2014 Specialized Epic Gets Tweaks to Boost Performance

2014 Specialized Epic: Fast, Firm, Aggressive 29er Geometry and Exceptional Components

The big change is a frame that's laterally stiffer and about .5 lbs lighter. The new carbon frame has lighter, more optimized materials yet thick chain stays to provide lateral stiffness. The seat post is now 27.2mm in diameter to save weight and make room for the brain shock cable that is fed in between the seat tube and the moving seat stays.

The cable routing is now internal. This is a big diversion for Specialized as they've stayed the course with their neatly organized external cable routing. Their old system tucked the cables under the down tube in a very organized manner and it worked well when set up properly. Specialized has designed a big port hole for the now internally routed cables and seals them off with big caps that guide the cable out of the frame. Inside, they house the cables in a foam 'noodle' material that prevents any kind of rattling noise inside the frame.

The latest Brain Shock still strives to lock out during pedaling and activate during trail bumps, but it is now smoother than ever during this transition.

The Epic World Cup is exclusively available with 1x drivetrains. In the case of the top shelf S-Works version, that means SRAM's XX1 group. The shifts are smooth and crisp, it is practically silent, and the unique 10-42T cassette provides more than enough range for the intended purpose.

Specialized pairs that awesome drivetrain with Magura MT8 hydraulic disc brakes, complete with their trick molded carbon composite brake lever bodies and calipers. The lightweight, 22mm-wide carbon fiber rims are quick to accelerate and reasonably stiff under hard cornering, lending a secure feel even when aggressively attacking smaller berms - helped further by the new 15-mm front thru-axle.

Specialized has used the Epic to roll out its new SWAT line of product, which will have benefits for both mountain and road cyclist. The acronym stands for "Storage, Water, Air, Tools," and refers to several on-bike storage options.

On the carbon frames, there's a sleeve that holds a specially shaped multi tool. On aluminum frames, the tool fits into a holder under the downtube-mounted bottle cage. There's also an 11-speed compatible chain tool, and storage for a spare link, which hides under the headset's pre-load cap.

SWAT also includes a removable flat repair pod that sits below the water bottle on the downtube. The small plastic box has enough room for a spare tube, tire lever, C02 inflator, and a cartridge. The whole thing bolts to a Specialized Zee water bottle cage and is secured by a third riv-nut on the down tube.

All new Epic models are compatible with the SWAT system, but only the highest end bikes come with the kit stock.

For 2014 Specialized has updated the bike's suspension by slightly reducing the leverage ratio, flattening the shock rate a bit, and revising the dampers shim stack. These changes make the locked-to-open transition smoother, the end of a stroke a bit more progressive, and the ride a bit more sensitive when open.

Beyond the suspension tune, Specialized made the shock's reservoir about 25 percent smaller to save weight. They have also revised the hose (it is more durable) and reduced the number of settings in the BRAIN threshold adjuster to five, to make it easier to balance the front to rear feel of the suspension.

There is so much more to be said about the 2014 Specialized Epic, and many more reviews to come. Why don't you come by The Spoke Shop and check out the great Specialized 2014 model year bikes!

The Spoke Shop
1910 Broadwater Ave. Billings, MT

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[VIDEO] 2014 Specialized Epic at Specialized Product Launch

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We've got a sneak peek of the 2014 Specialized Epic at the Specialized Dealer event in Copper Mountain, Colorado.

The project manager for the 2014 Specialized Epic was nice enough to show us some of the features and explain what makes the new bike so great.

The goal, he said, was to take what they knew already worked, and then tweak some small details to make the bike perform at an elevated level.

The stiffness of the rear end was bolstered by a pivot joining the shock, the link and the stay all in one pivot - and this also helps the weight in this area. They have also used ShockBlock technology, allowing the bike to be more supple on small bumps by dissolving road shock into a cartridge bearing.

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Check out the 2014 Specialized Epic (As Soon As We Get Them!!) at The Spoke Shop!

1910 Broadwater Ave. Billings, MT

(406) 656-8342

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Top 5 Cycling Apps on Androiod

Got An Android?

 If so, you may be having some trouble choosing the best app to map and gauge your cycling. Danny Stieben of www.makeuseof.com lists his top 5 favorite cycling apps, giving pros and cons for each.

 

Robots On Wheels: 5 Top Cycling Apps For Android

• June 6, 2013
• By Danny Stieben

Riding a bicycle is a great way to get exercise, as well as train your body to be physically fit. A key component of training is tracking your progress, and that can be difficult to accomplish without the right tools. With an Android phone, you’ll have plenty of apps at your disposal to plan, calculate, and track your bicycle rides. They can also provide great ways to connect to a community geared toward improving physically, which is sometimes the motivation that people need. This way, you’ll easily be able to improve yourself by knowing your stats and competing with your friends or even friendly strangers.

