We’re wrapping up our Best Bikes of the Century series, so today, Blister reviewers Zack Henderson, Xan Marshland, David Golay, and Simon Stewart reveal their top three selections. We also share picks and insights from a number of bike industry luminaries and legends, along with some listener opinions, before trying to narrow it down to a final podium.

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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 [email protected] to weigh in.

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Best Bikes of the Century Survey

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TOPICS & TIMES:

Industry Picks (1:23)

Our Picks (26:56)

Listener Comments (58:25)

The Final Countdown (1:03:20)

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Will 32’’ wheels have staying power, or will they be another flash in the pan like plus-sized tires? Either way, they’re coming, and we sat down with Manitou Product Manager, Phil Ott, and Reynolds Director of Wheel Development, Todd Tanner, to discuss what it takes to design parts for 32’’ bikes; how to avoid a mess of competing standards as 32’’ bikes come online; where we are (and aren’t) likely to see 32’’ wheels in a few years; and a whole lot more.

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TOPICS & TIMES:

Introductions (1:19)

When did Hayes start taking 32’’ wheels seriously? (3:02)

What made it clear that 32’’ wheels were happening? (5:57)

The importance of the UCI sanctioning 32’’ wheels (8:43)

Early prototyping (11:13)

Refinements & limitations of the wheel size (16:29)

Fork offset & other details (32:07)

Phil and Todd’s wish lists (33:55)

What’s the ceiling for 32’’ wheels? (38:43)

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We’ve got a lot of interesting drivetrain-related testing going on right now, from our just-published roundup of chain damping devices to multiple gearbox bikes, the Supre Drive-equipped Lal Katana, and more. David and Zack sat down to discuss what they’re learning, debate the pros and cons of these novel options, and give a rundown on some more conventional bikes they’ve been spending time on, too.

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TOPICS & TIMES:

Kavenz VHP G2 (2:11)

Evil Offering (16:59)

Lal Katana (30:29)

Transition Regulator SX (38:45)

Chain Damper Roundup (47:56)

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Today, Mike joins us from Loretto, Mexico, and on his way down there, he stopped in Los Algodones to get his rotten teeth fixed in what's become known as Molar City. Mike recounts his experience with Mexico’s booming low-cost dental industry and how, at one point, he thought he might be in a Quentin Tarantino film.  

On the bike news front, we talk about more struggling companies, including Rad Power Bikes and Campagnolo, as well as a few recalls, before getting into World Cup DH athlete team changes, Mike’s take on 32” wheels, 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 [email protected] to weigh in.

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Mike’s The Grimy Handshake Substack

TOPICS & TIMES:

Mike’s Back in Mexico (1:22)

Getting his Teeth Sorted in “Molar City” (2:33)

RIP Joe Montgomery (14:14)

Rad Power Bikes Files Bankruptcy (15:52)

New Ducati eMTBs, Gravel & Road Bikes (21:24)

Giant Moving to Boulder, Colorado (25:18)

Chinese Counterfeit Bike Bust (28:59)

Campagnolo Cuts Workforce by 40% (34:14)

Bike Recalls (37:42)

Mike’s 32” Wheels Predictions (38:59)

New Products (46:02)

World Cup DH Athlete News (1:00:59)

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Hayden Zablotny showed up at Red Bull Rampage and became the first rookie to win since Brandon Semenuk did it back in 2008. Hayden’s path to the top step of the podium is a fascinating story chronicling a young, talented rider struggling to get noticed. Today, he joins us to talk about that journey, how he became known as “the poacher,” finally getting the coveted Rampage invite, his winning run, and how he kept his head in the game during one of the heaviest injury-laden Rampages ever.

