Jeff co-founded Singletracks with his wife Leah in 1998 and has been dedicated to sharing the mountain bike information that inspires others to take epic adventures ever since. He started mountain biking in high school and served in the US Air Force before devoting himself full time to Singletracks in 2007.
Though formally educated as an engineer, Jeff began writing stories at an early stage, inspired by his mother who is a longtime accomplished author. He enjoys covering the world of mountain biking from every possible angle, whether it's trails or gear or skills. His goal for every story: that readers learn at least one new thing.
Author snapshot
MTB Background and expertise
- Riding experience: Trail, XC, and bikepacking.
- Mountain biking since: 1992
- Number of products reviewed: ?. I think my first product review for the site was this one for a plastic wallet.
- Current stable: Canyon Neuron, Orange P7 hardtail, and Scott Fun XC
Education and writing experience
- Bachelors of Science in Engineering, Duke University
- Masters of Business Administration, Duke University
- Other publications: Panther Press (Lakeside High School - Augusta, GA), CitySearch.com
Starting with bikes, we'll talk about how buying a tool can save you money, bike warranties and insurance, and how to shop for new or used bikes.
In this episode of the Singletracks podcast, Aaron, Greg, and I discuss the ways we use our smartphones to make mountain biking easier.
The new Catlike Leaf 2C helmet provides great protection in a comfortable, affordable, and stylish package. I've been testing the latest version for a few weeks now, and here's what I've found.…
We'll share our picks for the best bike parks, backcountry rides, and urban trail systems that are begging to be explored by bike.
As temperatures start to rise, many mountain bikers--myself included--are dealing with a sore point: muscle cramps. While muscle cramps are fairly common and mostly benign, they can be painful and annoying to…
Leatt is known for offering mountain bikers high performance protection from head to toe. So it might seem strange that the company is producing a pair of shorts; after all, shorts are…
We'll touch on handlebars, stems, grips, controls (shifters, brake levers, remotes, and accessories), saddles, seatposts, and finally pedals.
All photos courtesy TexPlex As the saying goes, "everything is bigger in Texas," and apparently that includes mountain bike parks too. On June 3 TexPlex opens to…
Bracken Preserve. photo: Leah Barber Years ago I had a chance to ride several trails within the CAMBA system in Northern Wisconsin, and on that trip someone…
Note: check out the latest list of the best mountain bike trails in the USA and Canada. Singletracks collects trail reviews from thousands of mountain bikers each year, and we use the…
Over the past few years, 27.5+ wheels have come a long way from a DIY conversion project to a full-fledged, standalone wheel standard embraced by nearly every wheel manufacturer on the planet. In…
Poki shows good form with Bob and Tula in pursuit. photo: Bob Ward Dogs are known as man's best friend, so it's only natural for mountain…
In this episode of the Singletracks podcast, we talk about our favorite rides in Utah, from iconic rides like Slickrock to the best bike parks and trails with the most epic scenery.
Any opinions expressed in this article are Jeff’s personal opinions, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Singletracks.com. There's a feature on Singletracks that allows registered users to post questions about…
Aaron and I talk about the highlights from this year's Sea Otter Classic.
Graphene is a modern technology wonder, said to be 200 times stronger than steel and yet extremely flexible and lightweight. Vittoria began experimenting with Graphene as a resin additive and found, "Graphene-enhanced composites have…
It's been nearly four years since I've ridden or reviewed an electric mountain bike, so at Sea Otter last week I decided it was time to give it another shot. I chose to…
In yet another move beyond GPS units, Garmin just announced the Varia UT800, an 800-lumen light designed for both urban and trail use. While lights in this brightness range are widely available…
At Sea Otter last week I got my first look at Vittoria's Gato, cross-country (XC) tire. On paper, the Gato seems like a pretty standard XC tire: it's (just) 2.2 inches wide, weighs 760g,…
It's a little hard to believe, but many saddle companies don't make a distinction between mountain bike and road bike saddles. GORE Bike Wear seems to disagree with this approach, and they even…
As 29ers push deeper into long travel territory, mountain bikers are looking for more aggressive shocks to handle suspension duties. With that in mind, Niner just announced a special Push Edition of…
Teravail, owned by mega-distributor Quality Bicycle Products, is new to the mountain bike tire scene; so new, in fact, that you won't be able to buy any of their mountain bike tires…
In between appointments at Sea Otter last week, I noticed the Cush Core booth and had to learn more about the company's "Inner-Tire Suspension System." On the surface, the solution seems pretty straightforward:…
In this episode of the Singletracks podcast, Greg and I talk about the things mountain biking can teach all of us about life.
