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
Interbike just announced the 2016 Interbike Awards, including the following noteworthy MTB categories. Best Mountain Bike Specialized Stumpjumper sixFATTIE (also a Singletracks "Most Innovative Bike" winner). Best in Show - Mountain Scott Spark RC (read…
8 LEDs are crammed into this behemoth. Remote pictured on left, rear light on right. The latest mountain bike lights in the 90X series from MagicShine feature…
Bikepacking seems to be becoming more and more popular, especially considering the number of bikepacking products we saw at Interbike this year. One of the most interesting products that caught my eye, the Topeak Bikamper,…
GoPro cameras changed the face of action sports and even more broadly, gave filmmakers the ability to put cameras in places cameras had never gone before. Just one little problem for mountain bikers: the POV video almost…
Aaron, Greg, and I talk about the most interesting products we saw at Interbike on Wednesday while also lamenting our overall lack of stoke for new MTB products.
In this better-late-than-never episode of the Singletracks podcast, Aaron, Greg, Helena, and I talk about the bikes we tested at Outdoor Demo on Tuesday.
If you're reading this article, chances are you don't need the OutBraker system. But don't stop reading yet! The OutBraker is an interesting MTB product that is actually pretty useful for…
Two years ago I test-rode the Salsa Bucksaw full suspension fat bike, and it was honestly one of the best mountain bikes I've ever ridden. In the two years since, very…
At Outdoor Demo I rode the Patrol 671 and unfortunately, the size large was just too small for me to give the bike a fair test. If owning a bike is like…
KTM is an Austrian company best known to most Americans for their motorbikes, but for the past couple years the company has been working to enter the US mountain bike market. John…
Sure, mountain biking is full of diversity: we have guys who shave their legs and race lightweight XC bikes, bros who shred DH bikes in full face helmets, and men with…
In this episode of the Singletracks podcast, Aaron and I talk briefly about Interbike Outdoor Demo, Day 1.
In this episode of the Singletracks podcast, Aaron talks about his recent mountain bike trip to West Virginia.
In this episode of the Singletracks podcast, Aaron and I offer tips for responsible mountain biking.
The Leatt DBX 6.0 Carbon full face mountain bike helmet is NOT messing around. Not only does this helmet pack serious safety features, it packages everything into a sleek, accessible package that's every bit…
Staran, a Gaelic word that means "trail" or "path," is a brand new bike brand out of Canada that's working to offer well spec'd bikes, along with great customer service, at affordable…
In this episode of the Singletracks podcast we talk about some of the barriers to getting started with mountain biking and share specific ideas for improving fitness and technical skills.
It seems the topic of trail booby trapping, AKA trail terrorism, has been in the news a lot lately. We sat down to discuss just what the heck is going on out there.
Does $37 for a cycling GPS sound too good to be true? With name-brand cycling GPS units starting at $130 and selling for as much as $500 (or even more), mountain bikers may be…
Stop drinking from that funky bladder and follow these tips to get your reservoir back into pristine condition!
In this episode we discuss the use of electronics on the trail, everything from GPS to cameras, smartphones to music.
In what can only be described as good news for mountain bike inner tube manufacturers, 38% of the respondents to a recent Singletracks survey of 4,000+ riders say they still aren't…
photo: JBX Interbike is presenting the first ever Fall Cyclofest in Charlotte, NC at the US National Whitewater Center (USNWC) October 20-23, 2016. The first two days of…
photo: Google Street View Advanced Sports International (ASI) announced today that they are buying mega US bicycle retailer Performance Bicycle. While the ASI name may not be familiar…
photo: rio2016.com Update: Nino Schurter and Jenny Rissveds take home the gold from the 2016 Rio Olympics. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, they're saving the best event…
Mountain biking has a tendency to make riders a little thirsty. Hydration is hugely important on the trail, especially in hot summer months, and fortunately there are plenty of products on the…
In this episode of the Singletracks podcast, I talk about an extremely hot mountain biking ride from a few years ago that could have ended in disaster.
Specialized just released a collection of bikes and equipment called Torch that includes a rad color-changing S-Works Epic FSR World Cup mountain bike frame. In keeping with US Olympic Committee trademark rules, Specialized isn't saying this collection…
photo: Red Bull Heads up freeride fans! Red Bull Rampage tickets go on sale to the public tomorrow, August 10. Tickets are just $30 but there…
What are the most popular shorts among Singletracks members?
In this episode of the Singletracks podcast we talk about some of the bikes we have in for testing and preview some of the destinations we're visiting this summer.
photo: mmbhof.org The Mountain Bike Hall of Fame (MBHOF) just announced the 2016 inductees and the official ceremony is set for October 1 in Fairfax, CA…
photo: Garreth Clear // Daily Mail A mountain biker in Australia recently had an iPhone he was carrying in his pocket explode on him during a ride at…
The new adage when it comes to MTB rims, "wider is better," just got another endorsement from WTB. The company announced their popular Frequency and KOM rims are now available in 29mm inner width configurations, for…
Still not sure what enduro even means? Then you definitely don't want to miss this episode!
Note: check out the latest list of the best mountain bike trails in the USA and Canada. Each year Singletracks ranks the most popular mountain bike trails based on the number and quality…
In this episode we talk about our top 10 USA mountain bike destinations.
If you're interested in tracking power data for your mountain bike training, good luck. There simply aren't many choices available on the market at the moment. At Interbike last fall I made it…
According to a recent survey of more than 4,000 mountain bikers, 58% reported they do NOT own a dropper seat post yet. Of course, dropper posts aren't for everyone--they're more expensive,…
I've been mountain biking for decades, and as far back as I can remember, mountain bikers have always taken pride in how much more difficult MTB is compared to road riding. I've heard rules of…
In this episode of the Singletracks podcast we talk about dropper posts: how they work and why you need one.
At this point, most of us understand that 29ers work well for shorter travel applications while bikes with more suspension typically utilize smaller wheel diameters. Well, here's a cool visual representation of this concept!…
On Sunday, Greg and I received a message from former Singletracks writer and Southern Wheelworks owner, Dustin Gaddis, "Pokemon Go & MTB trails. Seems like an article begging to be written." I…
ate fills us in on his recent win at the Scott Enduro Cup in Moab and tells us what it's like to bikepack above 15,000 feet in Bolivia.
Mountain bikers are generally a pretty tough and resilient lot. We'll point our bikes down ridiculously-steep slopes, plow through rock gardens at mach speed, and launch ourselves into the air without a cushion in sight. But…
Of course not all mountain bikers enjoy technically challenging trails, but for those who do, we put together a list of some of the most technical mountain bike trails the USA has to offer!
In this episode of the Singletracks podcast we offer up our tips for riding in the summer, including tips for hydration, treating poison ivy, and removing ticks.
In this episode of the Singletracks podcast, we talk with Seth Alvo, the man behind the insanely popular YouTube channel, Seth's Bike Hacks