Need help upgrading my sons Specialized Pitch

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brownfish
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brownfish
My son is 13 years old and is going to start doing some XC Middle School competitions in the Spring. He presently has a 2015 Specialized Pitch 650b. This is his bike:

https://www.specialized.com/us/en/pitch-650b/p/106580

I already had his grandparents buy him some better tires for xmas.

I am thinking of two things that may get him through this season
1) Fork Upgrade
2) converting to 1x11

My problem is, I don't even know where to start. It seems different forks fit different bikes, etc. His bike presently has:

SR Suntour XCT 650b, coil/MCU spring, S: 80mm travel, M/L/XL: 100mm travel, preload adjust, 1-1/8"" steerer, alloy lowers, Hi-Ten 28mm stanchions, disc mount

I emailed specialized and they said:

The largest fork you can put on that bike is 110mm of travel and will also need to be QRx100 front compatible.

I know what the 110mm travel is obviously, but what is QRx100? Whenever I look at forks online, they don't seem to list this. Does this frame have any special considerations that only some forks will fit? I am looking to get him a mid level fork in the range of $200-$300. I've seen some fox float 32's in that range. Would like it to be an air fork.

Can anyone give some examples of what this fork might look like or be?

Next question is how hard would it be to convert this bike to a 1x11. Is it possible to do without buying a new rear wheel? Currently his drivetrain looks like this:

BOTTOM BRACKET Square taper, cartridge bearings
CHAIN KMC X8, 8-speed, w/ reusable MissingLink
CRANKSET Samox, forged alloy, 3 pc., 8-speed, 42/32/22T, w/ chainguard
CASSETTE Sunrace, 8-speed, 11-34t
SHIFT LEVERS Shimano ST-EF51, w/ integrated brake lever
FRONT DERAILLEUR Shimano Altus, high mount, bottom swing, dual pull
REAR DERAILLEUR Shimano Altus, 8-speed
FRONT HUB Specialized Stout, Hi Lo disc, alloy, double-sealed, ground race, QR, 32h
REAR HUB Specialized Stout, Hi Lo disc, alloy, double-sealed, loose ball bearings, QR, 32h
INNER TUBES Standard, Schrader valve
SPOKES Stainless, 14g
FRONT TIRE Specialized Ground Control Sport, 60TPI, wire bead, 650bx2.1""
RIMS 650b, disc, alloy, double-wall, pin joint, 25mm inner width, 32h
REAR TIRE Specialized Ground Control Sport, 60TPI, wire bead, 650bx2.1""


I am planning on buying him a new and better bike next year, after he proves that he likes racing and grows a bit more. He is presently riding a size small and barely is tall enough for it, but I think once he has his growth spurt in the next 1-2 years he will settle into a medium.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
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Matt Puchniak 11/27/2017 6:12pm
11/27/2017 6:12pm
The fork will need to have a 9mm quick release, rather than a 15QR which is fox forks can be listed as, so don't get confused. 9MM! It will also have to be a straight 1 1/8 steerer, which is not common. If it says tapered, it will not fit. As well as the width, it has to be 100mm. If it is 110mm (referred to as boost) it will not fit. It will also need to have a disc post mount, most likely a 160mm. If anything larger or smaller (like a 140, 180, or 200) it will need an adapter, but don't worry. This is not common for an XC fork.

As for the drivetrain, I'm not an expert, but I don't see why not. If on a budget, I would go for a sram NX cassette, shifter, derailleur, and chain. As for the chainring, GO FOR A NARROW WIDE. If you can find a single chainring that fits the cranks, perfect. If not, this can be tricky. You may need different cranks (sram NX are very cheap) and may need a different Bottom Bracket. The BB could cause some trouble, so go to your local bike shop. But definitely go for a narrow wide chainring. Chainrings on a 2 or 3 by are meant to drop chains, that's how they shift. You will drop chains like crazy if you have a standard chainring, which can loose a race for you. Also take into account the mounting style, which I know nothing about, so I can't give you any advice.

Good luck.
Rangerlee
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Rangerlee 11/28/2017 12:33pm
11/28/2017 12:33pm
Is this part of NICA? If so what State are you in, our MTB league runs from mid summer through the Fall.

As for the bike you are in a tough spot, he will have a growth spurt, and seriously, his Freshman to sophmore year will probably bring a big spurt.

That said you can fit a 1x on the front of that and the hub will handle a cassette that will work for it. Do you already have the bike or is this one you are getting for him? If this is a purchase you are getting I highly recommend the 29r over the 650b for XC. Hardtail 29r is going to be perfect for NICA courses as they are fairly tame.

brownfish
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brownfish 11/28/2017 8:26pm
11/28/2017 8:26pm
Thanks for the input Matt and Rangerlee. Now I know what to look for in a fork. We do already have the bike and he has been riding it for a bit over a year. I think I'm gonna go with Rockshox Recon Silver, as it seems to fit the bill the best. And am considering upgrading to a 1x11. Also a cheaper dropper post. Hoping to get 1 season or maybe 2 out of the bike, as I know he's gonna grow in 9th/10th grade as his older brother did. Plus I want him to have a good enough bike to keep up with me and hopefully soon be better than me. He does pretty well with what he has now. Plus maybe his team will be able to help get him a decent discount on a bike in the future? They will be racing NICA in the Socal league.
Rangerlee
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Rangerlee 11/29/2017 2:18am
11/29/2017 2:18am Edited Date/Time 11/29/2017 2:19am
When he is registered with the team he will get a discount on certain bikes. Trek is a main NICA sponsor and he will get a good discount there, up to 25%. If you become a coach and bet to Level 2 then you as well get the 25% discount with Trek.

Other bike companies will give some discounts, not as high and it is up to the bike shop to ask for it for you, so it is not automatic. I got a 20% discount on a 2018 specialized stumpjumper expert this year, the shop owner had to go to his dealer which then provided the NICA discount.

Does he really need the dropper post? It adds some weight and for XC races, especially on the hard tail I do not think it is needed. Again once you see the courses you will see how tame they are, as NICA is for school MTB racing, safety is the top priority so the courses they choose are fairly easy.

I am in the PA league and everything is very rocky and rooty here, and they still find tame courses to race on that are mostly flowy. Smile
brownfish
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brownfish 11/29/2017 9:26pm
11/29/2017 9:26pm
Rangerlee wrote:
When he is registered with the team he will get a discount on certain bikes. Trek is a main NICA sponsor and he will get a...
When he is registered with the team he will get a discount on certain bikes. Trek is a main NICA sponsor and he will get a good discount there, up to 25%. If you become a coach and bet to Level 2 then you as well get the 25% discount with Trek.

Other bike companies will give some discounts, not as high and it is up to the bike shop to ask for it for you, so it is not automatic. I got a 20% discount on a 2018 specialized stumpjumper expert this year, the shop owner had to go to his dealer which then provided the NICA discount.

Does he really need the dropper post? It adds some weight and for XC races, especially on the hard tail I do not think it is needed. Again once you see the courses you will see how tame they are, as NICA is for school MTB racing, safety is the top priority so the courses they choose are fairly easy.

I am in the PA league and everything is very rocky and rooty here, and they still find tame courses to race on that are mostly flowy. Smile
As far as the dropper post goes, it's really not for racing. We have a few pretty good downhill runs near us that I want him to be able to use it for. I have considered helping out in the Coaching! I figure I'm gonna be there anyway, and I've pretty much coached all the other sports my kids participated in. Plus, my daughter is in 6th grade and she is going to compete also. As for a discount for me, luckily I was just recently able to purchase my dream bike, so getting a new bike will probably be another 5-10 years down the line for me.

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