Singletracks has been collecting mountain bikers' trail reviews for nearly two decades now, which is pretty hard to believe. Even more unbelievable are some of the things Singletracks trail reviewers are saying--just…
On this Episode For many, the mountain biking in Colorado represents the pinnacle of trail perfection. But it’s a big state with a lot for mountain bikers to choose from, so here…
As a part of one of our surveys back in 2016, we asked mountain bikers to tell us about the primary vehicle they own. Based on the popularity of a recent forum topic about the best…
On this Episode Gear up, because we're about to cover a lot of ground. In this episode, we talk about 1X vs. 2X configurations, gearing, and performance. Not only that, we talk about…
In this special episode of the Singletracks podcast, Aaron and Greg share their experiences at Outerbike in Moab last week.
Comparing mountain bike prices year-to-year is generally an exercise in futility. For one thing, few mountain bike models last more than five years before some brand new hotness replaces the old…
In this episode we talk about how mountain bike tourism works and discuss the reasons why many communities are rolling out the red carpet for riders.
Due to pending patent claims, Jenkins was unwilling for Singletracks to share photos of his prototype. Mark Jenkins thinks he's onto something. The former Tesla Engineer…
Mike Hall. Photo: Anthony Pease Very sad news today: British cyclist Mike Hall, the 2016 Tour Divide winner and speed record holder, was killed in an accident…
The new Copper T-Flex shoes sit at the top of Louis Garneau's mountain bike line. In fact, Louis Garneau says, "our entire race shoe design heritage has been passed on to the…
Five of the best mountain bike trails in Pennsylvania.
Aaron and I discuss mountain bike shoes and share tips for finding the best shoe.
photo: Leah Barber Camelbak claims the new Palos reservoir-based waist pack is the first designed specifically for mountain biking. This comes as a surprise to me,…
Aaron talks about his 340-mile Florida bikepacking adventure, also known as the Huracan 300.
photo: Brandon Geoffrey Ward A new housing development proposed for the Skyline area near Corona, CA has recently put the popular "Troy Lee" mountain bike trail on notice.…
The Magicshine MJ-908 mountain bike light kit is designed for serious night riding, and the company makes some pretty big claims for this reasonably priced light set.
photo: Nic Sullivan Sadly there is yet another report of trail terrorism targeting mountain bikers, this time at the Bethunes Gully trails in New Zealand. Nic Sullivan reports…
photo: Beeline Bikes In yet another blow to local bike shops in the US, Beeline Bikes is set to offer drop-off, assembly, and set-up services for bicycles purchased on Amazon.com,…
Mountain bikers encounter all kinds of obstacles on the trail, and each one requires a slightly different technique to address. Today I want to share some tips for making it across a stream…
Today we talk about mountain bike helmets: the history of helmets in cycling, how helmets are constructed, and what mountain bikers should look for when purchasing a new helmet.
Photo by Flickr user “Kim,” via the Flickr Creative Commons: https://www.flickr.com/photos/kimrose Warning: This article contains graphic details. Back in June, the Flathead Beacon and Singletracks reported that…
Niner has updated the JET 9 once again, going longer and slacker to make this trail bike even more capable. I've been testing the JET 9 Alloy, 1-star build, a relatively…
Fox recently announced a new helmet, dubbed the Proframe, that the company claims is one of the most breathable and lightest full face, DH-approved mountain bike helmets ever made. As anyone who has…
CBP, Border Patrol agents from the Laredo Bike Patrol unit on patrol in South Texas. Photo: Donna Burton, US Government Work Border security has been a controversial topic…
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