Neil Beltchenko

After a decade, Surly’s cult-classic drop-bar do-everything bike finally got a thoughtful refresh. We put the 2025 Straggler through daily rides, some dirt touring, and chunky gravel to see if the updates—new axle setup, revised sizing, and fork options—modernize it without losing that Surly weird-in-a-good-way charm. Find our full Surly Straggler review here, including what works, what doesn’t, and all the nitty gritty details…

Built from the ground up by Goodday + Curiosity, Neil’s “Gila Monster” blends a playful twin top tube, smart geometry, and dialed bag integration into a bike that’s purpose-made for bikepacking on singletrack. Dive into the build, the fit, and the details, and find out whether a custom bike can change how (and what) you ride here…

Over the last five months, Neil has put the new Wahoo ELEMNT Roam 3 through its paces on everything from quick day rides to multi-day bikepacking trips. Along the way, he’s logged enough miles to deliver clear takeaways on the updated hardware, features, and what’s changed from the previous version. The big question: Is it fit for bikepacking? Watch now to find out…

Neil has been putting the Hover Air X1 ProMax through its paces over the past several months, bringing it along on bikepacking trips and day rides. It’s become a go-to tool for capturing B-roll for reviews and other videos. In his latest review, he digs into all the details and showcases a wide range of shots he’s captured along the way…

After a busy first half of the year packed with riding and camping, Neil compiled his latest list of favorite gear for this mid-year Editor’s Dozen. From comfort items and tasty camp dinners to bags and surprising gadgets, this collection spotlights standout items from his spring and summer adventures…

In our latest tent review, Neil takes a detailed look at Durston’s new X-Dome 1+. Despite some initial skepticism, he came away thinking that this freestanding shelter might be the best one-person tent available. In our Durston X-Dome 1+ review, he covers everything from setup and materials to packed weights and the standout features that distinguish it from the competition. Find it here…

Canyon just dropped the new Grizl Escape ECLIPS, and it’s a full-on love letter to bikepacking. Packed with thoughtful details—right down to a gummy bear graphic on the seat tube—it’s clear they didn’t just design this bike for adventure; they designed it for us. Find our full review here…

Adding to their flood of mountain bike drivetrain launches this month, Shimano has another big announcement today: their first-ever fully wireless gravel groupset. It leans heavily on their latest wireless derailleur tech but is a compelling addition to the lineup. Neil has been riding the new Shimano GRX Di2 group for the past month and breaks down everything you need to know in this review, including specs, weights, install tips, highlights, and more…

After we published our Rigs of the 2025 Tour Divide, Neil dug into the submissions, uncovering the essential details and trends to reveal a clearer picture of the bikes and gear used in this year’s event. In this piece, we break down the data and highlight some interesting findings, including where folks are from, what bikes, tires, drivetrains, gearing, and cargo setups they’re running, and much more. Dive in here…

The new wireless XTR drivetrain isn’t the only thing that’s new today from Shimano. They also dropped their latest brakes, and there are a lot of notable updates. We tested the all-new Shimano XTR M9220 endurance trail brakes ahead of today’s launch for this review…

It was a long time coming, but Shimano finally launched their fully wireless XTR drivetrain. Was it worth the wait? To find out, we real-world tested the Shimano XTR Di2 wireless system on trail rides and bikepacking trips over the last few months for this full review, complete with actual weights and prices compared to other drivetrains…

In his latest video, Neil takes a look at the all-new Pact Ultra Lite Bathroom Kit, an impressively compact and light trowel system that contains everything you need to do your business in the woods. Find the full Pact Ultra Lite Bathroom Kit review video here…