing they’re currently working on. TOPICS & TIMES How do...
Mar 26, 2020•44 min•Ep. 19
For many of us, it will soon be time to dust off our bikes and get back to riding. So what are some of the most important things you can do to your bike if you haven’t been riding it? To answer this, we talked to Simon Stewart, who has a wealth of knowledge about servicing bikes that comes from his experience working at bike shops; being a mountain bike guide; writing and reviewing for Bike Magazine and Dirt Rag magazine; working for SRAM as a technical ambassador and a SRAM Technical University...
Mar 12, 2020•52 min•Ep. 18
The World Cup Downhill season starts in just a couple of weeks, so we checked in with Blister reviewers Noah Bodman, David Golay, and Ben Sims to get their thoughts on and predictions for the upcoming season. We also discuss the future prospects and popularity of World Cup DH racing versus the popularity and trajectory of Enduro World Series racing, and we place one very big wager on the upcoming season. TOPICS & TIMES: Upcoming Men’s DH Season (1:57) Upcoming Women’s DH Season (17:35) WC DH...
Mar 05, 2020•36 min•Ep. 17
Moab’s Slickrock Trail is one of the best-known and most iconic mountain biking trails in the world. And yet, a preliminary proposal from the Bureau of Land Management was put forward to auction the right to drill for oil and natural gas under the trail. Now, the good news here is that, just as I was speaking last Friday to our guest, Ashley Korenblat, a preliminary hold was put in place by the Bureau of Land Management to stop the sale for the right to drill for oil and gas under Slickrock Trai...
Feb 27, 2020•38 min•Ep. 16
We talk to Ibis Cycles founder, Scot Nicol, about the new Ripmo 2; the current Ibis lineup; Scot’s background in the early (and awesome) days of mtn biking; the history and trajectory of Ibis; and a whole lot more. TOPICS & TIMES The Ripmo 2 (4:55) The current Ibis lineup (16:55) More Ibis metal bikes? (23:44) 25: 15 The Ibis Tranny 28:00 The Ibis Trans-Fat 28:50 Scot’s favorite Ibis bike name 32:11 Ripley vs Ripmo 34:57 Scot’s bike background 41:36 The evolution of bikes in the past 15 year...
Feb 21, 2020•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 15
What will the mountain biking industry look like 10 years from now? What current product categories currently have the most room for improvement, and where will the actual advances in bike tech have happened by the end of 2029? What categories of riding will have grown, and which will have shrunk? Will we have fewer or more bike parks? We discuss all of this and more — including our wildest predictions for this next decade. And in the Comments Section below, we’d love to hear what you predict th...
Jan 17, 2020•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 14
Of the entire past decade, what was the most influential bike or bike part? What were the best bikes or bike parts? What were the biggest gear trends? And what was our selection for the Best Product of the Decade? We cover all of this and more with Noah Bodman and David Golay. TOPICS & TIMES: Most Influential Mtn Bike, 2000-2009 (3:10) Most Influential Mtn Bike, 2010-2019 (11:45) Most Influential Components (20:00) Best Mtn Bike (24:10) Best Components (36:25) Biggest Mtn Bike Gear Trends (4...
Jan 09, 2020•52 min•Ep. 13
Paul Basagoitia was the first back-to-back winner of Crankworx Slopestyle, participated in Red Bull Rampage numerous times, and was one of the top riders in the game. But one tiny mishap led to a crash that left him paralyzed, and Paul’s life was changed in an instant. So we talk to Paul about his ascension in the sport, the events surrounding his accident, his road to recovery, how he views Rampage today, and his new Red Bull / HBO film, Any One of Us that chronicles it all — and provides an un...
Oct 31, 2019•45 min•Ep. 12
These days, a lot of brands — and especially a lot of outdoor brands — like to talk about sustainability. But what concrete steps are companies taking to measure, reduce, and offset their carbon emissions? And what can be done to hold companies more accountable? Climate Neutral is a non-profit that enlists brands to reduce and pay for their emissions, and that helps consumers identify which companies are taking real action. So we talk to Climate Neutral CEO, Austin Whitman, about how Climate Neu...
Oct 25, 2019•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 11
Reviewers Luke Koppa, Jonathan Ellsworth, Dylan Wood, and David Golay discuss our new BLISTER Brand Guide to Mountain Bikes; why we saw a need for it; the trends and takeaways we’ve seen in the process of building it; and … the revolutionary new Badonkadonk bike. See our Mountain Bike Brand Guides (many more coming soon) TOPICS & TIMES: Dylan’s Crash = Your Gain (1:27) Why do a guide like this? (4:22) Market Trends (11:10) Components, Suspension, & Tires (19:13) Mullet bikes & the Ba...
