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
The Pearl Izumi X Project started off with a simple-enough premise: create a mountain bike shoe that hikes and runs as well as it pedals. But before firing up the computer or…
I started riding with the Smith Pivlock V2 sunglasses a few months ago and the trail hasn't looked the same since. These are performance-oriented shades that offer excellent coverage in a simple and…
We're stoked to announce a new feature here on Singletracks called "My Bike." My Bike pulls together some of the features we've had for a while like Sweet Bike and My Bike…
Choosing a mountain bike tire is all about tradeoffs: More traction means greater rolling resistance. Stickier rubber isn't as durable. Hardpack tires get bogged down in wet conditions. If it were even…
In 2008, Trek Bikes co-founder Richard Burke passed away due to complications from heart surgery. Burke's son John, current president of Trek, shares his memories of his dad in One Last Great…
Coldwater Mountain in Anniston, AL might just offer a glimpse into the future of mountain bike trail building. Yes, the trails are expertly sculpted and offer plenty of flow but they're part…
Late last month I got a chance to attend the Pearl Izumi X-Project media camp in Laguna Beach, CA, home to Brian Lopes, CrankBrothers, and the mountain bike trails at Aliso and…
Ask any rider which tire comes to mind when you mention the Kenda name and they'll probably name the Nevegal or Small Block Eight--or both. So what would happen if you could…
Night riding season is approaching (if it hasn't hit your area already) as we switch our clocks back on November 4. Normally I'd write a wordy post about why night riding is…
Each year we go to Interbike for just one reason: to see the latest and greatest mountain bike gear. Admittedly the whole thing can be overwhelming and it's even tough to keep…
In the early days of 29ers one of the big tradeoffs with bigger wheels was increased weight, particularly the added rolling weight in tires and rims. With few component choices available, early…
These days we're living in a digital world and like it or not, digital technology is creeping onto the mountain bike trail. Here are a few interesting electronic gadgets from Interbike: JVC…
This has to be my favorite post from Interbike each year because I get to highlight some of the strangest, most interesting products seen at the show. To be honest we didn't…
Dustin is set to review some of the new handlebars from Thomson this fall but I thought I'd give a preview based on what we saw at Interbike last week. Most folks…
This big news from Pearl Izumi this year is the X Project MTB shoe, a lightweight and comfortable--yet high performance--set of kicks. MTB hall-of-famer Brian Lopes and Ross Schnell helped Pearl Izumi…
With night riding season approaching, Niterider is ready to shine. The company continues to innovate with lighting solutions that cover riders from front to rear. At the top end, Niterider is releasing…
Corey (maddslacker) has reviewed a few items from Funkier apparel so I agreed to meet with Eli at Interbike to look over the latest and greatest. After telling me a bit about…
While chatting with another reviewer at Outdoor Demo I asked which bikes he was stoked about and he mentioned the Intense Spider 29comp. Syd (element22) also recommended this bike to me before…
I've been trying to steer clear of the 650b hype but sometimes it's almost unavoidable. Don't get me wrong--I have nothing against 650b bikes--but I'm more than happy with both my 29ers.…
I've ridden a few long-travel 29ers (5+ inches of travel) over the last 12 months and up until now, I haven't been totally impressed. Not only did the bikes seem to handle…
Here’s something you may not have considered: an all-wheel-drive mountain bike. The idea has been around for some time—most notably, Christini produces all-wheel-drive models—but it’s something most of us have never experienced.…
This year SRAM is introducing a new 11spd drivetrain that targets both XC and gravity riders alike, which seems like a crazy idea. But it turns out the company has done their…
Grip shifters literally launched SRAM into the bike market back in 1988. As a scrappy start-up, SRAM introduced grip shifters in the road market that year and just six years later the…
Each year ahead of Interbike we score the user-generated mountain bike product reviews on Singletracks and compile a "best of" list. There was a ton of cool gear released in 2012 so…
