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
With so many great GPS apps for smartphones available these days, many mountain bikers are asking themselves: “should I ditch my GPS unit and just use my smartphone on the trail?”
These are some of the most popular mountain bike trail segments, according to Strava.
In this episode of the Singletracks podcast, Aaron, Greg, and I share our tips for taking great mountain bike photos.
Editor's Note: While Jeff has been mountain biking since the early 1990s, he still has a lot to learn about mountain bikes. Any opinions expressed in this article are Jeff's personal opinions, and…
photo: Nicholas Mann While Illinois might not be the first US state that comes to mind when thinking of mountain biking, the riders who live there…
In this episode of the Singletracks podcast, Jeff recounts his hut to hut adventure, mountain biking from Durango, CO to Moab, UT with a group of friends.
We look at prices for used mountain bikes that are between one and three years old to see how much bikes depreciate.
In this episode of the Singletracks podcast, Aaron and I talk about some of the science behind sports drinks and hydration for mountain biking.
So, you have a co-worker or even a significant other who you think might enjoy mountain biking. Great! It's always fun to share your passion with another person, but the thing is, taking someone…
We test two smartphone apps and four dedicated GPS devices to see how accurate they are for recording bike rides.
photo: Cape Fear Gear If racing fat bikes in the snow isn't your thing but you still enjoy competing on your fat bike, mark your calendar for this year's…
Use these tips to find the right size mountain bike based on sizing charts, standover height, and riding style.
Pro women at the start of last year's race. Photo: Dejan Smaic, courtesy USA Cycling. The USA Cycling National Fat Bike Championships, sponsored by Rocky Mountain…
In this episode of the Singletracks podcast, Aaron, Greg, and I discuss categories of mountain bike products that frustrate us, including hydration packs, helmet cameras, dropper posts, shoes, and more.
IMBA recently announced title sponsorship for a new US-based, national enduro race series, titled, appropriately enough, the IMBA National Enduro Series. The new series will include 6 stops, with racers vying…
A round up of 44 fat bike tires on the market.
The Vee Snow Shoe 2XL is more than five inches wide.
Fat bike racing is becoming more and more popular each winter, with races taking place pretty much anywhere it snows. But while most fat bike races are XC-style endurance events, the Frosty's…
In this episode of the Singletracks podcast, Aaron, Greg, and I share (almost) everything you need to know about mountain bike brakes.
Last year, Strava users logged 9.6 fitness activities per second. Think about it: in the time it took you to read that sentence, 50 rides, runs, and workouts were logged by athletes…
photo: Schwalbe. Believe it or not, mountain bike tire cutting is a thing pros and bike mechanics have been doing for ages, and yet, as far as we…
In this episode of the Singletracks podcast, Aaron, Greg, and Jeff talk about their favorite winter mountain biking destinations.
photo: trekbikes.com For many, 2017 will finally be the year of the new bike. Getting a new set of wheels is exciting, but it can also be stressful to make…
North Carolina mountain bike industry locals including Neko Mulally weigh in on the must ride trails when visiting the Tarheel state.
Time for a new bike or just new parts? At some point, all of us will be faced with this question: "Should I upgrade the parts on my old…
In this episode of the Singletracks podcast, Aaron, Greg, and I talk about some of the most memorable trails and destinations we explored in 2016.
12 stout beers, taste tested and ranked from worst to best.
Trek is recalling Bontrager Flare RT and Ion 700 RT lights due to an issue that may cause the lights to turn off unexpectedly, which could leave riders with reduced vision and/or visibility. The Flare…
In this episode of the Singletracks podcast we talk with Kate and Andrew Gates from Mulberry Gap about what it's like to run a mountain bike getaway.
Using a GPS unit while mountain biking offers many excellent opportunities: tracking fitness goals, navigating unfamiliar trails, and documenting and sharing your adventures are just a few of the advantages of bringing a GPS along…
photos: Burley Burley has been producing a full line of bike trailers designed for hauling cargo and kids for years now, and this year they're introducing a…
The Yakima Showcase is a new cargo box from Yakima designed to haul extra gear for your mountain bike road trips. It’s easy to install, simple to operate, and looks…
In this episode of the Singletracks podcast, Aaron, Greg, and I discuss our favorite bikes from 2016 and talk about the bikes we really want to test in 2017.
photo: Scott McClain A mountain bike ride at Brown County Park in Indiana was the last thing the Griffin family did together before US Army Sgt.…
Over the summer, Chris Daniels wrote an excellent article covering pretty much everything mountain bikers should know about chain lube. If you missed it, I highly recommend giving it a read! We also…
Bryton Sport is a Taiwanese company that recently introduced a line of GPS units to the US market. The company leans heavily on marketing itself as a lower cost competitor to established…
In this illuminating episode of the Singletracks podcast, we talk about mountain bike lights, briefly touching on the history of bike lights before diving into the key things every mountain biker needs to know about lighting up the trail.
In this episode, Aaron and I talk about how GPS works and what that means for mountain bikers who use GPS devices for training and trail navigation.
why is stiffness important to mountain bikers, and aren't bikes stiff enough already?
The Trek Fuel EX is consistently ranked among the top trail bikes by Singletracks readers, thanks to its prowess at both climbing and descending. For 2017, Trek changed things up a bit, pitching…
At Cyclofest last month I noticed a number of riders heading out on good-looking fat bikes, but I didn't recognize the brand. It turns out they were riding Eleven bikes, and…
Aaron and I discuss the history of waterproof gear, from animal skins to Gore-Tex and everything in between.
photo provided by Montague Bikes. Today is Veterans Day in the USA, a day set aside each year to reflect and give thanks to military veterans for their…
Bummer! GoPro is recalling 2,500 Karma Drones after "a very small number" of reports from consumers that the drone lost power during flight. Fortunately no one has been injured due to the…
We discuss both subjective and objective measures of trail difficulty, and explain the difference between technically and physically difficult trails.
These are the best mountain bike grips according to Singletracks readers and our editors.
Singletracks tests the third generation Santa Cruz Tallboy in North Carolina.
Specialized recently updated the iconic Epic hardtail mountain bike, and the new version is the company's lightest bike frame to date. But wait, does that mean it's lighter than any of…
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