New Store in Brookings to Open Oct 7th

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sept. 26, 2017

Spoke-N-Sport
Chad Pickard, owner
605-275-2453 chad@spoke-n-sport.com

Spoke-N-Sport to open new location in Brookings, SD

Brookings, SD – Spoke-N-Sport Bikes of Sioux Falls is expanding to Brookings and excited to meet the needs of a growing community of bicyclists.

Staff are moving into the new location at 503 N. Main in downtown Brookings through September and will be open for service starting Friday, Oct 6^th 2017.

Brittany Kleinsasser and John Berry will manage Spoke-N-Sport’s second location. Both are well-known local bicyclists and heavily invested in the area bicycling community.

“We are thrilled to serve the Brookings community,” said owner Chad Pickard. “There is a lot of growth that surrounds cycling in the town and the area.”  

Pickard recognizes the momentum for bicycling in the community. The growth is evident in the new facilities and investment from the city of Brookings.

Within the last year, Brookings received a Bronze Bicycle Friendly Community designation from the League of American Bicyclists. Brookings Mountain Bike Association opened a new mountain bike singletrack trail in summer 2017, and the city of Brookings has enacted a new long-range bicycle master plan.

Spoke-N-Sport Brookings will be open 6 days a week and offer new bicycles and gear, custom bike fitting and service on all makes of bikes. Customers will find bikes and gear from Giant, Trek and Salsa.

For information about the new Brookings location, contact Brittany at (605) 679-7894. For service, call John at (605) 323-8261.

ABOUT SPOKE-N-SPORT

Spoke-N-Sport Sioux Falls has served the area for more than 30 years. Beyond sales and service, the shop and staff devote time and effort for cycling advocacy and events in Sioux Falls and throughout the state and region.

In 2017, the shop was selected as one of America’s Best Bike Stores and has maintained South Dakota’s only Gold level Bicycle Friendly Business designation from the League of American Bicyclists. Spoke-n-Sport is also the only Beginner Biking Alliance accredited bicycle retailer in South Dakota. Their New Year’s Day Bike Ride is one of South Dakota’s biggest one-day ride. Learn more at spoke-n-sport.com.

Where to Look to Find the Perfect Bike

Imagine you are standing at the edge of a cliff. At the base of this cliff are all your friends, two wheeled childhood memories, and beer...lots of beer. Behind you though, is certain death. Staring into the depths is so intimidating, maybe to some even down right terrifying but it is better than what lies behind, did I mention...certain death? You know you want what lies below but not how you get there from where you are with as little bodily injury as possible? I often imagine this is what it's like for someone walking into a bike shop for the first time.

Okay okay, maybe I am over exaggerating a tiny bit but I think we can all agree that specialty stores in any realm are extremely intimidating. For this blog post I tried to forget everything I've come to learn about bikes and start from scratch. In this day and age that usually means heading to the most reliable and honest source...the Internet. I wanted to really try and understand how real the struggle for a new cyclist.

What I found on the world wide web was nothing short of confusing. Cyclists, mechanics, and bike nerds unite to tell you what you need in one of two ways; either dumbing it down to vague categories and/or misleading information, or using terms and statistics that someone new to the riding world would have no chance in understanding. Don't get me wrong, I love that we can share so much information so easily, but all of this research kept pointing me to the same answer...find your local bike shop and ask them. I know this sounds like a shameless self promotion but hear me out.

First, we are humans so you don't need to figure out an impossible CAPTCHA to contact someone with a question. Second, we have a ton of knowledge first hand on what works best for all sorts of riding. We have been through the worst of the worst to help you avoid blisters, numb hands, and uncomfortable riding posture. Third, you are supporting a local business and involving yourself in the local community. By investing in that shop they can get a much more realistic and honest opinion of what the customers want and it gives us the opportunity to serve you! To find out your actual wants and needs, what you know and what you still want to know, where you see yourself riding this year and years down the road. Modern day media and resources promote a very "do it yourself" attitude and what I've learned in my own personal journey as a mechanic and cyclist is that I have needed every single persons help to get where I am now.

