FSR XC. Brilliant bike.

I'm gonna disagree with you there PP, if you want to ride XC for that sort of money I'd buy a Rockhopper Pro, the XC Pro is still a rather weighty bike, I'd say Rockhopper or Pitch personally.

But a Rockhopper is a hardtail innit? Bit of a different thing.

I'm gonna disagree with you there PP, if you want to ride XC for that sort of money I'd buy a Rockhopper Pro, the XC Pro is still a rather weighty bike, I'd say Rockhopper or Pitch personally.

And now I'm gonna pull that argument apart…. 🙂
FSR will still be lighter than the Pitch. It will be more suited to XC then the Pitch, with more suitable geometry and components, and you're not carrying around suspension and metal that you don't need.

It's the Spesh way. You have a flagship bike (Enduro, Stumpy FSR, Stumpy) and a cheaperr version (Pitch, FSR XC, Rockhopper) in each catagory.

I canse you didn't realise, I have a Pitch Pro. It's a fooking brilliant bit of kit, but by heck it's a waste of time taking it on an XC ride!!!!
🙂

Yes, but PPs saying the Pitch is too heavy for XC and the FSR XC is a far better bike.

I say the FSR XC is still a bit heavy for all day riding, not light enough to be a nice XC bike, not tough enough to be a burly FS bike. I'd be much happier on a Rockhopper Pro. If I wanted a bouncy bike for that money, I'd get the Pitch.

The key phrase is that is what I would do. I'm well aware plenty of people are happy on their FSR XCs, I've sold a whole load of them in fact.

by heck it's a waste of time taking it on an XC ride!!!!

Do not agree – it's the only mtb I have and I take it on plenty of XC rides and have plenty of fun, I just get knackered a bit quicker than I would on a lighter bike.

Me on my Pitch. Doing what it does best. Going down!

My brother on his Pitch. Similar thing.

the Pitch is a wonderful thing, but it begrudgingly climbs because it has to, then you point it downwards, (and the rockier, faster and more technical, the better) and all hell breaks loose. They are long, slack and stable. I've never had a bike I find so confidence inspiring on downhills. I'm no great rider, but it just loves to jump, it batters it's way through rough stuff and just seems to egg me on to go faster, but without ever getting scary. 🙂
Do I ride XC on it? Do I nallocks!

by heck it's a waste of time taking it on an XC ride!!!!

Do not agree – it's the only mtb I have and I take it on plenty of XC rides and have plenty of fun, I just get knackered a bit quicker than I would on a lighter bike.

OK, maybe that was a bit strong, but it's like driving a big 4×4 on the road all the time – A bit of a waste.
🙂

I recall you riding it around Tunnel Hill, that technical mountain fest…

I'm well versed on the Specailized range ta, the FSR XC is still >30lbs and has some crap components on it, I agree it's more suitable for XC than the Pitch, I never contested that, just that I don't really think that it 'does it' for me.

I still find it funny that Specialized couldn't give the Pitch away the first year they imported it, you'd think it was the greatest thing ever from looking on here!

….. You should have seen mine when I took it to the Alps in June. In 'Alp Trim' it was 35lbs……

That was fun. 😀

I recall you riding it around Tunnel Hill, that technical mountain fest…

I have done that twice.
First time when it was new, because, well, you have to ride a new bike RIGHT NOW don't you? 😉 And second time becuase It was going to be a slow ride (I think so anyway, might have had a problem with the Inbred. Can't remember). And yeah, it was a waste. 🙂

I think all told I've done 3 local rides on it since early Feb when I bought it, but it's been to The Alps, The Lakes, Wales a few times, Grizedale, Lee Quarry, Gisburn (Pics above) And I should have taken it to the Mendips the other week. That was a bit rocky and (unexpectedly) technical in places.

To be fair, I don't use it a lot. But when I do, I REALLY do! 🙂
(you should see some of the battle scars…)

Do I ride XC on it? Do I nallocks!

So riding around Gisburn isn't XC? 😛

I still find it funny that Specialized couldn't give the Pitch away the first year they imported it, you'd think it was the greatest thing ever from looking on here!

Pretty strange that the first year it got pretty good but not amazing reviews, then basically the exact same bike in 09 got 10/10s etc. 😕

I still find it funny that Specialized couldn't give the Pitch away the first year they imported it

I see your point.
I think the reason for that is that it was launched under the shadow of the all-singing-all-dancing new Enduro which stole the limelight and the press coverage, and it was ignored. Then they had a big backlog of unsold 2008 bikes, so they gave some test bikes to the mags who all raved about them. At the time they were all on sale too (I pad £999 delivered!) and they sold out in about 4 weeks. Hence people can't get one, so they've become a bit legendary in a way.
But if you rode one, and it suited your riding, I'm confident you'd be VERY impressed. And not just 'for the money' either. It's not such an all round bike, but for what I want now, it blows my Yeti 575 into next week, TBH.
I remember them coming out and I'd not long had my 575 (Which was a superb bike for what I was doing at the time – Mainly the Transwales, I wouldn't want to take a Pitch on that!!) but I still did a mental D'OH!!! because I relised that it was THE BIKE I'd been looking for, at half the price I'd just shelled out. When they came on sale, I flogged the Yeti as fast as possible, bought the Pitch, and pocketed £300. I'm very happy with that descision too. 🙂

, you'd think it was the greatest thing ever from looking on here!