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TOPICS & TIMES:

Getting started on Two Wheels and his BMX Legend Dad (4:14)

Racing BMX and Building Skills (6:43)

Moving to BC and Discovering Mountain Biking (8:14)

Finding His Niche in Freestyle (10:09)

Poaching Proving Grounds and Getting Noticed (24:11)

Getting the Rampage Invite (35:49)

Building His Line (41:48)

Staying Focused Amidst all the Injuries (43:30)

Breaking Down His Winning Run (46:34)

Hayden’s Biike Setup (51:45)

What’s next? (58:46)

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Vali Höll is in the midst of one of the most dominant runs we’ve seen in World Cup DH racing, taking her third consecutive overall title and fourth consecutive World Championships win in 2025. And she did it despite her team, the YT Mob, shutting down mid-season amidst YT’s ongoing financial struggles. Vali joins us to tell the story of her season, what happened with the Mob, how she pressed on regardless, how she ended up signing with Commencal for 2026, and a whole lot more.

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Blister Podcast Ep.388

TOPICS & TIMES:

The YT Mob & YT’s insolvency (2:50)

Team contracts & how the season unfolded (5:13)

Racing after team funding was cut (18:11)

Talks with other teams & moving to Commencal (23:45)

Consistency & race results (25:25)

Racing for a new contract & managing pressure (27:52)

Bikepacking & gravel bikes (31:20)

Vali’s goals for 2026 (35:21)

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We’re currently testing a huge array of bikes, from the super-efficient Norco Revolver, to the long-travel, Bosch CX-equipped Yeti LTe, with a whole lot in between — including the Lal Katana, with its novel Supre Drive. David and Simon sat down to share our thoughts on all of those and more, and along the way, we got into some debates about wheel sizes, geometry preferences, and more.

RELATED LINKS:

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TOPICS & TIMES:

Yeti LTe (1:37)

Cannondale Moterra (15:39)

Norco Sight VLT (24:51)

Trek Fuel MX (34:40)

Lal Katana (49:51)

Norco Revolver (58:22)

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Gamux has never done things the conventional way and takes pride in that. But they aren’t being different for the sake of being different, either. Founder Pascal Tinner is back on the show to talk about what they’ve been up to, from their partnership with Reece Wilson’s AON Racing, to the ‘Trophy Truck’ prototype race bike, and a whole lot more.

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TOPICS & TIMES:

AON Racing & Reece Wilson (1:45)

The Sego (14:44)

DH prototypes (22:38)

Body types & bike design (29:03)

The Trophy Truck (33:40)

Riders & building a team (36:32)

2026 & beyond (45:10)

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For November’s Reviewing the News Episode, Mike clues us in on what's been going on in the Cyclocross season so far. Then we have a bunch of bike industry recalls to wade through — some of which are legitimately dangerous — which segways into Mike and Simon trying to understand why Rad Power Bikes is not issuing a recall for batteries that could burn down your house.

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 [email protected] to weigh in.

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TOPICS & TIMES:

Mike’s Cyclocross Season Update (5:32)

Rad Power Bike’s Battery Problems (15:01)

Can Trek’s Coaster Brake Failures Make Better Cyclists? (24:52)

You Can Still Get Injured on a Peloton  (32:56)

Lezyne Floor Pumps at Risk of Exploding (38:58)

Will the Bike Industry Ever Go Back to Normal? (42:44)

Mike’s Madrone Derailleur (46:30)

Charging eBikes Off-Grid (59:27)

Mike’s Heading to Mexico to Fix his Teeth (1:07:02)

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In Part 2 of our series on the Best Bikes of the Century, Simon Stewart, David Golay, and Xan Marshland are back, plus Zack Henderson also joins them to dig into 16 more brands as they continue the hard work of trying to single out the best bikes from the last 25 years. Since they focused on many prominent brands from the early 2000s in Part 1, they take a closer look at newer brands, direct-to-consumer bike companies, plus a couple of OG ones, just to mix it up.

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 [email protected] 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:

Pivot (0:59)

Canyon (7:03)

YT (12:59)

Forbidden (16:44)

Norco (22:02)

Mondraker (27:16)

Scott (33:06)

Salsa (38:38)

Orbea (43:33)

Commencal (47:04)

Transition (50:15)

Evil (56:56)

Devinci (59:55)

Revel (1:02:13)

Marin (1:05:31)

Surly  (1:12:01)

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