Today, we’re kicking off a new series for Bikes and Big Ideas: we’re setting out to identify the best bikes of the 21st century from over 30 brands. We’ve done a similar series over on our Gear:30 podcast for skis, but that was easy compared to doing the same for bikes.

Over the next couple of weeks, you’ll be hearing about our choices. We’re also including a survey, as we want to hear from you. Additionally, we’ll be sending the same survey to some bike industry luminaries, too.

Once we've reviewed an array of brands, we’ll discuss how our selections align with your answers.

And for our grand finale of this series, we’re going to offer our choices for the Very Best Bikes of the Century. It may seem like an impossible task, but we’re hoping we can agree on a top 10, maybe even a top 3, and if the stars align, one single bike. Or, we may never speak to each other again, but we’re willing to take that risk.

Part 1 kicks off with Simon Stewart, David Golay, Dylan Wood, and Xan Marshland.

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:

Best Bikes of the Century Survey

Blister Craft Collective

Blister Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide

BLISTER+ Get Yourself Covered

TOPICS & TIMES:

Yeti (1:58)

Klein (8:20)

GT (11:11)

Turner (13:57)

Titus (18:40)

Intense (22:05)

Ibis (23:41)

Rocky Mountain (28:05)

Kona (31:40)

Giant (36:14)

Santa Cruz (40:08)

Cannondale (49:48)

Specialized (54:28)

Gary Fisher (1:05:25)

Trek (1:08:36)

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The days are getting short and the weather is turning foul, but we’re still testing a ton of new bikes and gear. David Golay and Zack Henderson sat down to discuss a bunch of it, including the very burly Priority Vanth, the super lively Propain Hugene, a bunch of wet-weather apparel, and more.

RELATED LINKS:

SennzaFinne

Blister Craft Collective

Blister Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide

BLISTER+ Get Yourself Covered

TOPICS & TIMES:

Wet weather gear (2:47)

Propain Hugene (18:00)

Priority Vanth (29:14)

FSA KFX i28 XC/Trail wheels (40:05)

MRP Lift V2 damper (46:31)

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Since its inception in 2001, Red Bull Rampage has demanded athletes walk a fine line between risk and reward, and the unfortunate injuries that go with that have been numerous. But with four riders heli-evac’d with serious injuries, this year’s Rampage was arguably the heaviest we’ve seen, and has left us with many questions about how, and if, the event should continue.

Shortly afterward, several of our reviewers weighed in with their thoughts in our “Debatable” series, which asked the question, “should Rampage be shut down?” Today, we continue that conversation with an open (and quite passionate) discussion on what we think needs to happen to make the event safer for the athletes, more transparent to the fans, and ideally better to watch, too.

RELATED LINKS:

Debatable: Should Rampage Be Shut Down

Blister Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide

Get Our Free Newsletter & Gear Giveaways

BLISTER+ Get Yourself Covered

TOPICS & TIMES:

Xan: The Venue (1:07)

Dylan: Let the Athletes Course Correct (11:04)

Simon: On-Site Medical Assessments (19:09)

Zack: Expand the Event (28:34)

David: Make it a Jam instead of a Comp (35:58)

Jonathan: Increase Transparency, Cover Athletes (46:27)

The Athlete's Decision (55:12)

Our Consensus: Changes for Next Year (1:01:29)

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