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
photo courtesy The Bicycle Forest. For me, running on the road and on trails is a great way to stay in shape for mountain biking but sometimes running can be a little…
photo courtesy The Northern Echo. Winners at this year's UCI Cross Country World Cup in Dalby Forest, UK will be taking home hand-crafted wood trophies instead of the traditional medals. Master woodworker…
Depending on where you get your numbers, mountain biking is either on the decline, coming back, or holding steady. One report I read said MTB participation dropped 6% from 2008 to 2009,…
The Arizona Trail Race is back and this year there's a new option for riders who want to tackle the whole route from Utah to Mexico. Twenty-five riders will set out on…
photo courtesy ghostbikes.org. The Denver Post published an article yesterday on the "Ghost Bike" phenomenon that's gaining steam in cities like New York, Denver, and San Francisco. After a cyclist was struck…
After years of research, A'ME Grips just introduced a lock-on, heated mountain bike handlebar grip. The company claims "a comfortable hand temperature improves blood flow which reduces fatigue and maximizes dexterity and…
One of the coolest features on singletracks that doesn't get a lot of attention is the ability to "tag" gear and trail listings throughout the site. In talking with folks it seems…
Kona is sponsoring their 3rd Annual Shoot the Ride Photo contest and they're giving away $700 in Kona store credits to the top 3 photogs! The contest is pretty simple: email your…
A review of the Xpedo MF-6 clipless mountain bike pedals.
From time to time we get requests for an online tool to help find mountain bike pals to ride with, and while we've considered the idea, there are just too many better…
Singletracks is hosting our first ever video contest and we're stoked. Unlike some other MTB video contests you may have seen, this one doesn't require a helmet camera or MacAskill moves to…
In case you missed it, last month the Freeride Mountain Bike Association (FMBA) announced 15 freeride competitions being held under the Freeride MTB World Tour banner in 2010. Events are taking place…
The Australian published an interesting article about "adrenaline junkie CEOs" and whether or not they have an obligation to disclose their "dangerous" hobbies to shareholders. Many of the company executives mentioned in…
Twenty-niner mountain bikes may be the new thing but the new new thing is the two-oh. Today mountain bike manufacturers Trek and Specialized have announced a new line-up of hardtail and full…
photo courtesy RedbullRampage.com Downhill skiers and snowboarders have been using helicopters to access backcountry terrain for years but they arent the only ones. Helibiking combines the reach of a helicopter with the…
Matt Gilman was already a bike trials rider before he lost his eyesight in 2004 but he basically had to re-learn everything from scratch. I think the text at the beginning of…
If you're thinking about competing in a 24 hour mountain bike race this year, you might be surprised to find how limited your options are. With two of the biggest promoters of…
The Osprey Raptor 6 is a hydration pack with wings - or at least it feels that way. This sleek pack swallows 2L of water and a surprising amount of gear without…
Tignes resort in France is teaming up with CANYON brand to offer free lift access to 100Km of mountain bike trails this summer - gratis. Admittedly I wasn't familiar with Tignes but…
Three interesting items from around the MTB world this week: The Unnamed Epic coming to hills of Wisconsin photo by akutny. Chicagoans are bummed the Olympics won't be coming in 2016, especially…
Just a quick shout for those of you considering a GPS for mountain biking this spring: the DeLorme PN-40 GPS is Amazon's Deal of the Day today (March 18, 2010). At $219…
Six downhill mountain bike racers are working toward their Business And Technology Education Council qualifications in a unique program at Borders College in Scotland this year. Two of the six riders are…
photo courtesy sealchallenge.navy.mil. A Gallup poll commissioned by the US Navy found that mountain bikers (and other "alternative" sports enthusiasts) were more likely to survive the intense training required to become a…
Politicians in Colorado know a good thing when they see it. Now that the Leadville 100 is a nationally recognized event that routinely sells out, state Senators are looking to add another…
Portal Trail photo by dauw. Last week the Team Fezzari blog posted a list of the 8 most dangerous MTB trails in the world and while they admit it's not a scientific…
photo via blessingofthebikes.com. Here's something you may not have seen before: a church service dedicated to bike riders. The 12th Annual Blessing of the Bikes will take place at The Cathedral Church…
Several people emailed this story to me on Wednesday and to be honest I was fairly ho-hum about it initially. I mean, Google Maps have included public transit and even walking directions…
I recently rode a mountain bike trail that got me thinking: How dense is too dense when it comes to mountain bike trails? Every mountain bike trail planner will inevitably run into…
photo by GoldenGoose. As if you needed yet another reason to get out and work on the trails this year, now you can earn a free day at Disney World with Paulding…
Ever wonder how you stack up against best downhill mountain bike riders? The 2010 US Open of Mountain Biking is your shot at racing against the pros at the Diablo Freeride Park…
photo by joetutt. Graham Swamp mountain bike trail near Daytona Beach, FL was built more than 7 years ago by Mickey Garrett and some friends. The 6.5 mile trail has been maintained…
photo via UCI jersey Facebook page. This year the UCI is requiring that all national champs wear the same jersey for the duration of the season and that has some top riders…
How much would you pay to have a beer with a mountain bike legend like Gary Fisher, Ned Overend, Joe Breeze, or Joe Guy? Now, how much would you pay to have…
If you read our review of the Garmin Colorado 400t last month you know the latest Garmin GPS units allow you to load custom basemaps in KMZ format. Today we're stoked to…
There's been a lot in the news lately about trail building and advocacy and fortunately most of it has been good news thanks to groups like IMBA and local bike clubs. On…
Durango Mountain Park is poised to be renamed after one of mountain biking's biggest names: Ned Overend. The Durango, CO resident was the first MTB world champion in 1990 and won the…
photos: CBP Man tries to smuggle marijuana across border in bike tires Yep, that headline just about sums it up but here are some more details (the Examiner said it was a…
photo: ANNIKA ENDERBORG, Manly Daily. Here's an example of what not to do if you want increased mountain bike trail access: get quoted in the local paper saying you'll continue to ride…
photo by Nicole Goodhue Boyd, WickedLocal.com. I feel like this is something we've written about before but a recent article about ice biking got us thinking about this extreme form of MTB…
photo from Jill Valerius / Susitna 100. Is that a mountain bike or a motorcycle? If you're still making excuses about mountain biking this winter, this should make you feel really bad:…
photo courtesy Wikipedia. It's snowing here in Atlanta today but that's nothing compared to what a team of adventurers will encounter when they attempt to bike around Lake Baikal in Russia later…
image courtesy The Daily Mail. This week we came across an article showcasing some interesting bike concepts and as always it got us thinking about the future of mountain bikes. Of course…
An Idaho legislator is seeking approval for a special vehicle license plate to benefit mountain bike trails. While many states (including our home state, GA) offer cycling-themed plates, as far as we…
There's a new documentary film out about mountain biking women and judging by the previews it looks to be as adrenaline packed as any MTB film we've seen. Of course, this movie…
In mountain biking there are very few "classic" designs that haven't been torn to shreds over the years as tech advances to produce bigger and better MTB components. Sometimes, though, designers and…
If you're bummed about being shut out from Interbike every year, the folks at Western Spirit in Moab have just the thing for you: Outerbike. From September 30 through October 3 this…
A guide to choosing a GPS for mountain biking.
photo via RidingtheSpine.com Incredible news: After three and a half years and 21,000 miles in the saddle, the Riding the Spine crew has made it to the southernmost city in South America.…
11
