Bikes & Big Ideas

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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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1 DAG SIDEN

Reviewer Reports: Sea Otter Recap, eMTB Power Wars, & More

We’re back and (mostly) recovered from Sea Otter, so David and Simon sat down to discuss the highlights and main trends from the show. And we’re busy as ever testing bikes, so we give some updates on a bunch of them, from the Pivot Mach 4 SL to the Devinci Spartan, the Specialized Levo R to the Pivot Shuttle AMP’d, and more. RELATED LINKS: Blister Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide BLISTER+ Get Yourself Covered Hans Rey (Ep.319) Chris Cocalis (Ep.321) TOPICS & TIMES: Sea Otter Recap (1:37) Transition Spur (9:31) Pivot Mach 4 SL (12:37) Atherton A.150.M (19:25) Specialized Turbo Levo R (26:29) Devinci Spartan (34:04) Pivot Shuttle AMP’d (39:54) CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS: Blister Cinematic CRAFTED GEAR:30 Blister Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

53 min.
16. APR.

Vessel Bike Project’s Ultra-Customizable High-Pivot Frames

There aren’t a lot of options for truly custom full-suspension frames out there, and the few that do exist tend to be very expensive. But Vessel Bike Project is offering US-made high-pivot steel frames with truly custom geometry and kinematics (and a massive amount of adjustability) for a surprisingly modest $3,300. So, how are they doing it? What does the customization process look like? And what is the general design philosophy behind Vessel? We dive into all of that and more with Vessel Founder, Jack Harle. RELATED LINKS: Blister Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide BLISTER+ Get Yourself Covered TOPICS & TIMES: Vessel’s backstory Suspension kinematics & the baseline Vessel frame design Frame layout Anti-rise & its impact on performance Selling bikes The customization process Leverage curves & tailoring them for different riders Jack’s philosophy on bike design Geometry Suspension setup Pricing & the ordering process CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS: Blister Cinematic CRAFTED GEAR:30 Blister Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

57 min.
9. APR.

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 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 TOPICS & TIMES: New Shuttle AMP’d (1:58) Why Avinox? (2:13) Motor Swaps & Early Prototyping (5:52) Adding Some Beef to the Chassis (8:57) New Shuttle LT (28:59) New Mach 4 SL (32:45) Chris’ Take on 32” Wheels (42:11) Who’s Going to Win Supercross (48:42) CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS: Blister Cinematic GEAR:30 Blister Podcast CRAFTED Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

58 min.
2. APR.

Reviewing the News w/ Mike Ferrentino & Simon Stewart (April, 2026)

The frame building community lost an integral parts supplier with the closing of Paragon Machine Works, so today, Mike and Simon talk about what happened and what's next for frame builders. The first race of the Monster Pro Downhill series had some surprises, leading them to throw out some predictions for what is shaping up to be one hell of a World Cup DH season. We also discuss the dangers of kids riding Surrons and why parents might want to pay attention, plus a solid rant on crazy high hotel pet fees, 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 Get Our Free Newsletter & Gear Giveaways BLISTER+ Get Yourself Covered Mike’s The Grimy Handshake Substack TOPICS & TIMES: Hero Dirt (3:28) Crazy High Hotel Pet Fees (5:17) 32” Wheel Momentum (16:38) Paragon Machine Works Closes (26:47) Knolly Bikes Restructuring (32:16) The Danger of Kids on Surrons (33:52) More recalls (41:14) Racing updates (42:38) Will this be Luca Shaw’s Year? (47:11) Mike Waxing His… (51:12) What we’re reading & watching (1:03:20) CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS: Blister Cinematic CRAFTED GEAR:30 Blister Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1 t. 9 min.
26. MAR.

Hans Rey on the eBike Power War & Why it Could Cost us Trail Access

Hans Rey joins Simon to discuss the letter he wrote to the bike industry about crazy-high eBike power numbers and the total disregard for the existing Class 1 eBike power limits we’re seeing currently. Hans is worried, and rightfully so, that the eBike power war is out of control, and what it means for rider safety and future trail access needs to be considered. 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 TOPICS & TIMES: The eBike Power War (4:28) Class 1 vs Class 3 (8:45) Defining What an eBike is (14:14) Who Makes the Rules? (15:31) How Much Power is too Much? (18:48) Are Chinese Brands to Blame? (24:48) Should the Industry Self-Regulate? (27:12) Preserving Trail Access (29:46) Are Bike Brands Being Irresponsible? (34:41) Moving the Goal Post (37:34) Impossible Climbs Made Possible (43:04) What’s Next for Hans (52:12) CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS: Blister Cinematic GEAR:30 Blister Podcast CRAFTED Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

59 min.
19. MAR.

