Industry Insider: MTB career insights with Ben Hillsdon
We chat to Canyon's communications manager about all things cycling
From the Bristol Council to one of the biggest bike brands in the world, Ben Hillsdon has a way with words and an unwavering passion for bikes. But how did it all start?
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With over a decade of industry experience under his belt, Ben has worked for several brands in a variety of communication roles. He joined Canyon as Global Communications Manager back in 2022 following a seven-year run at Shimano as PR and Communications specialist. This is his story.
In your own words, who are you and what do you do?
My name is Ben Hillsdon. I work in marketing and public relations and I like life on two wheels. I’m fortunate enough to ride bikes, talk about bikes and write about bikes, and call it a job. The line is often blurry between professional life and personal life. I’m also a father and a husband with an understanding family.
What is your job?
I’m the Global Communications Manager for Canyon Bicycles. The company is based in Koblenz, Germany, although I work from our office in Amsterdam. It’s my job to get as many people as possible excited about the great stuff that Canyon does.
Sometimes that means writing stories, sometimes it’s creating a brief for creative content producers, sometimes it involves getting stories out to the media or Canyon’s own channels, and sometimes it means inviting people into Canyon to find out about the company for themselves. Often it involves travel and meeting people, which I love doing. In terms of being able to mix professional growth with personal interests, I think I might just have one of the best jobs in the bike industry.
How did you get into what you do?
My career in cycling started in the public sector. I was working in Bristol City Council’s press office when a job came up to promote the city’s cycling network and its efforts to encourage more everyday cycling. For the first time, I was able to combine my passion for cycling with my professional experience in marketing and communications. That led to a job in marketing with Raleigh and Diamondback in Nottingham. From there I made a leap across the Channel to work for Shimano in the Netherlands.
How long have you been working in the bike industry?
I guess you could say that I started working in cycling in 2009, although it wasn’t until joining Raleigh in 2012 that I really began to understand the bike industry. So that’s somewhere between 12-15 years now.
How have things changed since you started?
Cycling seems worlds away from how it was in 2009. Bike tech is light years ahead and things are far more professional now. Mountain biking was nowhere near as easy to watch as it is these days and social media was in its infancy, so information about riders was harder to come by. With the increase in digital media platforms and social media, riders are now far more visible, especially in less high-profile disciplines. It’s easier for riders to find communities, which has been especially important in the growth of both men’s and women’s competitive mountain biking.
The changing media landscape has seen a decline in the number of print media titles, the rise of web media, and now the rise of video. For Canyon, that changes the way we need to present our products, and in turn, how consumers are finding out about our products. These days we work on a lot more athlete activations and the Canyon YouTube and social channels play a big part in our promotional mix.
In general, I’d like to think there are tens of thousands more people riding bikes in the UK now than there were back then. The legacy of the London Olympics in 2012 helped. Whether directly or indirectly, sports results inspire thousands of people, from young children to policymakers and it’s so important that the industry continues to invest in athletes and competitions.
Is there anything you wish you could change about your role/job?
I’m in touch with journalists frequently and I find that the bike media landscape is still lacking in diversity. There are many factors to addressing under-representation in cycling but seeing different faces or hearing different voices will support getting more people riding bikes, so I'd welcome more diversity in publishing.
What does the average week look like?
During the summer months I travel about once every two weeks so there’s a fair amount of preparation towards going away, and then the resulting decompression and catch-up. Being away usually involves being at an event, and presenting information about new Canyon bikes or accessories. Ideally, it involves inspiring people with test rides, too. Travelling is always enjoyable but it’s never nine to five. Luckily there are a lot of wonderful people in the bike industry so even the longest days can be very enjoyable.
Away from events and travel, an average week would involve looking at Canyon’s performance in terms of media coverage and the impact that makes, plus planning for media campaigns and preparing all the assets we need to explain our stories and get people excited for our new products. On top I’ll throw in a few rides – for the Netherlands my home trails are surprisingly good and in Koblenz, the trails near the office are great for after-work laps.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to do your job/what you do?
Develop a liking for caffeine. Be reliable and available. Answer your phone and reply to your emails promptly. Find passion in your job and try to be the best you can at it. Ride as many different types of bikes as you can. Take stuff apart to find out how it works. Go out, meet people, be social, and develop your contact list. Say yes when you can.
What do you like most about what you do?
I’ve loved riding my bike and watching cycling since I can remember. It's an incredibly motivating industry to work in. Bikes make a positive contribution to people's lives and help make future mobility cleaner and greener. It’s very fulfilling to wake up every day knowing that I’m working on something that makes a difference in society.
If you weren’t doing this, you would be?
I love my job so there’s not much I’d rather be doing. An alternative path at 18 would have taken me on a route to becoming a designer or an illustrator but I suspect I’d still have found my way into cycling.
What have been some of the highlights of your career?
In terms of scale, being able to launch flagship groupsets like XTR and XT at Shimano was a big responsibility. I know that we set the bar high with those launch events and created some industry-leading moments. I’ve been able to take that standard to Canyon to continue creating industry-leading product launch experiences. A big part of Canyon’s messaging comes from inspiration.
For example, we launched the latest Neuron with a three-day media trip across the Sierra Nevada mountains in Spain to prove the all-day adventure capabilities of the bike, and we launched four bikes in our e-MTBs line-up in Massa Marittima to give journalists the chance to compare riding styles and features back to back on some world-class MTB trails. There were moments on those trips that will stay with me for a lifetime.
But in general, any time I see my words or ideas in print, it always feels like a highlight. Totting up all that media coverage over the year, seeing how many readers we reach, and reading the positive comments is really validating.
The industry is in a bit of a tough situation at the moment. Do you see it recovering any time soon and, if so, what will brands need to do to stay relevant and afloat?
The industry always ebbs and flows so I’m confident that we’ll see a stabilisation and a recovery once both supply chain shortages and overstock sort themselves out. From a Canyon perspective, it is like always being a driver for innovation, working together with athletes, and above all being sharply focused on customer needs and customer service.
What do you dislike most about the cycling industry?
I’m very pleased to see the brands and the industry as a whole increasingly addressing environmental, social, and governance topics. I want to work for a company that demonstrates the importance of these topics – and I’m proud to say that I do – but I’d like to see more brands stepping up to be environmentally and socially responsible and to have strong procedures in place to deal with those topics.
How do you keep things balanced when your hobby becomes your job?
I had a child and that was more than enough to balance out my obsession!
