Dear Bikerumor readers,
As of today, I’m officially moving on from Bikerumor.*
When I started this site in 2008, it was to avoid getting a real job. Over the years, it certainly became one, but, mostly, it never felt like it.
Sure, there were days, weeks, and months when it took everything I had. I remember the early Interbikes, Sea Otters, and, eventually, Eurobikes, when I would cover the shows from open to close, then work until midnight writing stories about everything I’d seen that day.
As my network grew, those days got longer with post-show beers and burritos (or schnitzel) with industry friends, then even later nights to catch up on the writing.
Yet, even after giving so many years of hustle to feed this beast, Bikerumor has given me so much more.
It’s allowed me to travel the world, ride epic locations, enjoy amazing experiences, and form lifelong friendships with awesome people. It’s let me ride the very best bikes and components, and opened doors to the companies and people that make them.
And it gave me a platform worthy of the excellent writers, past and present, that have helped fill the news feed daily. I can’t thank my team enough for all of their hard work, and I’m fortunate to call them all friends, too.
That’s it? I’m done?
First, lemme explain that asterisk. It’s going to be a slow roll out, full of high fives, over the next month.
I have a lot of reviews I’d like to finish to honor the brands that entrusted their products to me. And as anyone in the industry knows, once you’re in the bike industry, it’s hard to leave…it’s just too much fun. This is a passion industry, and I love passionate people.
And, Zach, you can always send me to product launches in a pinch. Because I will never say no to riding bikes somewhere awesome!
But I will no longer be posting daily news here.
So, why am I leaving?
This summer marked 16 years covering the cycling industry. And I turned 50 earlier this year.
I was 34 when I started Bikerumor and have often joked that “I didn’t wanna be 50 and writing about bikes.”
Not that there’s anything wrong with that, I just thought I would be elsewhere. I didn’t know where (still don’t), but I like to start projects, try new things, and experiment. (NFTs, anyone? How about a sports drink?)
The bug to build something new has bitten hard, and some of my side projects are off to a great start. Follow me on LinkedIn if you want to see what I’m up to.
Thank you, to all of you
Bikerumor wouldn’t be what it is without the hard work and dedication of the crew. I’m proud to have been able to call them “my” crew, but I’m also proud that they’ll be just fine without me.
Bikerumor was never about me, and it makes me happy that everyone here has had the opportunity to get out of it what they wanted and enjoy just as many (sometimes more!) opportunities as I have.
Thank you to Zach, Cory, Jordan, Ron, and Steve for keeping the pages filled lately, and to Kristi, Watts, Jessie-May, Saris, Nick, Anna, Tim, Marc, Colin, Greg, and all of the other freelancers and Allgear crew who have filled in over the years.
Also, thank you Kristi for trusting me to make something of this to support our family and plan so many of our vacations and family trips around bike launches, factory tours, and riding!
Thank you to everyone in the industry who let me peek behind the curtain, ask a million questions, and ride your bikes. Thank you for trusting me to tell your story.
And thanks to all of you for reading, commenting, and sharing.
Sincerely,
Tyler Benedict
Founder, Bikerumor