We not only get to have the chance to talk about fit and function of the bike, but we also get to talk about future goals, family, motivations and answer all the questions you could have spent hours online digging for. I have seen kids hug the sales people and couples walk out the door with huge smiles on their faces because they weren't just sold "a bike" they had an experience with a genuine person that wants to see them exploring their full potential. It is our job to help you find YOUR bike, to break down all those types and tire sizes and to give you confidence and knowledge to take with you.

Lastly I want to say that no one at a good bike shop wants to see someone riding a bike that makes them miserable. To us especially at Spoke-n-Sport we LOVE to see our customers LOVE the bike they choose, everything else comes second to that. So in the end this post isn't to share some secret formula to find "the perfect bike" but to remind you of all of your options when diving in. Yes there are brands upon brands and categories upon categories and that will probably never change, the point I am trying to make is that we don't want to watch you fall from the cliff, we want to jump right along with you.

XO Tuesday

It's Only the Beginning

Formal Introduction

I just want to start this off by thanking you for dropping by! I am so pumped to be able to share my passions with you on something we have in common. No matter the skill, consistency, or energy exerted, riding a bike is undoubtedly one of the best ways to rid the stresses of daily life and enjoy being alive (see calming image below)! My name is Tuesday Frankus, I have successfully survived 27 years on planet earth and I am one of three full-time Service Technicians at Spoke-n-Sport Bike Shop. I will warn you that there will most likely be an overuse of exclamation points during our time together, forgive me, I just get excited about the things I care for!

My Passions

Well let’s see, there are so many things that I love, but to name a few there is: hiking, running, camping, reading, writing, riding my bike (that’s a given) oh, and smiling...smiling’s my favorite. I love finding places around Sioux Falls that reflect beauty and peace (see image above). I also love pushing myself on long rides and getting lost on the rolling highways outside of our city.

I have a hilarious and beautiful family including my mom and dad, two sisters, and their adorable children.

I have lived in Sioux Falls 99.9% of my life, it has changed so much and it has been an adventure in itself watching the streets, community, and outlook of this city grow.

My Cycling Story

Two years ago I found myself on a new adventure. I was on my way to Park City Utah to spend a week in a house full of people I had never met before. Now at this point in my life I had really only been as far as Minneapolis Minnesota and I was unaware of the fact that seeing mountains for the first time will totally change the way a person does...well...life. I hiked up my first mountain, swam in my first glacial pool, but most importantly, hopped on my first road bike.

    To be honest, it was intimidating. Who wants to be that one person in the middle of a group of people that literally has no idea of how to ride a bike. Looking at this...contraption, well I had never seen anything like it up close in my life. The weird pedals, painful looking seat, skinny tires, and... shifters? Embarrassing I know, please hold off on the judgements. My punishment for being too nervous to say anything more than, “I think the seat is too high.” was climbing hills in high altitude in the same single excruciating gear. Needless to say after a few blocks it was very obvious that something was awry and those fantastic people stopped to check on me. I caved, humbled myself, and asked for help. That day was the beginning of what has been the best, most adventurous and challenging journey I have ever had the pleasure of embarking on.

My Spoke-n-Sport Story

Even with such a complicated start, I knew I needed to get a bike just like that one I rode. A friend of mine brought me to Spoke-n-Sport and with VERY little knowledge, I picked out my first road bike. Sadly, my dream of having the exact same bike was crushed to a pitiful pile when I saw the value of the bike I actually had been riding and what my “new hobby budget” could realistically afford. (Don’t fret, I will go into the details of choosing the best bike in my next post, today is just the foundation.) I received amazing service and was given room for my opinions and what I thought I knew I needed. Finally, after everything was said and done I had a wild hair to ask, “Do you guys happen to do apprenticeships?” The answer, in short, was no. I learned that there were summer positions open and was still given an application. In all actuality I was hoping for the part-time-retail-summer job that I had done so many times in the past and learn some awesome bike stuff by immersion, but oh boy was I wrong.

