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
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.
Leg cramps can be painful and debilitating on the trail. Here are some tips for avoiding them.
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…
Note: check out the latest list of the best mountain bike trails in the USA and Canada. Singletracks collects trail reviews from thousands of mountain bikers each year, and we use the…
Over the past few years, 27.5+ wheels have come a long way from a DIY conversion project to a full-fledged, standalone wheel standard embraced by nearly every wheel manufacturer on the planet. In…
Poki shows good form with Bob and Tula in pursuit. photo: Bob Ward Dogs are known as man's best friend, so it's only natural for mountain…
In this episode of the Singletracks podcast, we talk about our favorite rides in Utah, from iconic rides like Slickrock to the best bike parks and trails with the most epic scenery.
Any opinions expressed in this article are Jeff’s personal opinions, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Singletracks.com. There's a feature on Singletracks that allows registered users to post questions about…
Aaron and I talk about the highlights from this year's Sea Otter Classic.
Graphene is a modern technology wonder, said to be 200 times stronger than steel and yet extremely flexible and lightweight. Vittoria began experimenting with Graphene as a resin additive and found, "Graphene-enhanced composites have…
It's been nearly four years since I've ridden or reviewed an electric mountain bike, so at Sea Otter last week I decided it was time to give it another shot. I chose to…
In yet another move beyond GPS units, Garmin just announced the Varia UT800, an 800-lumen light designed for both urban and trail use. While lights in this brightness range are widely available…
At Sea Otter last week I got my first look at Vittoria's Gato, cross-country (XC) tire. On paper, the Gato seems like a pretty standard XC tire: it's (just) 2.2 inches wide, weighs 760g,…
It's a little hard to believe, but many saddle companies don't make a distinction between mountain bike and road bike saddles. GORE Bike Wear seems to disagree with this approach, and they even…
As 29ers push deeper into long travel territory, mountain bikers are looking for more aggressive shocks to handle suspension duties. With that in mind, Niner just announced a special Push Edition of…
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