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
On this Episode Gear up, because we're about to cover a lot of ground. In this episode, we talk about 1X vs. 2X configurations, gearing, and performance. Not only that, we talk about…
In this special episode of the Singletracks podcast, Aaron and Greg share their experiences at Outerbike in Moab last week.
Comparing mountain bike prices year-to-year is generally an exercise in futility. For one thing, few mountain bike models last more than five years before some brand new hotness replaces the old…
In this episode we talk about how mountain bike tourism works and discuss the reasons why many communities are rolling out the red carpet for riders.
Due to pending patent claims, Jenkins was unwilling for Singletracks to share photos of his prototype. Mark Jenkins thinks he's onto something. The former Tesla Engineer…
Mike Hall. Photo: Anthony Pease Very sad news today: British cyclist Mike Hall, the 2016 Tour Divide winner and speed record holder, was killed in an accident…
The new Copper T-Flex shoes sit at the top of Louis Garneau's mountain bike line. In fact, Louis Garneau says, "our entire race shoe design heritage has been passed on to the…
Five of the best mountain bike trails in Pennsylvania.
Aaron and I discuss mountain bike shoes and share tips for finding the best shoe.
photo: Leah Barber Camelbak claims the new Palos reservoir-based waist pack is the first designed specifically for mountain biking. This comes as a surprise to me,…
Aaron talks about his 340-mile Florida bikepacking adventure, also known as the Huracan 300.
photo: Brandon Geoffrey Ward A new housing development proposed for the Skyline area near Corona, CA has recently put the popular "Troy Lee" mountain bike trail on notice.…
The Magicshine MJ-908 mountain bike light kit is designed for serious night riding, and the company makes some pretty big claims for this reasonably priced light set.
photo: Nic Sullivan Sadly there is yet another report of trail terrorism targeting mountain bikers, this time at the Bethunes Gully trails in New Zealand. Nic Sullivan reports…
photo: Beeline Bikes In yet another blow to local bike shops in the US, Beeline Bikes is set to offer drop-off, assembly, and set-up services for bicycles purchased on Amazon.com,…
Mountain bikers encounter all kinds of obstacles on the trail, and each one requires a slightly different technique to address. Today I want to share some tips for making it across a stream…
Today we talk about mountain bike helmets: the history of helmets in cycling, how helmets are constructed, and what mountain bikers should look for when purchasing a new helmet.
Photo by Flickr user “Kim,” via the Flickr Creative Commons: https://www.flickr.com/photos/kimrose Warning: This article contains graphic details. Back in June, the Flathead Beacon and Singletracks reported that…
Niner has updated the JET 9 once again, going longer and slacker to make this trail bike even more capable. I've been testing the JET 9 Alloy, 1-star build, a relatively…
Fox recently announced a new helmet, dubbed the Proframe, that the company claims is one of the most breathable and lightest full face, DH-approved mountain bike helmets ever made. As anyone who has…
CBP, Border Patrol agents from the Laredo Bike Patrol unit on patrol in South Texas. Photo: Donna Burton, US Government Work Border security has been a controversial topic…
This is part two of a two-part podcast about my 29 Trails in 29 Days challenge.
While the "GPS always overestimates distances" camp is fairly vocal, there's an equally vocal camp that argues the opposite.
A proposed solution to gentrified bike trails in Atlanta, Georgia.
I challenged myself to ride 29 different mountain bike trails in 29 days, and this is how it all went down.
While recently watching one viral mountain bike video or another, YouTube recommended this video to us, and we couldn't take our eyes off the screen. Then it hit us: why not combine mountain…
photo: kellyrides New York is known as the Empire State, due in large part to the state's influence in US business, culture, and industry. But New York is also quietly building a…
We debate whether that's really true and speculate about what might be coming next.
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…
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