The Word “INVEST”

There are a few definitions of this word, but my favorite is this:

Invest - To provide or endow someone or something with (a particular quality or attribute).

I had my first interview with Chad Pickard over the phone. He asked me tons of questions and I knew I had to be clear in saying, I really don’t know anything, but I want to know everything! I went on in my typical Tuesday way rambling about sunshine and smiling and how much I love the freeing feeling of riding a bike. I mentioned I wanted to learn how to take care of my own and my dream was to restore my old cruiser and college “vehicle”. Without hesitation Chad said, “I want you to be a full time mechanic.” needless to say I was floored. I said, “Honestly it might be best for you to find someone with experience.” and to that he said, “You can’t teach passion.” I can’t help but smile when think of the faith someone else had in me to see enough potential to pay me to be a part of their personal business.

I have been working full time at Spoke-n-Sport for over a year now and honestly I don’t think I will ever reach a time that I will stop learning new things. The joy of this industry is that it is continuously growing and changing. So many things are just now becoming accessible to those that don’t might ride “professionally” but still want the feel and experience of a high quality ride, women are making HUGE strides in every realm and carving out their own identity, communities are taking advantage of  group rides and cycling events, and it is only getting better!

My Goal

So you made it this far! THANK YOU! I’ll get down to the nitty gritty here and let you get back to your day in peace. In this job I have learned first hand what it feels like to be thoroughly invested in. I have had the opportunity to be interviewed, in magazines, teach classes as well as go to them, and beyond everything else, I have been given the tools to invest back into our community. The feeling of sharing knowledge, experiences, laughs, and yes bikes has been such a privilege! I want to continue to reach out to our community through group rides (I will be posting some of my own shortly, check out our calendar!) one on one chats, and classes. This is only the beginning guys so I hope you’re not sick of me yet. My goal is to tear down whatever barriers that are keeping people from honestly just riding a bike. Also, I will let you in on a little secret, we are all still learning too! There are still questions that stump us as professionals, we still have to research and learn on our own, and I promise we are not scary people. Now my question to you is, what is keeping you from getting over here and starting your beginning? See you in my next post!

XO Tuesday

Gravel Time!

The time has come, we are upon the first Spoke-N-Sport Gravel Ride of the year and I’m pretty stoked! Right now the National Weather Service is forecasting mid 50’s and a 10mph (We’ll say 20mph for now, because they always get the wind off by about 10mph!) south wind for 9am on Saturday!

Why Gravel?

About 4 years ago I started commuting to work on my bike. I live in Sioux Falls and work on the north end of Harrisburg. I had two options on routes to work...Live or Die. Alright, maybe not that extreme but the options were, Cliff Ave on pavement or Southeastern Ave on gravel. I didn't even attempt Cliff, with the lack of shoulder, heavy traffic and minimal daylight at 5:45 when I'm heading to work it didn't seem like an option. I started using Southeastern and also started really enjoying what gravel provided; the scenery, the wildlife, the unique farm yards and houses. Gravel give you the opportunity to go at your pace, you don't have to worry about a constant stream of vehicles going by at 55mph (I rode 67 miles on gravel this past Saturday with a group and I can only think of 2-3 vehicles that passed our group in that time!). You can stop and take pictures at that bridge with the sparkling brook going under it. Also, the sound of gravel under your tires never gets old.

Do I need a gravel bike?

Yes! You need a bike that can ride on gravel! A fat bike, a mountain bike, a cyclocross bike, a city bike, a commuter bike, a touring bike, a gravel bike...I think you get my point, about any bike will do! Your full carbon triathlon might not be the best option, but you know your bike best and how strong it is and how comfortable you'll be. If you're not sure if your bike is up for the challenge of a gravel ride, bring it into the folks at Spoke-N-Sport and they'll tell you if it's capable or make recommendations to help it out! Also, if you don't have a bike or yours is out of commission, give the store a call and check out their rental bikes! Riding gravel can be a bit more fatiguing on you body due to the rough terrain and uneven roads. But it's fun!