Daniel Yang on 32’’ Wheels, the Evolution of Wheel Sizes, & More

Are 32’’ wheels going to take over the MTB world, or become a flash in the pan like plus-sized tires did a decade ago? How did the bike industry take sudden interest in a unicycle wheel size — and are 32’’ wheeled-bikes even truly new? And, maybe most importantly, how do the big wheels actually ride? We’re joined by Daniel Yang of Neuhaus Metalworks to discuss the burgeoning wheel size, the challenges of designing a bike for bigger wheels, and get a history lesson on the evolution of MTB wheel sizes. RELATED LINKS: Blister Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide BLISTER+ Get Yourself Covered TOPICS & TIMES: The history of MTB wheel sizes The first 29er tire Tubeless MTB tires First production 29er The first 32’’ bike Neuhaus 32’’ prototypes Testing 32’’ wheels Predictions for the future of 32’’ wheels CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS: Blister Cinematic CRAFTED GEAR:30 Blister Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1 t.
12. MAR.

Reviewing the News w/ Mike Ferrentino & Simon Stewart (March, 2026)

Today, Mike and Simon discuss what's happening, and not happening, with the investigations into the shooting deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, and Kristi Noem’s complete lack of accountability. On the bike news side, there’s an ongoing power war taking place among eBike drive system manufacturers; bike companies suing to get much-needed tariff money back; Tadej Pogacar dominating the Strade Bianche again; new bikes from Pivot, Specialized, and Kona; 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 TOPICS & TIMES: Accountability for the Deaths of Alex Pretti & Renee Good (3:42) Will Bike Companies Get Money Back From Tariffs? (9:32) Hans Rey’s Letter to the Bike Industry (16:26) Emil Johansson Rampage Injury Update (33:35) Tadej Pogacar’s Strade Bianche Dominance (38:09) A Drop Bar Kona Mountain Bike (44:07) Turbo Levo R (50:04) New Pivot Mach 4 SL (57:35) What We’re Reading & Watching (1:02:05) CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS: Blister Cinematic CRAFTED GEAR:30 Blister Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1 t. 8 min.
5. MAR.

Kavenz on Developing the Bonded VHP X Frame

The current Kavenz VHP bikes come with a sticker that says “Made from aluminum: we give a shit,” a nod to the recyclability and (purportedly) lower environmental impact of aluminum compared to carbon fiber. But Kavenz is also openly developing the next-generation VHP platform — and it’s using carbon tubes bonded to aluminum lugs. So, why change materials, especially when aluminum is such a big part of the brand’s image and ethos? Why document the whole process for the public, rather than developing a new bike in secret, as most brands do? Is the environmental impact of aluminum even really lower? We sat down with Kavenz founder Giacomo Großehagenbrock to discuss all that and much more. RELATED LINKS: Blister Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide BLISTER+ Get Yourself Covered TOPICS & TIMES: Founding Kavenz & Documenting Frame Design (2:41) Why Update the VHP? (8:07) Material Options & Refining the VHP X (12:49) Filament Winding & Carbon Tubes (15:50) Environmental Impact of Carbon Fiber (18:51) Bonding a Frame (22:22) Sample Testing & Next Steps (28:32) Availability & Pricing (38:28) CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS: Blister Cinematic CRAFTED GEAR:30 Blister Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

42 min.

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TRAILER

Introducing: Bikes & Big Ideas

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 stories from across the bike world, while also on occasion going way beyond bikes per se to take a look at some of the biggest ideas and potentially game-changing innovations in the areas of sustainable design, cleaner energy, biotech, and more. The one and only Claudio Caluori will be joining me regularly to co-host BIKES & BIG IDEAS, and we are going to be interviewing folks within the bike community — athletes, company founders, product managers, engineers, trail advocates et cetera — and then in some episodes, we’ll be taking a look at the latest developments, biggest breakthroughs, and emerging industries that could help to improve the present and the future. Our first episode of BIKES AND BIG IDEAS drops next week, and in episode #1, Claudio and I will talk more about the impetus for this podcast and how it came to be. So subscribe today where ever you get your podcasts to catch episode number 1 with me and Claudio, and we will talk to you next week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

25.04.2019

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2 min.

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.