Oct 03, 2019•25 min•Ep. 10
Coming straight to Crested Butte after an amazing World Cup season finale, Claudio Caluori sits down with Jonathan Ellsworth in BLISTER HQ to recap this incredible World Cup Downhill season; discuss whether this was the best WC DH season ever; talk about Loic Bruni and Amaury Pierron’s epic battle; and frame Danny Hart’s season. Claudio also offers his biggest takeaways from the men’s and women’s seasons; how the sport has evolved in terms of trails, equipment, and talent; and what, if anything,...
Sep 13, 2019•55 min•Ep. 9
What do politics, religion, and e-Bikes have in common? They’re all topics that get people extremely worked up, often result in name calling, and are rarely productive. And this needs to change, because e-Bikes are not going away, so we need to figure out fast how to have more constructive conversations about e-bikes — and, in particular e- mountain bikes. To this end, we’re talking today to Dave Wiens, the executive director of the International Mountain Biking Association , to help clarify wha...
Aug 29, 2019•46 min•Ep. 8
For many of us, bikes are primarily fun . But for many others, bikes are major drivers of economic development, critical sources of transportation and health care, vehicles of educational opportunity, and instruments of equality. World Bicycle Relief was started by the founder of SRAM to provide bikes to some of the communities around the world that could use them the most, and in today’s conversation, you’ll learn exactly how and why bikes are such a significant and life-changing tool. Our gues...
Aug 16, 2019•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 7
Sometimes, “different” is better. Other times, it’s just dumb. So today we’re discussing a number of very unconventional bike products and asking: Why does this product exist; what problem is it trying to solve; who is its target audience; and … is the product more likely to become the next big thing, or, is it more likely destined for the dustbin of history? Jonathan Ellsworth talks to Blister’s new ‘oddities expert,’ David Golay, about the Trust Message linkage fork; Structure Cycleworks’ SCW1...
Aug 08, 2019•40 min•Ep. 6
Anthill Films recently released their latest movie, Return to Earth , and it once again displays the sick cinematography and sick bike riding that Anthill is known for. But in Return to Earth, the guys who brought us breathtaking bike films like unReal are going after some bigger stakes. So we talk to Anthill’s Darcy Wittenberg and Ian Dunn about those stakes; the origins & early days of Anthill Films; some of the locations, riders, and cinematography in Return to earth; and more. And after ...
Aug 02, 2019•53 min•Ep. 5
We talk to Dave Wiens about skiing with Doug Coombs; participating in the early days of mountain biking; winning the Leadville 100 six times in a row — while beating Floyd Landis and Lance Armstrong along the way; and we get a fresh update from Dave on the current agenda and plans of the International Mountain Bike Association. TOPICS & TIMES: Dave’s background in adventure sports (1:58) Extreme skiing & meeting Doug Coombs (12:00) The early days of mountain biking (14:55) Competing with...
Jul 11, 2019•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 4
How do you square the fact that a small bike company with a very heavy-metal vibe is making extremely big claims about the cutting-edge materials they are using to manufacture bikes — right here in the USA, in Denver, CO — and doing all of this at a pretty modest price point? Are these guys full of crap, or are they truly onto something here? And if so, how big of a deal is this? Jonathan Ellsworth went to the Guerrilla Gravity headquarters in downtown Denver to try to get some answers, and he s...
Jul 04, 2019•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 3
We talk with BLISTER senior bike editor, Noah Bodman, about Guerrilla Gravity’s modular designs; the emerging category of ‘Downcountry’ Bikes; whether ‘mullet bikes’ are just a fad; and whether the lingo used to market and sell bikes is in need of a refresh. TOPICS & TIMES: Guerrilla Gravity’s modular design (1:55) Downcountry Bikes (8:27) Which bike categories are shrinking? (15:20) Mullet Bikes: just a fad? (17:04) Bike industry marketing lingo (20:22) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privac...
Jun 21, 2019•32 min•Ep. 2
We talk to Bikes & Big Ideas co-host, Claudio Caluori , about the origin story of this podcast; his background in XC & DH racing, how Velosolutions got started, experiments with food & diet; the #pumpforpeace project, and more. TOPICS & TIMES: Biggest takeaway from the World Cup in Maribor (2:16) Origin story of Bikes & Big Ideas (4:00) Claudio’s background in XC & DH racing (12:24) When did you first start thinking about environmental issues? (16:50) Experiments with foo...
May 09, 2019•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 1
BIKES & BIG IDEAS is the new podcast from BLISTER that will be focusing on both of those things — bikes AND big ideas. The bike world is full of a lot of smart and fascinating people who are really passionate about bikes. But so many in our community are also really passionate about protecting and being good stewards of the places we love to ride, and finding ways to create a more sustainable future. So the aim of BIKES & BIG IDEAS is to bring you the most interesting conversations and s...
Apr 25, 2019•2 min
