Cory has been writing about mountain bikes, enduro, cyclocross, all-road, gravel bikes & bikepacking for over 25 years, even before the industry created some of these names. Prior to Bikerumor, Cory was a practicing Architect specializing in environmental sustainability, has designed bike shops & bike components, and worked as a bike shop mechanic.
Based in the Czech Republic for 15+ years, he is a technical mountain biker, adventurous gravel rider, and short & medium-haul bikepacker. Cory travels extensively across Europe riding bikes, meeting with key European product developers, industry experts & tastemakers for an in-depth review of what’s new, and what’s coming next.
Title: EU Tech Editor Location: Mountains of the Czech Republic
Expertise
Topics of Expertise: MTB, Enduro, Cyclocross, Gravel & All-Road cycling, Bikepacking & Adventure Touring, Technical Product Design & Engineering Development
Years in Expertise: 25+
Number of Products & Number of Hours Tested: 1000+ of new products in over 10,000 hours of ride testing
Education & Certifications
Education: M.Arch. in design & planning, Georgia Institute of Technology. B.S. in Architecture & Industrial Design, Georgia Institute of Technology & École nationale supérieure d’architecture de Paris-La Villette.
Years of Writing: 25+
Certifications: Registered Architect, MTB/Backpacking Instructor and WAFA/Lifeguard (previous)
Club/Association Memberships: Association Internationale des Journalistes du Cyclisme
Previous Publications: Ride Lugged, The Voice of Reason
A Word from Cory Benson
Serving as Bikerumor’s EU Tech Editor allows me to leverage my design & engineering expertise to provide independent in-depth analysis of the cycling industry’s latest technological developments here in Europe. Riding, testing, reviewing & writing about these innovations allow me to share my unique technical perspective, combined with my personal love of all cycling disciplines.
I started sharing my strong opinions about technical developments in the cycling industry while a fresh wide-eyed designer, and then as a bike mechanic starting around 1996, sharing musings through a series of blogs & occasional contributions to local mags like Dirt Rag, at the time. It officially evolved into a full-time vocation with Bikerumor starting in 2013.
Merida’s new Mission gravel race bike is a distinct departure from the ‘bigger tires is better’ crowd. This isn’t a ‘ever-chunkier American-style gravel’ bike, but…
They teased the modular nature of Super Record 13 earlier this past summer, but now top-tier wireless electronic shifting finally comes to gravel with Campagnolo…
Standert’s stainless steel Erdgeschoss gravel bike was already ready for any adventure with big tire clearance, stable geo, all the mounts, dynamo routing, and sliding…
It almost feels anachronistic that 3D-printed titanium lugs bonded to carbon tubes would be a highlight of the world’s biggest handmade bicycle show. But clearly,…
Czech steel framebuilder Zoceli’s new Vysoko high-pivot ‘hard enduro’ bike took a moment to wrap my brain around. We’re used to seeing longer travel enduro,…
What makes this new Gregario Vera AR aero road bike unique isn’t just somewhat unconventional shaping, but rather the patented manufacturing techniques used to create…
A new Ultra upgrade kit aims to make Campagnolo Super Record even lighter and more premium, swapping in more carbon, more titanium, and smoother spinning…
Entirely machined in the EU, the Garbaruk Gen2.0 is the lightest Transmission-compatible cassette you can buy, while also being less than half the cost of…
Covering Dangerholm’s custom project bikes is usually about hunting little details that make them special, but this time it’s a bit more obvious – showing…
Recently in Girona for Sea Otter Europe, wheelmaker Lavelle showed us the insides of how their nearly instant engagement clutch hub works. It’s a fairly…
Rapha has an all-new stretchy Pro Team Shadow membrane fabric that promises enhanced foul-weather protection “without compromising on comfort”. It’s the latest shift away from…
Darimo always manages to wow with sleek carbon components and almost impossible light weights, and their new Sigma carbon cranks are no different. Sub-280g for…
Bont is synonymous with premium ultra-stiff, low-stack, and lightweight cycling shoes – both on- & off-road, but their upcoming Vaypor SL G gravel shoes are…
