Bikes & Big Ideas

Blister Podcast Network
Blister Podcast Network
  • 4.8 (131)
  • Sports
  • Updated Weekly

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. 1d ago

    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: Blister Cinematic CRAFTED GEAR:30 Blister Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    The Current State of XC Bikes

  2. Aug 11

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

    Anna Newkirk on Her First Career Win

  3. Aug 11

    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.

    The Poacher

  4. Aug 6

    Reviewing the News w/ Mike Ferrentino & Simon Stewart (July)

    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.

    Reviewing the News w/ Mike Ferrentino & Simon Stewart (July)

  5. Jul 30

    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.

    Reviewer Reports: Yeti LT, Specialized Epic 9, Orbea Rallon, & More

  6. Jul 23

    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.

    Building Safer Bike Infrastructure: PeopleForBikes on their 2026 City Ratings

  7. Jul 16

    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.

    Cam McCaul on The Future of Rampage, His New Revel Partnership, Side Hits & More

  8. Jul 9

    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.

    All Things Wheels with James Stokoe of Hunt Bike Wheels
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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.

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