Specialized Pitch 650b Mountain Bike 2019 Review

We can’t all afford to throw thousands of pounds on a bike to hammer around the trails at the weekend. The Specialized Pitch jumps the gap to the top end giving you some high quality features with a low end price tag. Whether you’re a weekend warrior or a busy commuter, this could be the bike for you.

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We’ve all felt the compulsion to break-free from our day-to-day routine, especially when it comes to riding. Sure, laps around town are fun, but compared to the freedom of getting out in the woods or on country roads, life on the pavement starts to look pretty mundane.

The Pitch 650b lets you break the mould and explore to your hearts content. A light aluminium frame and a geometry to match the Sport Trail 27.5, you can be confident on any terrain. Corrosion-resistant hardware makes the bike very durable and keeps the maintenance at a minimum. Where will you let it take you?

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The Features:

Featuring a Stout, forged alloy 3×8 crank set, the Pitch gives you the flexibility to do everything you need it to. Shimano Tourney TX shifters let you move smoothly between the gears giving a smooth all round ride.

The lightweight A1 premium aluminium frame gives you a great platform to ride from. Comfort in the cock pit makes all the difference when you’re out on the trails. Mixed with the Sport Trail 27.5 geometry, the bike handles great. It’s versatile and adapt in all the right areas, allowing you to open up the limits both climbing and descending.

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A Custom SR Suntour XCT fork comes with size-specific, coil-sprung, suspension travel that swings well about it’s weight class. This bike has been engineered wholly to tick every box you want it to.

The Ride:

The Pitch is certainly ahead of most of the bikes that feature in the sub £500 category. Holding its own down the singletrack, the Pitch can really carry it’s pace from top to bottom. The fork is noticeably less bouncy than bikes in the same category. This allows you to really squeeze out every last bit of pace.

We found that the gears did everything we needed them to. There was nothing we couldn’t tackle on the set up. It shifted smooth and sharp, allowing us to really attack the climbs and move elegantly through the corners. Granted the bike is slightly heavier than more expensive models, but the only time we noticed this was when we had one in each hand!

The Verdict:

If you’re looking for a hard tail mountain bike under £500, with great features and a comfortable geometry, then the Pitch is definitely worth considering! Sure, we’d change a few bits on the bike, though overall we were definitely impressed with its performance!

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