Some of these tools are more complex than others, and some may be used to track other forms of exercise, too. No matter which tool you end up going with, the important thing is to get out there and get some cycling done. Tracking is just a bonus — it’s not the end game.

Endomondo

Endomondo is arguably the most popular sports tracking app available on Android, and it’s also one of my personal favorite cycling apps for Android. It can easily track your cycling outings, and give you plenty of information after your workout. It shows you a map with the path that you took, along with the distance, time, calories burned, average speed and pace, and how much hydration you probably need after the workout. Endomondo can also be used for a long list of other workouts, including running, roller skiing, and more.

Another fantastic feature about Endomondo is that you can share your workouts to the Endomondo community as well as social media, which can be used to get comments of encouragement from others or as bragging rights.

Strava Cycling

Strava Cycling is another excellent app which can easily track your cycling workouts. It offers an excellent user interface, and like Endomondo, it can map your path, and show you the time and distance. However, you can also look at your collective stats, earn achievements, compare yourself in leaderboards in a number of scenarios including riding the same route segments as your friends, and join challenges in which you can win gear. Strava also offers its own community where people can look at their friends’ workouts and encourage them.

The idea behind Strava is that you don’t just push yourself to improve on your own times, but you also compare yourself to others as you try to go from the bottom of the leaderboard to the top. Strava does an excellent job at offering plenty of competitive features that indirectly use other people to push you, and that may be the different type of motivation that some people need for workout success.

Strava is also a recommended cycling app for iOS.

BicyComp

If you’re looking at a simpler workout tracker for your cycling outings, then I’d recommend BicyComp. When you first launch the app, it offers you four different layouts, which include varying amounts of information and screen space dedicated to a map. Depending on what you choose, you could see a map, speed, distance, and a handful of time-related stats.

BicyComp doesn’t have an online community, so all workouts will be saved locally if you choose to do so. Otherwise, it’s just a good way to keep track of each workout as you’re doing it.

The only issue that I’ve found is that the map may not automatically move to your current position, so you may have to do that manually. However, it does still find your location and tracks the path you take.

Bike Hub Cycle Journey Planner

If you live in the UK, you’re in luck. Bike Hub Cycle Journey Planner is an app which allows you to plan your cycling routes using OpenStreetMaps before you actually go out cycling.

Once you’re out and about, the app can give you turn by turn directions, including cycling paths in addition to roads. You can also choose between the shortest, fastest, and quietest routes when generating directions. You can even find nearby bike shops if you need any of their services.

While the app uses OpenStreetMaps to display the map, the information it uses for bike routes and bike shops come from a separate, UK-only source. That’s why the app doesn’t work outside of the UK.

Cadence Calculator for Cycling

If you’re out cycling for long distances, you should focus on getting your cadence at an acceptable level. The cadence is the amount of revolutions per minute you make with the pedals. Ideally, your cadence should be between 80 and 120 rpm so that you don’t put too much strain on your legs as well as move them too quickly.

With the Cadence Calculator for Cycling, you can calculate your cadence and gear inches by entering your front gear size, rear gear size, and traveling speed. In order to be sure that you’re using the correct measurements (and therefore receive the correct calculations), you’ll need to go into the settings and choose your wheel circumference, chainrings, and cassette. As such, the calculator only works if your bike’s parameters are supported, but the list is quite large.

Conclusion

These five cycling apps for Android should give you quite a start at tracking and optimizing your cycling outings. While I find Endomondo to be the most useful out of these 5 apps, you’ll be fine by using any of the others. For more great Android apps, check out our Best Android Apps page!

What cycling apps do you use on Android? What feature is most important to you? Let us know in the comments!

Image Credits: Jonas Tana

Come to The Spoke Shop for all your cycling needs.

We are located at 1910 Broadwater Ave. in Billings, MT. You can reach us by phone at (406) 656-8342

www.spokeshop.com

Americans Cycling To Work Increased by 47% Since 2000! Bike To Work Week Special!

If you weren't aware already, May is National Bike to Work Month, May 13-17 2013 is national Bike to Work Week, and Bike to Work Day (if you can't commit to the entire week) is this Friday, May 17th. 

Bike to School day has already passed on May 8th, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't encourage your children and school age nieces, nephews, brothers, sisters, and friends to participate in this healthy and fun event!! Who knows? Maybe once the week is over they will desire to keep riding their bike to school!

According to the US Census Bureau's American Community Survey, the share of Americans Commuting by bike has grown by 47% since 2000! AND - Many Bicycle Friendly Communities have more than DOUBLED their bike commuter share since 2000!

