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Bikes & Big Ideas

BLISTER

Bikes & Big Ideas is the weekly podcast from BLISTER that's dedicated to bringing you the most interesting conversations, news, and developments in the bike world.

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23 episodes
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#321
Yesterday · 57 min
Pivot Founder Chris Cocalis on Their New Insanely Powerful Shuttle AMP’d, XC Race Bike Design, 32” Wheels, & More
Pivot just launched their new Avinox M2S powered Shuttle AMP’d, so today Pivot founder Chris Cocalis talks us through the development process, the decision to spec the controversial high-powered Avinox drive system, early prototypes, and the challenges of implementing a motor with that much power. He also gets into why he loves XC bikes, his thoughts on 32” wheels, and who he thinks is going to win the Supercross title, Eli Tomac, Ken Roczen, Hunter Lawrence, or?Note: We Want t
#344
Tuesday · 44 min
Simons.Lab on Dampers, Tuning, & the New Zeta
Simon Reiberg’s journey into fork damper design began with him modifying a RockShox Yari to feature a shimmed rebound circuit, and after stints at Trickstuff and Intend, he just launched Simons.Lab and the Zeta aftermarket fork damper. So we sat down with Simon to talk about his take on damper design and what sets the Zeta apart; how he learned about damper design in the first place; what the biggest challenges were in bringing the Zeta to market; and a whole lot more. And we’ve got a Zeta on the way for review, so stay tuned for a rundown on its design and performance, coming very soon on the site. Note: We Want to Hear From You! Please let us know if there’s a topic you’d like us to cover or a guest you’d like us to have on Bikes and Big Ideas. Email us at info@blisterreview.com to weigh in. RELATED LINKS: DraftKings.com - code: Blister Blister Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide Get Our Free Newsletter & Gear Giveaways BLISTER+ Get Yourself Covered BLISTER Access Pass TOPICS & TIMES: Simon’s background (1:40) Modifying stock dampers (3:21) Testing & analysis (6:34) Value (and limitations) of suspension dynos (15:44) High-speed adjusters & the Zeta concept (24:16) Packaging challenges (19:43) Hydraulic bottom-out (31:00) Adjustment ranges & tradeoffs in tunability (35:01) Launching Simons.Lab (40:24) CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS: The Blister Vault Blister Cinematic CRAFTED GEAR:30 Blister Podcast
#343
September 8 · 1 hr 1 min
Yeti on the LT & MT, Six-Bar Suspension, & More
Yeti has a long history of unconventional suspension layouts, and they’ve just given their lineup a big shakeup with the new LT & MT, both of which use the Sixfinity six-bar layout from Yeti’s eMTBs rather than the Switch Infinity design from their last several generations of MTBs. So, we sat down with Yeti Engineer Peter Zawistowski to get the story of developing the Sixfinity layout; what they were able to achieve with it that wasn’t possible with four-bar designs; the differences in suspension kinematic requirements for different sorts of bikes; the LT’s radically overhauled geometry; and a whole lot more. Note: We Want to Hear From You! Please let us know if there’s a topic you’d like us to cover or a guest you’d like us to have on Bikes and Big Ideas. Email us at info@blisterreview.com to weigh in. RELATED LINKS: DraftKings.com - code: Blister Factor: http://factormeals.com/BLISTERBIKES50OFFBlister Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide Get Our Free Newsletter & Gear Giveaways BLISTER+ Get Yourself Covered TOPICS & TIMES: Yeti’s history of suspension layouts (2:05) Development of the Sixfinity platform (9:57) Antisquat & the advantages of six bar layouts (15:55) Suspension kinematics for different use cases (23:57) Geometry adjustments & offering more vs. keeping thing simple (32:59) Rear center lengths & geometry changes for the LT (39:14) Athlete feedback in bike development (54:37) Racers versus freeriders (57:47) CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS: The Blister Vault Blister Cinematic CRAFTED GEAR:30 Blister Podcast
#342
September 2 · 1 hr 22 min
