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
When I started riding back in the early 1990s, there was basically just one flavor of mountain biking but today MTB categories can get a little confusing. I found this helpful chart…
photo courtesy cyclewise.co.uk. So this is a cool concept: a mountain bike trail built explicitly for mountain bike coaching. The Cyclewise Coaching Trail provides a place for mountain bike coaches to work…
A few mountain bike news bites to start the week. Backyard bikepark. Over at ihatebikes.net the author is busy working on a backyard bike park and apparently things are getting pretty serious.…
Believe it or not there are things happening in the MTB world that have nothing to do with Interbike this week. Chris Eatough is retiring. Yep, the man who won six straight…
ckdake may be tough to beat with this pic. Just a couple more days left in the Tri-Flow "Dirtiest Drivetrain" contest. Post your pics to the dirty drivetrain photo album for consideration…
Sometimes it can be tough to cut through the noise at Interbike to find new and interesting products from smaller companies. I found one such product, call Bike Armor, in the new…
I know, I know - by now some of you are sick and tired of hearing about 29ers. I promise this is my last 29er post from Interbike and I plan on…
Suvacrew mentioned that he wanted to hear about the Pivot Mach 429 and on Thursday I got a chance to talk to a Pivot rep about the newest addition to the Mach…
Things were a little hectic at Interbike last week but somehow we still managed to push out more than 20 posts - and there's more where that came from! Look for posts…
Cannondale introduced a (previously) secret suspension project called "Simon" at Interbike that is generating some serious buzz. The idea is that the rider can tune and control suspension characteristics using an electronic,…
Some cool notes that don't warrant a full post: The most expensive hardtail I've ever seen. The Lapierre Prorace 900 retails for a cool $6,999 (at least it's under 7 grand) and…
When you think of Camelbak, you might not necessarily think of innovation. Sure, every year Camelbak gives us new pack colors and more pockets but many of the best selling packs have…
David Blaine himself would be impressed: a mountain bike with 4 inches of rear travel that can scale to 6 inches when needed and responsive, shifting frame geometry. The Kona Abra Cadabra…
We spoke with Denny Yunk at the Hayes group this morning about everything from wheels to bars to brakes. Here's a short video clip with Denny talking about the new Black Flag…
This morning we talked with Gore Bike Wear about their latest off-road jacket called the Fusion and came away suitably impressed. The Fusion features "comfort mapping" which places the right materials in…
Aside from the test rides Monday and Tuesday, there were a number of interesting things we learned at Outdoor Demo. Here are a few quick hits: Trek 69er discontinued. If you're a…
Let's admit it: bike racks aren't usually all that exciting. Getting your bike to and from the trailhead is a nuisance at best and most of us are just looking for something…
This morning element22 and I got a chance to speak with the folks at Time and saw some pretty cool mountain bike shoes and pedals. The MXS Carbon shoe features a thermoformable…
Theres a lot of buzz around the SRAM XX component group and this afternoon I got a brief opportunity to see how the rich live. Clearly its tough to evaluate an entire…
Im starting to think that bike manufacturers are onto something with steel 29er hardtail mountain bikes. The Raleigh XXIX Pro shows why this is such a winning combination: its lightweight, supple, and…
These days mountain bikers like to talk about the 29er revolution but the fact is that even just a few years ago 29ers were generally poorly designed and awkward to ride. Today…
The Yeti ASR 5 is brand new this year (not even on the Yeti website yet) and marks a bit of a departure from the 575 and ASR 7 models. The ASR…
Did you ever wonder what it would be like to be a mountain bike test pilot? Today I got just a taste when I rode a prototype of the Banshee Spitfire, a…
The Moots MootoXz offers an embarassment of riches: it's a 29er, made of titanium, full-suspension, and it's built in Steamboat Springs, CO. If you're imagining a super plush ride that can climb…