So, about this weekend...

This Saturday, April 8th we're going to be leaving Spoke-N-Sport at 9am. They will have somebody there with the store open if you need to grab something quick or have a question. If you're looking for a rental, be sure to call them as soon as you can to get that information. We will ride out of town via bike trail and city streets. Expect a pace of 12-15mph for the ride, saying that it will be a no drop ride though. Pack supplies needed for an unsupported ride; snacks, hydration, tools, tube and/or patch kit, pump or CO2, etc.

If you can't make it Saturday, we've got more gravel rides coming up this summer. I really hope you can grind some gravel with us!!

Keep Grinding!
Jaron

Saturday Morning Gravel Rides April 8th, May 6th, June 3rd, and July 1st.  The Saturday Morning rides will leave from Spoke-N-Sport at 9am and will be 25-40 mile round trip.

June 15th and August 17th we’re going to do Family Ice Cream Gravel Rides. The Thursday evening ride will be around 8-10 miles and feature an ice cream stop part way through the ride. These will leave from somewhere on the outer edge of Sioux Falls or a surrounding town.

Follow Me:
Instagram - @jarondw
Strava - Jaron DeWit

Follow Spoke-N-Sport:
Facebook - Spoke-N-Sport
Instagram - @spokensportbikes

Introduction to Your Gravel Ambassador

Hello! My name is Jaron DeWit. I am one of this year's Spoke-N-Sport ride Ambassadors. This year I will focus on gravel rides and cyclocross. I thought I'd share a bit about myself and why I think you should ride with us.

I live in Sioux Falls with my beautiful wife and two wonderful daughters. I work in Harrisburg and when I get to cycle commute to work, I enjoy a 16 mile round trip ride to work. I grew up in Sioux Falls about 2 blocks from Cherry Rock Park and that meant great access to the bike trail. I spent countless hours roaming Sioux Falls by bike. My friends and I would make trips to Falls Park, the library and other areas of town to get some childhood mischief done.

I always rode “childhood” bikes, but in 1996 I had saved up and bought my first “real” mountain bike at the Bike Barn! This opened up new roads (or shall I say off-roads!) I got in hours of time at Leader's Park (pre Falls Area Singletrack), time in the trails behind Tuthill, and I knew all the offshoots from the bike trail.

As an adult I’ve enjoyed annual mountain-bike trips with friends to North Dakota's Maah Daah Hey Trail and Northern Minnesota’s Cuyuna. This summer we’re heading to the Chequamegon area in Wisconsin. I also enjoy fun local events like Beresford’s Do The Du duathlon and a few years back I found this crazy little sport called cyclocross that I spend most of my cycling time enjoying! When I’m not riding I spend quite a bit of time advocating for cycling safety in Sioux Falls and promoting any type of cycling in Sioux Falls. On of my favorite things to do is take photos on bike rides. If you follow a Facebook group I started called “Sioux Falls Bicycle Photos” you’ll know that I love propping my bike up in random locations for a picture or two.  In addition to biking, my family and I enjoy crewing for hot air balloons, flying kites, kayaking, and generally spending time outdoors.

This summer we plan to do Saturday Morning Gravel Rides April 8th, May 6th, June 3rd, and July 1st.  The Saturday Morning rides will leave from Spoke-N-Sport at 9am and will be 25-40 mile round trip.

June 15th and August 17th we’re going to do Family Ice Cream Gravel Rides. The Thursday evening ride will be around 8-10 miles and feature an ice cream stop part way through the ride. These will leave from somewhere on the outer edge of Sioux Falls or a surrounding town.

I hope to see you out on the gravel this summer and I sure hope you come out and grind some gravel with us!

Follow Me:
Instagram - @jarondw
Strava - Jaron DeWit

MTB Ambassador Gear Preview - the bike

As the Mountain Biking Ambassador, this year I’m going to be riding the Giant Anthem 2. It is my first new mountain bike in 15 years and I am really looking forward to riding it. I debated between hard tail and full suspension for what bike to ride. With the Maestro technology and great spec on this bike, the debate landed on the side of the Anthem.

