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 history of the 29-inch wheel size, the advantages and disadvantages of 29er wheels compared to other wheel sizes, and the future of long-travel and even downhill 29er bikes.
As a part of our annual mountain bike gear survey, we asked questions about several fringe but potentially up-and-coming mountain bike technologies to gauge current adoption rates. For example, we found 1.2% of our…
All photos: Stan's No Tubes Podium SRD 29er Wheelset Stan's No Tubes just announced the Podium SRD 29er racing wheelset, weighing in at just 1,287g for…
Rudy Project is known for their eyewear, but the company also offers a number of eyewear-compatible bike helmets. Today the company announced its first mountain bike specific helmet, the Protera. The Protera…
The new Garmin Edge 1030 packs a ton of new software features like popular bike route navigation, plus a couple hardware updates including a more aerodynamic mounting system.
Video may have killed the radio star, but did narrow-wide chainrings kill the chain guide? In a recent discussion on the Singletracks forums, many riders reported running a chain guide on 1-by drivetrains with a narrow-wide chain…
Everything you need to know about making mountain bikes lightweight.
Here are the top 5 favorite mountain bike stems as determined by Singletracks members worldwide. Consider one of these bike stems from Race Face, Thomson, Renthal, or Enve if you're looking to upgrade this necessary but often overlooked mountain bike component.
NICA supports middle and high school mountain bike riders all over the USA through coaching, mentoring, and racing programs.
Singletracks readers pick the best trail bikes on 2017. Top-rated mountain bikes include the Trek Fuel EX and Specialized Stumpjumper FSR.
Rossignol is planning to launch a big mountain bike line in North America in 2018 with DH, enduro, trail, and hardtail mountain bikes.
We attempt to explain the unique characteristics that make Northwest Arkansas an appealing mountain bike destination, and what other up-and-coming communities can take away from the area's success.
Last year we started asking Singletracks readers if they were interested in reading electric mountain bike news and reviews on Singletracks, and also if they owned an electric mountain bike. Not only are we interested…
We'll talk route selection, communication, logistics, and what to do if you lose someone on the trail.
Mountain bikers in the Twin Cities enjoy mountain biking year-round, with access to groomed fat bike trails in winter and flowy singletrack in the summer. Not only that, there's even fun singletrack to…
Take it all in. In my opinion, bib shorts are the unsung heros of the mountain bike wardrobe. While jerseys get emblazoned with craft beer logos…
photo: Guerrilla Gravity Having a custom mountain bike frame built is a bit like building a house: it's not cheap and can take a long time,…
We'll cover the basics for getting started, how to increase distance and speed, nutrition, and more.
If you do any bikepacking, you've no doubt heard about the kLite Bikepacker PRO light. kLite claims it's the brightest dynamo bike light in the world, pumping out up to 1200…
photo: Aaron Chamberlain Launched just over two years ago, SRAM's Boost 148 spacing has quickly gone mainstream. Of course we've seen pretty much every new and updated mountain…
photo: bikepacking.com Last week the Southern Highlands Traverse bikepacking route was officially unveiled, and it looks to be an instant classic! Brett Davidson and Logan Watts, along…
Singletracks has spilled gallons of digital ink ranking, categorizing, and highlighting some of the best mountain bike trails in the USA, but what about the rest of the world? We decided to consult with…
A mountain bike podcast with Chris Tavel of Loose Nuts Cycles, a bike shop in Atlanta, Georgia.
Each year we survey thousands of Singletracks readers to uncover various trends in mountain bike purchase decisions. Back in 2015, Singletracks readers selected Shimano's electric drivetrain, known as Di2, as the most innovative product of the…
photo: Aaron Chamberlain When I asked Singletracks readers whether they preferred baggy or tight shorts for mountain biking, I thought there might be some debate. It turns out--for…
In this episode of the Singletracks mountain bike podcast, we share tips for getting faster on the descents.
If you've been reading about mountain biking for a while, by now you know that excellent mountain bike trails can be found nearly everywhere. Geography and topography be damned, mountain bikers are…
Check out these five excellent mountain bike trails in the Chicago area
Discover these fun mountain bike trails in Dallas, TX.
Discover these great mountain biking trails in Houston, TX.
For those who saw our recent list of five must-ride trails in the state of Michigan, a couple of the trails here are going to be familiar. The other thing to note about our…
We talk about the best mountain bike upgrades priced under $100.
all photos from Specialized.com Cross-country mountain bike racing has undergone a noticeable transformation lately, adding challenging technical features that would've made DH riders tap the brakes just a few…
In this episode of the Singletracks podcast, Aaron, Greg, and I discuss some common mountain bike mistakes we've made or seen others make, and how to avoid those mistakes.
It's hard to believe it's been 12 years since Giant launched the first Anthem full suspension XC mountain bike. Over the years, the bike has gone through several changes, including adding a carbon fiber…
In this episode I talk with Leah, my Singletracks co-founder (and wife,) about her mountain biking experiences over the last 15 years and some of the challenges women face in our sport.
Traveling out of town or out of state for the sole purpose of riding mountain bikes is rare for many of us. Instead, we often bring our bikes in tow or borrow…
Learn about bike setup, component choices, and suspension settings to make your uphill climbs more efficient.
The Selle Italia SLR TM Flow offers an excellent price point for mountain bikers looking for a smartly-designed and expertly-executed saddle.
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…
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