Specialized Pitch Sport 650b review

While most bikes at this price are fitted with larger 29” wheels, Specialized’s entry-level Pitch range rolls on 650b versions. That pays dividends in terms of a much more playful and agile ride feel, but upright-feeling geometry combined with an uncontrolled fork mean that exploiting that isn’t always easy.

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Using smaller wheels allows the front end to be much lower than a 29er, meaning it’s easy to hustle the Pitch in the turns, with an agile and direct feel rather than the oft cumbersome sensation of a big wheeler.

A relatively short stem aids that agility, but the narrow bar does you no favours at all when it comes to wrestling the bike once speeds get higher. The riding position is fairly upright, with a relatively short frame.

We’re not huge fans of the ‘ergonomic’ grips either, which have broad sections on them to support your palm. They’re great for comfortable leisure riding, but hamper control on proper off-road trails. 

We’re also a little disappointed to see an 8-speed cassette at the back paired to Shimano Altus shifters. It’s got a decent overall range thanks to the a 34T big sprocket and a 42/32/22T triple chainset up front, but the jumps between gears are pretty gappy and neither lever-feel nor shifts are particularly crisp.

The Tektro disc brakes may well be proper hydraulic units, but they feel much more wooden than the best budget units out there. They also lack overall power and bite, meaning it’s hard to fully place your confidence in them when you want to haul up in a hurry.

The aluminium frame is very nicely made, with shapely hydroformed curves that help give it the impression of being less of a budget machine than it really is, especially when combined with the big brand cachet.

Usefully, it has a full complement of rack and mudguard mounts too. You also get a non-drive side dropout that’s got an attachment point for a trailer, hinting that the true target of this bike is perhaps someone that wants a rugged, do-it-all machine rather than a dedicated off-roader.

A complete weight of 13.8kg means that should you head to the hills, getting to the top won’t be too unpleasant however and if you get on with the riding position it’s a good place to start upgrading.

Specialized says that the coil-sprung SR Suntour XCT fork has got custom damping inside it, but hit any sort of extended rough ground and you’ll be wondering where it is. The lack of damping control means it gets rapidly out of shape once you start hitting washboard trails or rooty sections, and combined with the flex from the skinny chassis, keeping the front-end where you want it is more a matter of luck rather than judgment.

Again, being coil-sprung means that if you vary much from what Specialized reckons is the ‘right’ weight for a rider, you’ll be under or over sprung with little recourse to fix that, save from taking it apart and changing the spring. 

On a more positive note, the Ground Control tyres do a respectable job of hanging on to grip in all but really slick conditions and they’re not too snappy when traction breaks either. Slightly higher volume rubber and wider rims would definitely help control and also turn down the amount of trail buzz that gets passed back through to you, but at this price we can’t complain too much.

Overall, if you’re after a bike from a big-name brand and you’re more likely to be riding tow paths than tough trails, the Pitch Sport is a well made and engaging bike, but there are better value options out there.