Regular readers know I'm into simple, lightweight XC bikes that just work and today I rode what is perhaps my new favorite: The Spot Longboard. This is a steel frame, 29er (natch),…
The carbon Trek Fuel EX 9.9 performs exactly as you would imagine it does: flawlessly. I had the chance to demo a shiny extra-large EX 9.9 today and here are the not…
Steve Peat. Photograph: Kathy Sessler / Santa Cruz Syndicate via Guardian.co.uk. The LA Times just ran a two part article profiling mountain biker turned Tour de France dominator Levi Leipheimer. As you…
Rust. Dirt. Grease. Grime. Mud. All of this adds up to a dirty drivetrain which can seriously harsh your ride. Fortunately Tri-Flow offers a full line of products to help you get…
National Public Lands Day @ Continental Divide Trail. Photo by Erika Knoth. Mark your calendar - this fall there are several official events you can participate in to celebrate mountain biking! As…
The first ever Pisgah Mountain Bike Stage Race is happening next month and from what we've read this could be a very cool race. Riders will compete over 4 days, riding 145…
In less than 10 days element22 and trek7k are hitting the Las Vegas strip for Interbike 2009 and we're bringing everyone along for the ride! Well, not literally, but we will be…
IMBA's annual "Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day" (TAKMBD) is set for October 3, 2009 and if you register your event with IMBA before September 15 they'll send you a goody box…
For those who have purchased or are thinking about purchasing a singletracks premium subscription, just wanted to let you know about some recent improvements. High resolution trail maps in PDF We're rolling…
29er mountain bikes are more popular than ever these days but there still aren't a lot of choices when it comes to components, especially wheels. Fortunately Easton offers 29-inch versions of two…
Depending on your perspective, this is either the coolest or most ridiculous pair of mountain bike shorts you'll ever see. The Opulent mountain bike shorts from ZOIC have iPod controls built right…
Don't let the name fool you: the Blue Ryno Carbon mountain bike isn't heavy or clumsy on the trail. In fact, like an actual rhino, this bike is fast, tough, and enjoys…
Photo from FirstFlightBikes / Museum of MTB Art & Tech Just in case you missed out on the government's cash for clunkers deal, a couple bike shops in Oregon and North Dakota…
You know what they say: VOIDH (video or it didn't happen). According to that logic most of us have never actually ridden a mountain bike but that can change with the VholdR…
A few mountain bike items to take a look at today: Mountain biking 101: How to get women into the sport. Diane Ursu posted a good article over on Examiner.com with tips…
Over the past few weeks we've been working hard to improve the trail mapping tools here on singletracks and I wanted to talk about some of the progress we've made so far.…
Specialized is going to hook up "a handful" of lucky riders this year with free access to 2010 Stumpjumper FSR bikes and sponsored MTB trips to hot trail locations. All you gotta…
Lance Armstrong got his revenge at the Leadville Trail 100 today and set a new course record for the mountain bike race, finishing in a time of 6:28:50 (almost 20 minutes faster…
If you're not heading up to Buffalo Creek for the IMBA trail work party tomorrow you definitely need to get to Leadville for the big race. I'm pretty pumped after reading CogandChain.com's…
So we're heading to Interbike next month where we plan on recognizing the best mountain bike products of 2009 while previewing the new 2010 stuff. Based on your reviews we've put together…
Syncros is partnering with the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA) to give IMBA members 25% off bars, headsets, wheels, saddles, seatposts, pedals, and tires. IMBA trailbuilders get an even better deal -…
photo: 10K trail running race on the 1996 Olympic MTB course, sponsored by Dirty Spokes A lot of people ask me why I run so much - usually 3-4 days a week…
Buffalo Creek is probably my favorite mountain bike trail system in the world and the IMBA Trail Crew will be hitting the trails this weekend, August 13-16, to work and ride. The…
So this is pretty exciting: someone on singletracks is going to win a Contour HD Helmet Camera from VholdR at the end of the month. Take a moment to wipe the drool…
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