This weekend during the Southern Spokes Festival I got a chance to visit MOMBAT, located inside First Flight Bicycles in Statesville, NC and it was a revelation. Like Moab, MOMBAT is one…
Downhill MTB banner in Steamboat Springs. Despite living in Colorado four years and spending part of the past three summers there, I had never visited the town of Steamboat Springs. Well known…
Last month on my drive back to Georgia from Colorado I decided to make a detour to check out the IMBA Epic Syllamo trails in the Arkansas Ozarks. The riding was pretty…
Cliff Cave trail work. Photo: Matt Hayes / GORC. Congratulations to the 2012 Singletracks trail grant recipients, the Gateway Off Road Cyclists (GORC) of St. Louis, MO and the Birmingham Urban Mountain…
In early 2000 I was preparing to graduate from college and decided it was time for a new mountain bike. After browsing the local shops I fell in love with an electric…
Most mountain bikers probably don't know this but the "World's Greatest" bike trail is located in Eagle, CO, less than 30 minutes from the well known ski resorts at Vail and Beaver…
Singletracks members have posted GPS data for nearly 2,000 unique mountain bike trails over the years, not to mention countless updates and additions to existing trail maps. In that time we've refined…
The latest IMBA Trail News report featured a short note about IMBA's 4-star rating from Charity Navigator and supporting charts and graphs showing how the organization is funded and where those funds…
Last week Greg and I were in Colorado where we hooked up with Corey (maddslacker) for a couple of classic Front Range rides, and as usual, we had a blast! Fair warning:…
Even the local beer is MTB-flavored in Boulder. Boulder, CO has a bit of reputation for being unfriendly toward mountain bikers and that reputation isn't entirely undeserved. Still, judging by the number…
We review the Race Face Turbine mountain bike riser handlebar and stem.
Switchgrass Trail. photo:Sucio_Sanchez / Adrenaline Images. Driving through Kansas on my way to Colorado I've often thought Kansas must be the worst place on the planet for mountain biking. At 75 mph…
Breckenridge 100. Photo: Mountain Moon Photography. In the mountain bike world the closest thing we have to the runners' Marathon is the dirty century, or 100-miler as some like to call it.…
It's hard to believe that just last year RaceFace closed their doors. Judging by the comments on the forum at that time, there were a lot of disappointed mountain bikers out there.…
Last week I met up with Greg and Jeremy near Chattanooga, TN to check out a couple mountain bike trails. Chattanooga was recently named "Best Town Ever" by Outside Magazine thanks to…
Not everyone wants to race their mountain bike 100 miles. If you want to ride - and finish - a dirty century for fun, this is the plan for you.
And now for something completely different. The Tyke Toter is a seat + handlebar that attaches to an adult's bike seatpost, allowing your toddler to go along for the ride. My daughter…
This past weekend I completed my first dirty century mountain bike ride - the Cohutta 100 - near Ducktown, TN. It took me nearly 13 grueling hours to finish the 100-mile course…
Updated 11/26/2014 We've published hundreds of in-depth mountain bike product reviews here on the blog and from time to time we get valid questions about how the review process works. Readers are…
SORBA Woodstock is hosting the Pedalpalooza Bike Festival at Blankets Creek this Cinco de Mayo and the schedule is jam-packed with activities. Singletracks will be there with a tent and we can't…
With just 19 days to go until my first 100-mile mountain bike race, I'm feeling bruised and battered. On Saturday I spent about 8 hours on the bike and experienced one of…
GPS units are great for mountain biking, filling the role of both cycling computer and trail map in one simple package. Back in 2006 we wrote about using your GPS for trail…
Several years ago I started wearing baggy mountain bike shorts, admittedly because they look much cooler than spandex. Sure, there are modest benefits to wearing baggies on the trail (like added abrasion…
To say thanks to the local clubs that work so hard to build and maintain incredible mountain bike trails all around the US and Canada, Singletracks is stoked to announce two new…
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