Reviewing the News w/ Cam McCaul & Simon Stewart
Today is a big day, as we welcome Freeride legend Cam McCaul as the new co-host of Reviewing the News. Cam and Simon Stewart go way back, and Simon has been a fan of what he’s been doing on and off the bike for as long as they’ve known each other. Cam brings a great new perspective to the show with his experience announcing Red Bull Rampage and DH racing, his freeride career, not to mention having ridden with so many of the top names in our sport. And, we have a hell of a month to cover in Cam’s debut, with plenty of racing and industry news to go over, and Cam shares what it's like to try and ride behind repeat DH World Champion, Jackson Goldstone. Note: We Want to Hear From You! Please let us know if there’s a topic you’d like us to cover or a guest you’d like us to have on Bikes and Big Ideas. Email us at info@blisterreview.com to weigh in. RELATED LINKS: Blister Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide Get Our Free Newsletter & Gear Giveaways BLISTER+ Get Yourself Covered TOPICS & TIMES: Mountain States Cups Series (1:18) The Black Snake (11:26) Gates 100k Prize Finally Awarded (25:01) Eli Tomac Retirement (36:06) Tadej Pogacar Crash (41:41) Leadville 100 Recap (48:07) Another eBike Battery Fire (51:39) OneUp’s Used Marketplace (1:06:21) What We're Watching — 'Parallel III' (1:10:37) Rampage is Just Around the Corner (1:20:22) CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS: The Blister Vault Blister Cinematic CRAFTED GEAR:30 Blister Podcast
#341
August 27 · 48 min
Enduro World Cup Racing is Dead. Long Live Enduro?
Shortly after the final Enduro World Cup race of the 2026 season, Warner Brothers Discovery and the UCI made the surprise announcement that the series will not continue for 2027. Despite the uncertain future that leaves for top-tier professional Enduro racing, the announcement was met with a surprising amount of excitement from athletes, and a real sense of optimism that something better can rise from the ashes of the short-lived EDR series. So we brought professional racer Eric Olsen back on the show to discuss all of it. The full press release from the UCI can be read here. Note: We Want to Hear From You! Please share with us the questions, topics, or stories you’d like us to cover on Bikes & Big Ideas. You can email us at: info@blisterreview.com RELATED LINKS: Momentous: livemomentous.com use code: Blister OneSkin: oneskin.co/BLISTER Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+ Blister Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide TOPICS & TIMES: The state of professional Enduro racing (1:42) Online perception vs. reality on the ground (4:13) Broadcasting & marketing Enduro racing (9:29) The Enduro World Series becoming the Enduro World Cup (12:53) New possibilities for Enduro racing (17:43) Eric’s vision for what comes next (20:28) Crankworx’s announcement of a new series (32:21) How has (and hasn’t) the series changed in recent years? (35:39) Optimism for the future (40:24) CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS: The Vault Blister Cinematic CRAFTED GEAR:30 Blister Podcast
August 27 · 12 min
Vali Höll on the Implosion of the YT Mob
For this selection from The Vault, we’re sharing a Bikes & Big Ideas conversation where Vali Höll opens up about everything that went on behind the scenes during the mid-season implosion of the YT Mob race team, and how she managed to win her third consecutive World Cup overall title and fourth consecutive World Championship amid the chaos. RELATED LINKS: livemomentous.com – use code: Blister OneSkin: oneskin.co/BLISTER Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+ Order our 26/27 Winter Buyer’s Guide Enter Our Free Weekly Gear Giveaways For the Full Episode: Vali Höll on Her 2025 Season & the Dissolution of the YT Mob (Ep.306) CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS: Blister Podcast Blister Cinematic CRAFTED Bikes & Big Ideas GEAR:30
#340
August 18 · 1 hr 9 min
The Current State of XC Bikes
