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.
Last week, the Grand Tour double-winning and bike-building founder of Officina Battaglin, Giovanni Battaglin turned 69 years old. To celebrate, Battaglin is releasing a unique…
Standert’s Italian-made Scandium alloy Kreissäge RS road bike is faster than ever, thanks to a new rally sport upgrade. Building on the successful disc brake…
New biodegradable Peaty’s Link Lube Dry wax chain lube promises long-lasting protection and a quiet running drivetrain when riding in everything from desert conditions to…
Orbea’s Alma cross-country hardtail gets a complete overhaul from affordable alloy to World Cup level OMX carbon that is lighter and more technically capable than…
Remember those British-made, classic Grand Tour road pedals we saw earlier this spring? Now Chater-Lea has the Grand Tour crankset to thread them into, blending…
Introduced two summers ago, the shape-shifting Orbea Oiz is back with a lighter, stiffer, more efficient OMX update for cross-country, marathon & singletrack trail riding.…
Hold onto your gravel tires and get set for electrified bikepacking, the new Canyon Grail:ON e-bike is bringing pedal-assist power to adventure riding. It’s hardly…
Panzer EVO reshapes their five-sided Spanish tubeless tire inserts with third gen anti-pinch flat protection that is much lighter, tougher & better fitting. The new…
Merida’s all-new carbon Scultura Endurance fills a void in their deep drop bar line-up that we hadn’t even really noticed – the all-road. Promising quick…
The Nordest Sardinha 2 is the subtle evolution of an affordable off-road bikepacking project that bike builder Pedro Jerónimo has been refining for several years.…
Campagnolo reshapes their workhorse road wheels with all-new wider Shamal Carbon DB wheels in a significant shift towards endurance all-road riding. Now also in carbon…
Urge’s latest All-Air mountain bike helmet introduces extra ERT impact protection at an affordable price level we’re not used to seeing. Combining their signature eco-friendly…
Garmin’s latest premium Fēnix 6 Pro Solar and Tactix Delta Solar Edition adventure smart watches track your biking & other activities with full mapping &…
It’s hard to argue with a quality, affordable hardtail for getting new mountain bikers hooked, and Canyon’s 2021 Grand Canyon lineup adds great new options…
In a new approach to crafting lightweight carbon bikes, the Superstrata Terra road bike brings 3D-printing to life in a unique one-pass unibody composite frame…
Rapha’s latest Crit Collection leaves the oil slicks behind, in favor of new dynamic, colorful fades & road marking inspiration. Developed for flashy urban racing…
Urge Bike Products reshapes their eco-friendly mountain bike helmet tech into an all-new and affordable Papingo road bike helmet. Using recycled plastics wherever it can,…