Yeah, you'd think, wouldn't you? You'd be right, too. 😀

It was the exact same bike, they had so many left over they just included it in the 2009 catalogue as well!

I have to say PP you do make it out as some 9" travel mental DH bike which is totally unrideable unless you've got a cable car to take you up the hills.

I have ridden one, and I totally agree that it's a good bike, which was my point! I wouldn't buy an FSR XC, I personally would buy a Rockhopper, or a Pitch.

I have to agree with PeterPoddy.

Anyone buying a Pitch for it's XC capability will be disappointed.

Anyone buying an FSR XC or Stumpy for it's capability of tearing down technical descents will be disappointed.

The Pitch is a burly, mid-travel, "i don't like pointing upwards", trail beast. It's nimble enough on singletrack to pull in and out of tight situations, it's light enough to climb (although not pleasant to climb) and its burly enough to throw down almost any DH route you dare to try (within reason). It's an AM bike for goodness sake! That's what it's marketed as and that's what it does!

Anyone who considers that "all mountain" means that a bike is equally capable in all aspects of mountain biking has misinterpreted the phrase. an "all mountain" bike means something that will take the rider anywhere within those disciplines, but by no means in equal comfort.

I can't ride my 8" FR bike up a one mile climb without spewing my guts at the top. And I can't ride my hardtail down a proper DH run without taking 3 hours or risking a broken spine.

However, my Pitch will climb without killing me, descent horrific stuff without breaking me or the bike……..and for everything in between…..it's just ace! 😛

Don't buy a Pitch unless you intend to abuse the thing. Buy an FSR XC.

If you can bottom out more than 4" on your weekend runs and don't spend all day climbing fire roads, buy a Pitch, otherwise it's a waste.

So riding around Gisburn isn't XC?

Not compared to our local trails, no, not at all. 😀
There's big hills and rocks and stuff.

Love my Pitch Pro but if its simple singletrack Im heading out on it hangs on the wall and the hardtail gets the vote. Its a bit weighty for some stuff.

I have to say PP you do make it out as some 9" travel mental DH bike which is totally unrideable unless you've got a cable car to take you up the hills.

No I don't! I say that it doesn't like to climb, and it's a bit slow and long for 'XC'. It's do it, for sure, but it's a lot happier being given a good seeing to down a big hill over something rough and ragged.
Fnarr-Fnarr 🙂

I have ridden one, and I totally agree that it's a good bike, which was my point! I wouldn't buy an FSR XC, I personally would buy a Rockhopper, or a Pitch.

OK, I'll give you that. I wouldn't buy an FSR XC either, right now. Because I have an Inbred for most of my riding as well.
But I wouldn't want a Pitch as my only bike, either. If I HAD TO have one bike, I'd have a Stumpy FSR. That would do it all at a pinch, and the FSR XC is just a budget version of that, for if I was broke, too. 🙂

As a slight sidetrack, have you lot seen the spec on the 2010 Pitch?

Now Specialized have really laid down it's intentions with that, let me tell you –

http://www.specialized.com/gb/en/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?sid=10Pitch&eid=4344

Double and bash, 26mm rims, chainguard, loose the travel adjust on the forks, flat pedals…..
Now tell me it's meant to be an XC bike…
😉

If I HAD TO have one bike, I'd have a Stumpy FSR.

Agreed.

Except that I do only have one MTB, and it's an Epic… Maybe if I didn't race.

FFS what have I started LOL.

I agree the XC in standard form is pretty crap. Forks were off for Talas RLCs second hand after 3 runs. Headset was upgraded to a Cane reek S8 after 8 months cause the old one filled with S**t all the time. Started putting on XT stuff Cassette and Chain so far with XT crank and BB to follow and maybe XTR mechs. Might add an RP23 and wheels will be changed in the next 3 months to Hope ProII and Mavic Comps. All in with me getting the Bike for under £550 through CTW plus all the new additions costing circa £1000 arguably I have a better Spec'd bike than a Stumpy for about the same price and can spread it over time without taking credit. It suited me as the time as a beginner and as I progress it progresses with me. 😀

I await people telling me I'm stupid doing it this way but I am happy with my purchase and think in the end I could have a reaaly good bike!!

As long as you're happy it doesn't really matter what we all think.

Sure a Pitch is a tad weighty and slack for the climbs but it's not the point… It's the same weight as a five year old Enduro and out-descends it by a large margin. If you want a confidence inspiring ride then it makes sense.

So many of us for reasons of space and/or finance have only enough room for one bike and compromise normally ensues.

Right, I'm going to start saving for a racey XC hardtail as a sable mate for my Marin 140!