With XC bikes gaining popularity, there is a sea of similar-looking offerings from a bunch of brands — with a wider range of performance attributes than first meets the eye. So today, Blister reviewers Xan Marshland and Simon Stewart dig into the broader XC bike category and weigh in on why they think there’s commonality in XC bike design; their thoughts on XC geometry; and whether having baked-in Trail bike versatility is a must-have. Plus things to consider when buying one, and their predictions on where the category is heading. Note: We Want to Hear From You! Please share with us the questions, topics, or stories you’d like us to cover on Bikes & Big Ideas. You can email us at: info@blisterreview.com RELATED LINKS: Momentous: livemomentous.com use code: Blister OneSkin: oneskin.co/BLISTER Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+ Blister Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide TOPICS & TIMES: XC Bikes are Hot (0:59) Bikes We’ve Been On (2:10) XC Bike Design (4:43) Twangers or Non-Twangers (8:01) Racing vs. Trail Riding (15:51) XC Tires (22:21) Favorite Components (33:45) How to Choose an XC Bike (42:29) OneSkin AD* (51:46) Category Predictions (52:56) CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS: The Blister Vault Blister Cinematic CRAFTED GEAR:30 Blister Podcast
#339
August 11 · 48 min
Anna Newkirk on Her First Career Win
North American DH racers are collectively having their best season in a long time, and Anna Newkirk is a big part of that success, notching her first career win — the first by an American woman in 23 years — and currently sitting fourth in the overall standings. So we brought Anna back on the show to talk about her phenomenal weekend at Lenderheide, where she qualified first and repeated the result in finals; her injury-interrupted 2025 season and returning to form; managing the pressure of racing, and how to ride at the limit; and a whole lot more. Note: We Want to Hear From You! Please let us know if there’s a topic you’d like us to cover or a guest you’d like us to have on Bikes and Big Ideas. Email us at info@blisterreview.com to weigh in. RELATED LINKS: Blister Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide Get Our Free Newsletter & Gear Giveaways Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+ TOPICS & TIMES: First career win at Lenzerheide Qualifying first & the resulting pressure Knowing when to push vs. aiming for smooth and safe Qualifying format & changes to World Cup DH Upcoming Juniors & growing North American momentum USA Cycling & developing DH racers Joining Frameworks & the benefits of a factory team Goals for the rest of 2026 CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS: The Blister Vault Blister Cinematic CRAFTED GEAR:30 Blister Podcast
August 11 · 6 min
The Poacher
Today on The Vault, we’re sharing one of Simon’s favorite moments from a Bikes & Big Ideas conversation where Hayden Zablotny talks about poaching the Proving Grounds event on his way to getting invited to — and then winning — Red Bull Rampage. Note: We Want to Hear From You! We’d love for you to share with us the stories or topics you’d like us to cover next month on Reviewing the News; ask your most pressing mountain town advice questions, or offer your hot takes for us to rate. Email us at: info@blisterreview.com RELATED LINKS: Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+ Order our 26/27 Winter Buyer’s Guide Enter Our Free Weekly Gear Giveaways For the Full Episode: 2025 Red Bull Rampage Winner, Hayden Zablotny (Ep.307) CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS: Blister Podcast Blister Cinematic CRAFTED Bikes & Big Ideas GEAR:30 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#338
August 6 · 1 hr 20 min
Reviewing the News w/ Mike Ferrentino & Simon Stewart (August 2026)