Also since 2000, the 39 Bicycle Friendly Communities, (taken from America's 70 largest cities and deemed such by the League's Bicycle Friendly America program) saw an average of an 80% increase in bicycle commuting. In contrast, the bike commuter rate in the 31 largest non-Bicycle Friendly communities grew only 32% (which is still great!)

In celebration of these facts and to kick off National Bike to Work Week, the League announced it's latest round of Bicycle Friendly Communities. They have added 17 new BFCs, which brings the 47-state program up to 259 Bicycle Friendly Communities. This program has been helping transform the community's priorities and evaluation of life quality by promoting cycling, hosting education programs in regards to cycling, and investing in infrastructure and municipal policies.

How can you help make your community more Bicycle Friendly? The League of American Bicyclists has provided these steps to get your community more involved in the BFC program:

1. Download the Bicycle Friendly Community Overview Here.

As you review the materials, you'll see that all types and sizes of communities can be positively affected by increased bicycle accommodations. Whether decisions that affect your bicycle plan, routes, and facilities occur in a township, town, borough, city, or county level. this application can help framework a discussion with your decision makers. Also take a look at The League Of American Bicyclists Bicycle Friendly America brochure. You can order free copies of the print version by sending an email to bfa@bikeleague.org.

2. Evaluate your community with the League's Bicycle Friendly Community Scorecard

Take a few minutes to complete this quick scorecard to see how your community stacks up in bicycle friendliness. The scorecard allows you to take an objective look at your community to determine if it already has the basic foundation for a Bicycle Friendly Community.

3. Review the application yourself to see how bicycle-friendly your community is today.

Is there a written policy on maintaining bicycle safe streets? Is there a bicycle advisory committee and/or a bicycle coordinator? These basic resources can be vital to a town's ability to respond to bicyclist's needs. Highway engineers often will not change their practices unless written policy tells them to do so. A bicycle advisory committee is a good structure for getting such new policies written and formally proposed. Having someone on staff designated as bicycle coordinator can be crucial in achieving these measures. (Remember, it is a cardinal rule in every bureaucracy that any task not specified as someone's job is a task that will never get done. Click here to view the application. Pleas note that only applications submitted on-line will be accepted.

4. Plan your strategy for pitching bicycle-friendly improvements.

Obviously, if the mayor is a ride leader in the local bicycle club, your strategy is simple - show him or her the application! Most communities will take a little more work. First, you must identify the decision makers responsible for the policy changes you seek. In big cities, the mayor's office would typically delegate responsibility to the city's head of transportation or public works. In a smaller town, there may be a full-time city manager that reports to a citizen city council. In any event, you must make some calls to determine who needs to be persuaded before you can set out to persuade them. Next, find one or two bicyclists who have some influence with the decision maker. If you're lucky, there is a local government official who is an avid cyclist. Without such a person, identify the most visible bicycle dealer in town and the leader of a local bicycle club. Ask around and find support. If you are a bicyclist who is already known and trusted by government leaders, your work will be much easier.

5. Gather support.

Ask for a letter recommending the Bicycle Friendly Community program from any organization that might be inclined to support better cycling. The local bicycle club is a natural first choice, but local environmental groups, civic organizations, businesses and others will tend to cooperate if you make it easy enough for them. Draft the letter for them so they know exactly what you need to minimize the amount of work you ask of them. The Bicycle Friendly Community program frames positive change for bicyclists into the form of a "yes or no" question to a political leader: "Will you support this program?" Politicians hate to say "No" to anyone. They especially do not want to say "No" to an organized group of people. And it's not likely they will want to say no to many different groups.

6. Call your government official and request a meeting.

Attend with your best spokesperson and copies of the letters of support with you to the meeting. Talk about the benefits that the bicycle improvements you desire, as well as the benefits of a Bicycle Friendly Community designation.

7. Ask for something specific and try to get a specific commitment. 

A good starting point is to ask if the person will submit the application for Bicycle Friendly Community status. Another good ask is how long it will take to designate a bicycle coordinator. One way the city can show its support for building a Bicycle Friendly Community is by adopting the Action Plan for Bicycle Friendly Communities available here. You could also propose working with the new coordinator on implementing the other bicycle-friendly criteria items (such as convening the bicycle advisory committee, proclaiming Bike to Work Day, developing bicycle safe engineering policies, etc.) Be specific in your requests and, if the official raises concerns, ask him or her to be specific. Following the meeting, write a thank you memo that spells out your understanding of what was agreed to.

8. Follow up and Follow up (and follow up).

Lack of persistence is the downfall of many a bicycle advocate. Motivated people motivate politicians and their employees. If you raise an idea and then don't pursue it, they grow suspicious about just how important the idea is to you. So many people are clamoring for their time and attention, they will forget if you make yourself forgettable. Keep calling back and keep going back. Commit to the result and make it happen!

