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.
SRAM adds TIME, another long-established cycling brand, to their portfolio with their purchase from Rossignol. Closing out one of the few remaining gaps in their…
POC’s new Supreme Rain Jacket claims the relatively rare mix of ultralight weight, maximized breathability, and the full weather protection of a true 3-layer membrane…
Technology upstart LORE has figured out how to make custom cycling shoes even more custom, by 3D-printing the upcoming LoreOne carbon road shoe to perfectly…
Remember those crazy light one-piece carbon Syncros Silverton SL wheels with carbon rim, spokes & hubs – all molded together at one time? Well, Syncros…
Farr’s new GPS Mount solves a simple but confounding issue for endurance riders who otherwise love their curious little Carbon Aero Bolt-On aerobar extension. If…
While we’re still unsure of how & when mass participation events will responsibly rebound this year on a larger scale, the new self-supported Odyssey of…
The new POC Omne Eternal is set to be the world’s first solar-powered cycling helmet, integrating its own self-powered rear lighting. Charging its internal battery…
Following up the all-new 40mm Getaway, Challenge has another new high-volume hardpack dirt road & gravel tire in the new Strada Bianca 40. Combining their…
These wild, Italian-made alloy MagneticDays Forza Pura cranks spin everything you know about pedaling a bike on its head. Developed to force cyclists to pedal…
There are plenty of stick-on vinyl options to safeguard your paint job, but Restrap’s new Bicycle Protection Kit adds a simple bikepacking-specific touch with topographic…
Rose’s affordable carbon gravel bike gets that wild internally-geared rear hub 1x 22-speed electronic drivetrain in a new Backroad X Classified complete build. The German…
Polar’s new optical Verity Sense heart rate sensor could be a better option for athletes who struggle with fit or consistent data from conventional heart…
An end to setting up shocks by feel, Mondraker’s all-new MIND integrated telemetry system replaces ideal suspension setup guesswork with real data-driven performance analysis &…
Effetto Mariposa has tweaked their Caffélatex tubeless valves & Shelter Wide frame protection tape to help give your bike a winter refresh. The valves themselves…
MIPS has given their anti-rotation, friction-layer helmet safety systems a naming overhaul to make it easier to differentiate levels of protection & performance, and at…
Zoceli has been teasing their handmade steel 29er Naosm full-suspension enduro bike for over a year now. But after a number of iterations and prototypes,…
Norwegian Fara Cycling steps up their all-road and gravel bike game with the newly integrated F/AR and its strapless, magnetic quick release bikepacking bags. Developed…
Sure, all mountain bikers know Boost 148 spacing by now, but what about Road Boost for roadies, gravellers, bikepackers & e-bikers? Is there really going…
Belgian bike maker Jaegher and internal 2x hub maker Classified have paired up in Flanders to build the ultimate 1x all-season, all-road bike for Belgian…
Ceetec’s Phenum family gets a new lightweight Swiss-made carbon XC handlebar, plus a new all-aluminum version of their C10 thru-axles that may be even lighter…