Mike and Simon break down the bike racing in July, including the World Cup MTB racing in La Thuile and Andorra, the Tour de France, and the Canadian Open DH at Crankworx Whistler. They talk about Trek’s decision to limit all their eMTBs to 20 mph, and debate whether we’ve had bike shoe design all wrong, plus a whole lot more. Note: We Want to Hear From You! Please let us know if there’s a topic you’d like us to cover or a guest you’d like us to have on Bikes and Big Ideas. Email us at info@blisterreview.com to weigh in. RELATED LINKS: Blister Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide Get Our Free Newsletter & Gear Giveaways BLISTER+ Get Yourself Covered Mike’s The Grimy Handshake Substack Manitou on the New Mezzer & Mezzer LT (Ep.328) TOPICS & TIMES: Simon’s Trip Across the Pond (1:17) World Cup MTB Racing Recap (3:28) Mike & Simon’s Take on the Tour de France (21:02) Canadian Open DH Recap (32:00) Trek’s Voluntary eMTB Speed Limit (35:48) Are Bike Shoes Too Stiff? (44:06) Einstein’s Saddle (48:51) New Products (55:43) Mike’s Pump Off (1:07:17) CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS: The Blister Vault Blister Cinematic CRAFTED GEAR:30 Blister Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#337
July 30 · 55 min
Reviewer Reports: Yeti LT, Specialized Epic 9, Orbea Rallon, & More
A lot of recently updated bikes have felt like relatively subtle refinements of their predecessors, but there are also a bunch of brands still taking big swings. The new Yeti LT, Orbea Rallon, and Devinci Spartan are all very, very different from the bikes they replaced, and we’ve been testing all of them. So David Golay sat down with Xan Marshland to offer up some thoughts on this new crop of long-travel bruisers, discuss some of the shorter-travel rigs they’ve been testing — across a vast range of price points — and get into some bigger picture discussions about the direction of the bike industry and mountain bike design along the way. Note: We Want to Hear From You! Please share with us the questions, topics, or stories you’d like us to cover on Bikes & Big Ideas. You can email us at: info@blisterreview.com RELATED LINKS: Momentous: livemomentous.com use code: Blister OneSkin: oneskin.co/BLISTER Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+ Blister Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide TOPICS & TIMES: Ibis Ripley AF (1:18) Specialized Epic 9 (11:57) Revel Ranger V3 (18:06) Yeti LT (24:16) Orbea Rallon (36:16) Devinci Spartan (47:13) CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS: Blister Cinematic CRAFTED GEAR:30 Blister Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#336
July 23 · 33 min
Building Safer Bike Infrastructure: PeopleForBikes on their 2026 City Ratings
PeopleForBikes’ City Ratings are more than just a list of which cities have the best bike paths; they are a comprehensive look at how a city manages bike infrastructure, and have become a tool cities use to identify areas needing improvement, and a valuable resource for for individuals interested in advocating for change in their own communities. City Ratings is a massive undertaking, so we sat down with PeopleForBikes’ Martina Haggerty and Grace Stonecipher to get a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into producing them and how they’re reshaping the ways some cities approach bike infrastructure. Note: We Want to Hear From You! Please share with us the questions, topics, or stories you’d like us to cover on Bikes & Big Ideas. You can email us at: info@blisterreview.com RELATED LINKS: Momentous: livemomentous.com use code: Blister OneSkin: oneskin.co/BLISTER Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+ Blister Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide TOPICS & TIMES: Who Are PeopleForBikes and What They Do (0:38) Why & How City Ratings Got Started (2:20) How Many Cities are Included (3:41) City Ratings Methodology (4:10) Best Cities (11:12) Pushback? (13:03) How to get involved to help your city become more bike-friendly (18:04) Biggest Challenges (21:43) International Cities (24:35) Ebike considerations? (26:36) Next year’s ratings (28:28) What advice can you offer a city to help improve its score? (29:27) Other PFB Initiatives (30:25) CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS: Blister Cinematic CRAFTED GEAR:30 Blister Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#335
July 16 · 1 hr 8 min
Cam McCaul on The Future of Rampage, His New Revel Partnership, Side Hits & More
