Bikes & Big Ideas

Anneke Beerten was born in the Netherlands, started racing BMX when she was 4 years old, then became a 2-time world champion in BMX, a 3-time Four-cross world champion, the Queen of Crankworx, and she’s won, podiumed, and top 5’d many enduro, DH, DS races. She also just won the So Cal Enduro and Snow Summit DH. So Blister reviewers Dylan Wood and Jonathan Ellsworth caught up with Anneke to talk ab...

Bike sales are through the roof this season, and all around the world, a lot of people are hitting the trails. So we talked to the executive director of the Crested Butte Mountain Bike Association , Dave Ochs, to discuss the implications of — and potential solutions to — increased trail use. TOPICS & TIMES Dave’s background (3:00) CBMBA state of the union (6:20) Implications of higher use of t...

David Golay and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss the backstory of the new ZEB fork and why RockShox built it; who it’s for; its available configurations and compatibility; the ZEB vs. the Lyrik and more, with RockShox’s Chris Mandell. TOPICS & TIMES Chris’ background (3:39) ZEB backstory (12:40) Different ZEB models (21:57) ZEB vs RockShox Lyrik (26:49) ZEB compatibility (37:31) Drivetrains vs Brake...

Everybody’s favorite bike-POV-commentator is back to talk about chasing Nino Schurter down trails in Switzerland; his thoughts on e-bikes (now that he’s been riding one frequently); his company, Velosolutions’ first “all-electric” build; the status of the Red Bull UCI Pump Track World Championships ; and more. TOPICS & TIMES Claudio’s life these days (2:07) Chasing Nino Schurter (6:11) Claudio...

Elorie Slater runs the marketing department for Pivot Cycles, and we talk about her unusual path to becoming the head of marketing for Pivot; her take on the bike industry in the time of COVID, and where the industry goes from here; bike prices and “entry level” pricing; and the notion of women-specific gear and female participation in mountain biking. TOPICS & TIMES Elorie’s background (4:12)...

We talk with Dean Payne, the president and co-founder of the BC Bike Race , about the origins and evolution of one of the most epic bike races and events in the world. And Simon Stewart ( aka, Mr. Tank Driver ) is sitting in as co-host to discuss all things BC Bike Race, and what goes into putting together a complex and great event like this. TOPICS & TIMES History of the BC Bike Race (3:14) C...

We caught up this week with the one and only Cam McCaul to talk about some of the bike films that made the biggest impression on him; the new TGR film he’s in called, Accomplice (some of which was shot in our little corner of the world, Crested Butte); how he prepares for riding big lines; his work as a commentator; and which discipline he thinks many people fail to really appreciate: slopestyle,...

Today we’re talking with bike-industry veterans Simon Stewart ( Mr. Tank Driver, of Bikes & Big Ideas ep. #18 fame ) and Joe Parkin (author, former pro cyclist, and our editor-in-chief’s new dealer) at their bike shop in Buena Vista, Colorado . First, we announce their brand-new shop name, then we talk about what it’s like to own and operate a bike shop in these times, and finally, we discuss...

Which bike company is currently the most like which ski company? Here in part 2, we get into more arguments and offer more of their parallels and analogies between these two industries to get a better sense of the current position, reputation, and trajectory of a bunch of different brands in these sports. And we want to hear from you — where do you agree or disagree, and can you come up with bette...

By the time he was in his mid-20s, Adam Miller had already founded three bike companies — Borealis Fat Bikes, Why Cycles , and Revel Bikes . It’s a pretty wild backstory, and Adam sat down with us in Blister HQ to spell it all out like he never has before. We talk about growing up in Alaska, starting — and running — his first bike company as a 21 year old college kid; selling that same company and...

Which bike company is currently most like which ski company? And which bike and ski company do most other bike and ski brands secretly wish they could trade places with? Today, Noah Bodman, Jonathan Ellsworth, David Golay, and Eric Freson make parallels and analogies between these two industries to get a better sense of the current position, reputation, and trajectory of a bunch of different brand...

What, exactly, does it mean for a company to be a Certified B Corporation business, and why should anyone care? To learn more, we reached out to Chris King Precision Components , which just completed the process of becoming one of the very few B Corp manufacturing companies in the entire bike industry. Chris King’s general manager, Chris (aka, “Kirby”) Bedsaul talked with us about what the process...

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?...

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 vir...

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 the...

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 C...

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 Magazi...

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...

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 Bu...

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...

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 predic...

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 Influent...

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 Rampa...

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 compan...

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...