Comparison

Pork Belly Ventures vs Pinion Smart.Shift

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Pork Belly Ventures

This app provides essential information and real-time updates for participants in cycling events supported by Pork Belly Ventures. It offers route maps, host town details, daily reminders, news bulletins, and a photo gallery to keep riders informed and connected.

Highlights
  • Route and host town maps
  • Real-time news bulletins
  • Push notification reminders
  • Daily event schedules
  • Photo gallery
  • Weather service link
Features
Read full description

Pork Belly Ventures App provides a comprehensive resource for participants of PBV's charter outfitter service that supports cycling events throughout the Midwest including Iowa's own RAGBRAI. In addition to supporting riders on RAGBRAI, the largest bike tour in the USA, we at Pork Belly Ventures offer our own rides---Big Muddy, Birds and Bees Bike Ride, The Black Hills Hundred. At the request of other ride directors, we support many popular rides around the Midwest including Lazy Horse Gravel Grind, Unbound (the largest gravel event in the world), BRAN-Bicycle Ride Across Nebraska, Oklahoma Freewheel, Biking Across Kansas, BAM-Bike Across Missouri, BAM on the Katy, and more). Riders come from all over the U.S. and benefit from having timely and relevant information at their fingertips about Pork Belly Ventures support on their tour of choice. For RAGBRAI riders with PBV, this free Pork Belly App provides route maps, host town maps, push notification daily reminders, real-time news bulletins, a link to the weather service, names and mug shots of the Pork Crew, a Pork Gallery for the best RAGBRAI pictures of the day. This app is a repository for crucial bike tour details, like Tips for First-Timers and SAG contact info. Every day RAGBRAI riders will receive updated reminders of dinner time, what's happening in Pork Camp, bus departure times, and much more. App features include: • Timely messages • Ride Updates • PBV Account Login • Ride Maps • Host town and campsite maps • Camp orientation information • Tips for newcomers • Evening entertainment schedule • Photo gallery • Weather map • And more … Download the Pork Belly app to stay connected before, during, and after your rides with PBV.

About

Pinion Smart.Shift

Enhance your cycling experience with this app, offering customizable shifting behavior, charge status monitoring, and button assignment adjustments. It provides advanced features like setting a starting gear and semi-automatic shifting for a personalized ride. Stay updated with software improvements and utilize service tools for optimal performance.

Highlights
  • Adapt shifting behavior to driving profile
  • Monitor Smart.Shift charge status
  • Adjust E-Trigger button assignment
  • Set starting gear with Start.Select
  • Utilize semi-automatic shifting with Pre.Select
  • Receive software updates and notifications
  • Access service tools for reliability
Features
Read full description

Improve your Pinion shifting experience with additional functions with the Smart.Shift app! Connect your Pinion Smart.Shift components with this app and use all the advantages: - Adapt the shifting behavior to your driving profile and use the full range of functions of your Pinion Smart.Shift technology. - See the charge status of your Smart.Shift at a glance. - Adjust the button assignment of the TE1 E-Trigger to your needs. - Take advantage of Start.Select and set your starting gear.* - Use Pre.Select for semi-automatic shifting and select your cadence.* - Stay up to date and benefit from important software updates and notifications. - Use our service tools for permanently reliable function. *Only available if Smart.Shift has speed information available (sensor or system information). Note: E-bikes with Smart.Shift, where the settings can be made via the display of the e-bike, are not compatible with the app.

Screenshots

Pork Belly Ventures4 screens
Pinion Smart.Shift4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Pork Belly Ventures at 4.9 against Pinion Smart.Shift's 3.0. Pinion Smart.Shift's advantage is update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 13 months) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Pork Belly Ventures holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 11 and 4 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pork Belly Ventures ships an update every 13 months, Pinion Smart.Shift every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Pork Belly Ventures versus Pinion Smart.Shift: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPork Belly VenturesPinion Smart.Shift
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (11 ratings) — better3.0 (4 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings11 — better4
Update frequencyEvery 13 monthsEvery 6 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.613.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size19 MB33 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPorkBelly Ventures, LLCPinion GmbH

Customer experience

Pork Belly Ventures

All ratings7 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Pinion Smart.Shift

All ratings3 ratings
Positive33.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative66.7%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Pork Belly Ventures

No in-app purchases

None

Pinion Smart.Shift

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Pork Belly Ventures free?
Pork Belly Ventures is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Pinion Smart.Shift free?
Pinion Smart.Shift is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Pork Belly Ventures or Pinion Smart.Shift?
Pork Belly Ventures is rated higher. Pork Belly Ventures averages 4.9 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while Pinion Smart.Shift averages 3.0 from 4 ratings.
Do Pork Belly Ventures or Pinion Smart.Shift have ads?
Neither Pork Belly Ventures nor Pinion Smart.Shift shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Pork Belly Ventures or Pinion Smart.Shift?
Pork Belly Ventures ships an update every 13 months, and Pinion Smart.Shift every 6 weeks. Most recently, Pork Belly Ventures was updated on November 1, 2026 and Pinion Smart.Shift on November 3, 2026.

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