After 22 years, Cam McCaul and Trek parted ways, leading to a new partnership with Revel Bikes, so Simon caught up with his old friend Cam to get the inside story on how his new Partnership with Revel came to be. And it’s not all bike and sponsor talk. Fans of Red Bull Rampage have been listening to Cam’s commentary for years, and today he also talks about how hard it was being on the mic when Adolf Silva got injured, what he thinks about the future of Rampage, and much more. Note: We Want to Hear From You! Please share with us the questions, topics, or stories you’d like us to cover on Bikes & Big Ideas. You can email us at: info@blisterreview.com RELATED LINKS: Episode Sponsor: oneskin.co/BLISTER Blister Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide BLISTER+ Get Yourself Covered TOPICS & TIMES: Cam & Simon’s Elevator Show (3:27) Signing with Revel (6:09) Cam’s Take on MTB Design (16:46) Broadcasting (19:59) Kissing the Blarney Stone (21:21) Stunt Work (24:10) Adolf Silva’s Rampage Injury (36:34) The Future of Rampage (42:34) Worst Injury (47:42) What Gets Cam Fired About Bikes? (51:23) Cam’s Music Recs (1:00:10) CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS: Blister Cinematic GEAR:30 Blister Podcast CRAFTED Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#334
July 9 · 58 min
All Things Wheels with James Stokoe of Hunt Bike Wheels
Hunt Bike Wheels has been building durable, affordable wheels since 2015, so Simon caught up with their Brand Manager, James Stokoe, to talk about about their early days based in a garage, their first gravel wheels, moving into the MTB market, rider-focused engineering, why wheels make the most sense when upgrading a new bike, some highly entertaining stories from James, and more. Note: We Want to Hear From You! Please let us know if there’s a topic you’d like us to cover or a guest you’d like us to have on Bikes and Big Ideas. Email us at info@blisterreview.com to weigh in. RELATED LINKS: Blister Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide BLISTER+ Get Yourself Covered Hunt Bike Wheels TOPICS & TIMES: Hunt’s History (3:41) First Gravel Wheels (8:36) The move into MTB Wheels (13:31) Rider-Focused Engineering Approach (15:40) Aluminum & Carbon Wheels (20:01) Hub Design (27:40) Why Durability is so Important (35:08) Hunt’s Customer Service (45:07) Upcoming events for Hunt (52:29) CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS: Blister Cinematic CRAFTED GEAR:30 Blister Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#333
July 2 · 55 min
Reviewing the News w/ Mike Ferrentino & Simon Stewart (July, 2026)
In the midst of some of the most dangerous fire conditions ever seen in the American West, Mike and Simon discuss wildfire prevention and what the different levels of fire restrictions mean. From the bike industry, there's the shocking news from Cannonale to shutter their factory racing program next year, SRAM’s plan to build a massive factory in Portugal, and Mike gives a heartfelt tribute to the late Charlie Cunningham. The World Cup DH and XC stop in Lenzerheide delivered exciting racing, giving Mike and Simon plenty to get fired up about, and with the La Thuile World Cup right around the corner, they offer up some predictions, too. Note: We Want to Hear From You! Please let us know if there’s a topic you’d like us to cover or a guest you’d like us to have on Bikes and Big Ideas. Email us at info@blisterreview.com to weigh in. RELATED LINKS: Blister Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide Get Our Free Newsletter & Gear Giveaways BLISTER+ Get Yourself Covered Mike’s The Grimy Handshake Substack TOPICS & TIMES: Monarch Crest Ride (1:24) Wildfire Prevention & Fire Restrictions (7:18) Tribute to Charlie Cunningham (19:30) Cannondale Shutting Down Factory Racing Program (23:00) New SRAM Factory in Portugal (28:00) Overlanding E-Bikes (30:31) Lenzerheide World Cup Recap (39:39) La Thuile World Cup Predictions (49:57) CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS: Blister Cinematic CRAFTED GEAR:30 Blister Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#332
June 25 · 49 min
Chris Blandford on Resurrecting Paragon Machine Works, Founding Firsthand Framebuilding, & More