Giant Anthem 2

Giant has redesigned the Anthem and turned into an all round xc bike - great for everything from racing to all day epic adventures. I received the bike about three weeks, got it built and had it checked over at the store. So far, I have only been able to ride it on the bike path and in town, so am hoping the weather cooperates and gets the FAST trails dried out soon so I can really get a feel of what this bike has to offer.

Here is part of the official release from Giant - With its all-new lightweight ALUXX SL aluminum frameset, engineered specifically for 27.5 wheels, this agile XC machine delivers confidence and control even on rugged terrain. A new trunnion-mount Maestro rear suspension setup gives you 110mm of smooth, active rear travel. And Boost hub technology improves wheel stiffness for even more control.

In my next post I will be letting you know what parts I have swapped or upgraded on my new bike. As my enduro bros would say,  "I’m stoked to be riding this sick whip and looking forward to pinning it all season long.  Braap!"

Click here for all the specs of the Giant Anthem 2.

Click the links below for some YouTube videos from Giant about the 2017 Anthem and a link to the news page with some great reviews from major mountain bike media outlets.

XC Amplified: Introducing the all-new Anthem Range

Giant Maestro Suspension Technology

Giant Global News

Hello, I'm your new ambassador!

Hello, my name is John Gruber and I'm going to be one of Spoke-n-Sport's Cycling Ambassadors for 2017.  My goal is to create opportunities for you and your family to connect with Spoke-N-Sport and join others in the community who enjoy biking.  Chad and I began talking about this position last year and now my official start date is right around the corner.  I am getting more and more excited! As you can see in the picture below, my love of riding a bicycle started many years ago.  I have always enjoyed nature and combining this with bike riding, I naturally gravitated toward mountain biking.  I worked at Spoke-N-Sport right out of college for approximately three years and this solidified my love of cycling.  In the years after working at Spoke-n-Sport I started a family and this meant adding more bikes to the stable for my wife and kids.  We moved back to Sioux Falls four years ago and now you can spot us enjoying the city on two wheels throughout the year whether on the pavement or in the dirt.

I have already begun planning events for mountain biking and family biking here in Sioux Falls and the surrounding states.  We will be exploring the bike trail, local restaurants, coffee shops and single track both near and far.

You can follow me on Instagram @johnmgruber and I will also be posting regularly here on Spoke Ends with gear reviews, ride previews/recaps and other stuff related to cycling.  Look for #RideSNS for all ambassador related posts.

Winter Gear: Footwear

Giro Empire, 45Nrth Japanther, 45Nrth Wolvehammer, 45Nrth Wolfgar

If time and money were as abundant as the winds of South Dakota, I'd recommend buying some Giro Empire cycling shoes for the summer and the full line of 45Nrth boots for the winter. Japanther (25 - 45 degrees, Wolvhammer (0 - 25 degrees) and Wolfgar (-25 - 0 degrees).  The You'd cover temperature ranges for winter and look awesome in the summer. Unfortuantely.....there is more wind than time and money and 45Nrth kicks are expensive (but worth it).  If your feet are cold, read on.  The solutions may not be that hard to find.

I use.  Keen winter boots.  I use them because I don't like being clipped in and they keep my feet warm.  I can ride for over an hour at 0 degrees and the piggies can still get to market when I get home.  Before you rush out and buy stock in Keen....be sure to read the rest of the info below for some things to consider when choosing a boot to wear in the winter.

My winter cycling shoes

Pedals

If you are going to ride in the winter (you definitely should), you need to make some decisions.  Are you going to ride with clipless pedals or with platforms?  Generally speaking, clipless pedals have a spring loaded retention system on the pedal that engages a metal cleat on the bottom of the shoe.  This engagement helps you keep your feet on your pedals as well as a host of other benefits.  Platform pedals are just that. A platform with teeth or pins that are meant to prevent your shoes from slipping off the pedals. 