Come to The Spoke Shop for all your cycling needs.

We are located at 1910 Broadwater Ave. in Billings, MT. You can reach us by phone at (406) 656-8342

www.spokeshop.com

Industry's BEST Hybrid Bike - The 2013 Trek Dual Sport Series!

Everyone knows Trek is a world leader in mountain bike technology. 

They produce some of the most technologically advanced mountain bikes on the market. 

Each platform is a leader in its class and is loaded with features and details that will make any ride, on any trail, better. Take the Dual Sport for example.  A nimble hybrid with suspension, extra tread, and a moderate position for people who want the freedom to ride everywhere. If you can only have one bike, you want to get a dual sport. Sure, they get you from point A to point B faster than most other bikes, but there is so much more to this line!

Related: Need help choosing your first mountain bike? Check out this post!

SO much more, that it's hard to believe that these Gary Fisher collection bikes start at such a low price, with the quality they provide. There is such attention payed to detail like: the color-matched fork and ferruels on the cables.  They ride smooth, and help you find your love for adventure. Fast on the road to get you where you need to go: work, school, or other, yet has capable suspension and offers a confident ride on trails. 

Take your inner mountain biker out once in a while, with massive tire clearance on this bike you will be able to use tires as big as XDX 29"x1.8" MTB tires (without fenders). This light, strong frame is rack and fender ready, and is plenty equipped to do some weekend warrior trail riding! It's clear that hydroforming isn't just for show and the frame is stiffer and lighter for it. 

Trek begins the lineup with the 8.1 DS. Alpha Gold Aluminum, using manipulated tube shapes to balance strength and weight saving. 21 Speeds and easily accomodates 700x35c tires with fenders or up to an XDX 29"1.8" MTB tires without fenders. The 8.1 and all other Dual Sport bikes also come Bontrager saddles and bars to ensure complete comfort no matter how long you ride.

The 8.2 DS receives a shock-absorbing suspension fork that allows the front wheel to travel up and down over bumps while the handlebars stay steady, for a comfortable, controlled ride.

Now we start moving into the big leagues with the 8.3. It comes with a nice upgrade to a Shimano Acera crank and rear derailleur, and is also outfitted with mechanical disc brakes. It's SR Suntour NEX MLO front fork is preload adjustable with lockout and has 63 mm of travel. You can expect this fork to deliver smooth riding and nimble handling over even the most potholed roads and bumpiest paths..

The next step is the 8.4 and which means you get an upgraded Alivio crank, Shimano Deore rear derailleur, and Bontrager Satellite Elite ergonomic grips. You jump up to 27 speeds on this model, ensuring you always have the right gear on the road.

The 8.5 is doing a great job as the second best bike in this lineup, boasting a fantastic Shimano SLX rear derailleur and Shimano hydraulic disc brakes that provide ultimate control and stopping power.

All hail the 2013 Trek 8.6 DS. It is the ultimate two-in-one bike. Trek's proprietary IsoZone frame gives suspension that is built in to the frame. Your suspension lockout is remote controlled by a lever on the handlebar, making the 8.6 one of the best of the Gary Fisher Collection.

Return to the simple joy of cycling with a go-anywhere, fast, lightweight hybrid bike from Trek. Commute on it, ride it on the road, ride it on bike paths, no matter where you ride, you'll have fun! Take the long way home.

Come Check Out these Awesome Bikes at The Spoke Shop! We hope to see you soon. We are located at 1910 Broadwater Ave. in Billings, MT. 

The 2013 Trek Domane 4.0. Want a Test Ride? Come to The Spoke Shop

The 2013 Trek Domane 4.0, PACKED with 

Features for the Avid Cyclist

The 2013 Trek Domane 4.0 is absolutely incredible. To start, it's fully carbon and is designed for the racers that want a bike that goes just as fast as any other bike. The Domane but is built for comfort, even over unforgiving cobblestone roads.

In order to fulfill the needs of these racers, Trek has been working around the clock for years. Their engineers have come up with a design called "isospeed." Isospeed means that the seat tube is completely isolated from the rest of the frame to make the seat mast act like extra suspension without compromising the stiffness of the frame.

The bottom bracket is stiff and wide, which aids in acceleration despite the extra backward flex allowed by the seat mast. It's always a hassle when your chain comes off of your crank, but this year Trek has introduced a "chain keeper" to keep your chain in place even when you are at the top of your cadence.

At the end of the day, this bike is as comfortable as a touring bike, yet as fast as a racing bike. There's nothing better that a good two-in-one.


Come check out this amazing machine, and take a test ride at The Spoke Shop.

We are located at 1910 Broadwater Ave. in Billings MT.
You can reach us by phone: (406) 656-8342 or by email: info@spokeshop.com