It’s never been easy to make it as an independent framebuilder, and it’s only getting harder. Chris Blandford knows the struggle well, and might well be doing more than anyone else currently to support small US builders, from founding Firsthand Framebuilding to resurrecting Paragon Machine Works, and more. He’s here to tell us all about it. Note: We Want to Hear From You! Please share with us the questions, topics, or stories you’d like us to cover on Bikes & Big Ideas. You can email us at: info@blisterreview.com RELATED LINKS: Blister Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide BLISTER Digital Access Pass TOPICS & TIMES: Introducing Chris (2:40) The Portland, OR framebuilding scene (6:26) Chris’ introduction to framebuilding (10:22) Founding Firsthand & the Firsthand vision (13:20) Framebuilding classes (18:25) Acquiring Paragon Machine Works (31:18) What’s next? (44:59) CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS: Blister Cinematic CRAFTED GEAR:30 Blister Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#331
June 18 · 49 min
Dillon Osleger on ‘Trail Work,’ Historic Maps, the Erosion of Public Land Access, & More
We tend to think of maps as objective representations of the physical world around us, but they're subject to the biases, goals, and editorial choices of the folks making them — just like any other piece of writing, film, or method of communication. Dillon Osleger's excellent new book, Trail Work, lays out how the erasure of trails from historic maps erodes our collective access to public lands; how and why those maps have evolved over the decades; the biggest challenges facing public land advocates, especially in the American West; and a whole lot of other topics that are vitally important to anyone who likes spending time outside. He joins us to discuss all of it. Note: We Want to Hear From You! Please share with us the questions, topics, or stories you’d like us to cover on Bikes & Big Ideas. You can email us at: info@blisterreview.com RELATED LINKS: Trail Work Dillon Osleger on Historic Trails, Changing Climates, & Evolving Communities (Ep.133) Blister Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide BLISTER Digital Access Pass TOPICS & TIMES: Trail Work (2:14) Inspiration & goals for the book (6:52) The evolution of MTB trail access (9:09) Mixed-use trails & managing user interactions (13:10) The deliberate disappearance of trails (16:47) The trail degradation feedback loop (21:31) Maps as a language (29:06) The erasure of place names & their history (35:37) Stewardship & how we can do better (40:08) CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS: Blister Cinematic CRAFTED GEAR:30 Blister Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#330
June 11 · 58 min
Ashley King of Significant Other Bikes on Full-Suspension Frame Development, Production vs. Custom Frames, & More
Like most small framebuilders, Ashley King launched Significant Other making custom rigid frames, but she turned that model on its head by launching the Ded Reckin full-suspension XC/Trail bike, and taking it to serial production. And if that’s not enough, she’s already built prototypes of two more full-suspension models, too. So we brought Ashley back on the show to tell the whole story, from deciding to build the original Ded Reckin show bike to offering it as a production model, material s
#329
June 4 · 55 min
Reviewing the News w/ Mike Ferrentino & Simon Stewart (June 2026)
Mike had to make a trip back to Mexico to help his 97-year-old Mom move, and amidst spider bites, broken windows, explosive dog diarrhea, and the usual technical issues (he needs his own full-time tech support department), he miraculously joined Simon to go over a very busy month — from racing to the courtroom, they have a lot to get through.  Paragon Machine Works' reopening is the best news, and looks poised to keep frame builders stocked with crucial parts. Niner Bikes has b
#328
May 28 · 58 min
Manitou on the New Mezzer & Mezzer LT
The long-travel single-crown fork landscape has shifted a ton since Manitou unveiled the original Mezzer in 2019, and the new second-generation version has seen a lot of changes to better match modern bikes — including splitting the lineup into the standard <a href="https://blisterreview.com/gear-reviews/manitou-mezzer-mezzer-lt-gen-2" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mezzer and the beefier Mezzer LT</a>. Both get a host of intriguing performance-oriented changes, too, so we brought

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