Clipless vs. Platform

Clipless allow for more efficient pedaling, but can also transfer cold from the bike to your feet causing your extremities to get colder quicker.  My dad's a science teacher and I still can't remember if that means metal is a good or bad conductor of temperature.  Regardless, if the metal attached to your foot is cold...your feet will get cold. When riding in winter snow you move at slower speeds using your front wheel as a wedge to wiggle through mashed potato-esque snow.  Platform pedals give you the freedom to easily put a foot down for stability which happens often.  It will also let you self adjust for some fit issues.  Just something to think about.  Toe clips used to be very popular in the 80's and 90's.  I can't recommend them.  Consider a clipless pedal before going with a toe clip.  You will have a hard time finding a good boot that that will fit in a toe clip so I don't feel this is the correct forum to discuss it.

Make your choice wisely.

Circulation

Having been on a few New Year's Day Bike Rides over the years, I've gotten used to seeing what not to put on your feet.  I've seen everything from sandals to moon boots.

Summer cycling shoes are ventilated to keep you cool in the summer.  Using them in the winter will do the same.  The vents will blow air over your feet cooling them as fast as possible. At the very least if this is your only option.....put bread bags between your shoe and your sock or use duct tape on the inside or outside to block the vents.  As well as holes in the sole of the shoe.  

Adding more socks does the same thing in the winter as it does in the summer.  It tightens the fit of your shoes and further reduces the circulation of blood to your feet.  That warm blood needs to circulate to keep you warm all over.  When your body gets cold it already constricts your vessels to keep your core warmer than your extremities.  Tight shoes will only make it worse.  The chills will come quicker and it's downhill from there.

Here's the curve ball.  Sandals!  Bike fit, trail debris, singletrack....those are the reasons I'll never wear sandals, but there are many that do.  The beauty of a sandal is you can add a few extra pairs of socks...loosen those straps and head to the library with warm feet.  Just make sure the outer pair of socks is waterproof.  I'd check out Seal Skinz...they work great for more than just sandals.

Wider sole of the shoe pushes my feet out increasing stress on knee and hip joints and possibly the inside edge of the foot.

Bike Fit

Bike fit is often forgotten when considering winter riding gear.  As I stated above, I use Keen snow boots.  You can see from the picture that the soles of the shoes are very wide (and thick...more on that later).  This pushes my feet out from the center of my bike.  This causes an extra strain in my pedal stroke.  The stress on my body has increased because my pistons (legs) are no longer moving up and down...they are moving from the center of the bike....out.  Additionally, fat and plus bikes have a larger Q-factor (space between the pedals.  Does this mean you shouldn't wear boots or ride fat or plus bikes?  Nope.  If you are going to race professionally you may want to find some long term solutions to decrease your Q-factor.  This will increase your pedaling efficiency, power and comfort. You do have the option of pedaling through the pain and just getting used to it.

Left crank is much wider than right crank.  Increases the Q-factor.  

My Keen soles are thick.  They are a lot thicker than my summer cycling (with clipless pedals) shoes.  That insulating thickness keeps my feet warm.  I need to adjust my saddle up about an inch in the winter to accommodate a taller shoe.  The 45Nrth Wolfgar is even thicker yet.  They have a thick insulating layer to prevent the coldness of winter and metal (clipless pedal cleats) from chilling your piggies.  I'd guess you'd need to raise your seat 1" - 1 1/2".

Length of your boots may also create some issues if you are using clipless pedals.  Added insulation to the front of the shoe may interfere with your front wheel in sharp turns.  A little overlap is common....a lot of overlap puts you on the grounds.  Less of an issue if you have platform pedals.

Resolution

Pick the pedal that will work well for you.  Keep in mind, riding on winter ice and snow you may want to start off with platform pedals that let you get your feet to the ground quicker than your head or hips.  Find a boot that is warm and lets you wiggle your toes.  Remember your knees and hips may get a bit sore because of Q-factor.  Check your seat height if the soles of your boots are thick.  Then ride as much as you can!