Around 2010, I got a used Indy Fab CX bike so I could ride some of the gravel events around here (Boston area). The following bikes were selected solely based on our own preferences, opinions, location and style or riding. but riders pushed the boundaries of their drop bar bikes, far prior to any of the latest specs. I recently found frame damage on my Spec Crux ('14 Evo Elite Rival size 56) and Specialized has worked with my LBS to give me credit towards a new complete bike. For me, the Specialized Diverge is the perfect blend of capability, weight, speed, nimbleness, and comfort. It … Thanks for the article! The bike now weighs just under 17 pounds and is amazing. When I first built it up and showed it to some of my bike shop friends, we were all skeptical that the Future Shock could make any difference at all, but it turns out to be night and day. Like you, I’m using to discover all the trails that I can bike to from my front door but never knew existed. Living in the Trabuco Canyon area in the 1990s, growing bored with my mountain bike, I rode my steel Salsa CX bike extensively on the trails there; Whiting Ranch, Silverado, the Luge (wasn’t yet named, at that time)–all the area single and double track. Sketchy sections are survivable or, because the bike is so light (20 pounds, give or take), easily walked through or around. Speed, control and confidence - Future Shock 2.0 … Cannondale does have some respectable gravel bikes like the all new Topstone and lefty slinging Slate, but we’re a bit confused as to why the Synapse Disc SE bikes are in this category. Pin it for your local dirt climb KOM, or grind up a giant back country peak, the light and lively Diverge will get you there faster. I bought my Diverge Comp (Ultegra, hydraulic disc, upgraded only crappy Praxis crank to Shimano GRX) last year on a whim. That was fun, especially compared to cross. Just wondering what went wrong for you? Trek Checkpoint AL. Loving the new horizons! It’s like a flat bar version of the Diverge. Against the opposition, though, it is a bit weighty and a fair chunk of money given the spec. We first offered you the Top 5 Gift for the Gravel Cyclist , then the Top 5 Gravel Athletes to Watch in 2019 . It works. The result is total confidence on gravel descents—well, as confident as I’ll ever be in loose gravel. While a cross bike might have tires that are 33mm or 35mm wide, I first set the Diverge up with 700x42mm wheels. The Diverge and its cousins are like rally cars or dual sport motorcycles….multi-tools that open up the old ways to new kinds of fun. It’s a blast to ride singletrack on a ‘road’ bike…the discovery of what is possible on a drop bar, skinny tire, bike can be exhilarating. Our third in a series of Top 5 articles to end 2018 may ruffle some feathers. We should first say… this is a $600 gravel bike. I got one for his Dad, and that person flipped from an Overweight, Un-fit, Depressed Home Body, to a Yoga Bound, active person with a bright outlook shedding 65 Lbs in 6 months, and changing his lifestyle completely. Just ordered a new orange Comp Carbon Diverge today! The Diverge Comp has been designed from the bottom-up to be a fully-fledged exploration machine. The hydraulic disk brakes are incredible, a major improvement over the mechanical ones that came on my Crux which I traded in when I got the Diverge. I just wish you could go wider on the Specialized—a lot of other gravel grinders will fit 50mm. Here we’ve received the Comp Carbon model in a size 52 (rider height 5’5”) for review. I acknowledge that part of that stems from my need for novelty. It's a racer that absolutely flies on the gravel, whose quick handling and relatively short wheelbase makes it a flickable bike with loads of feedback when you've got the bit between your teeth. The latest Specialized Diverge is very impressive to ride. Now that may seem a bit harsh, but here at Gravelstoke we have always valued authentic content, quality goods and thoughtful curation. The steering is steeper and the wheelbase is shorter. The Diverge scored relatively well across all of our rating metrics with a solid all-around performance and some unique design features that give it an especially comfortable ride quality. If you want to get from A to B quickly and only need minimal luggage, this is a very capable and comfortable bike. I’d love to test this ride on Noble Canyon. That was one my best, and most fun rides ever. Cliff – what do you mean by you by your Future Shock “failed”. Ride a LeMond poprod just kills-no carbon for me 853 forever. More capability to make more routes possible Our rating . If you continue to see this message, please email hello@[the site's address] for support. The Diverge is a wonderful bike when going downhill on a curvy road, it feels like it is no rails, incredibly solid and very fast, as fast on the downhills as the BMC. Love my Diverge Sports, however after 24 months the future shock has failed, I’m getting a new one fitted £150 & it’s looking like this may need replacing after another 2 years. The 2019 Specialized Diverge Sport Womens The Diverge Sport Carbon is spec’d with a Shimano 105 11-speed groupset and Praxis Alba cranks and 48/32t front chainrings, offering a 26 gear inch climbing gear. To be fair, we do give Pinerello credit for staying true to their design language, and including features we would expect to see in a 2019 gravel bike such as clearance for 650b x 2.1 tires and multiple crankset options. I have a 2018 Specialized Roubaix, same future shock, bought it in October 2018 and have now done over 6000 miles on it, fabulous bike and with 32mm tyres I can ride a lot of the trails round here on it-I live in Cambridgeshire UK, and it’s pretty flat round here. Zertz inserts were around for a few years and have since quietly disappeared from their Diverge and Roubaix bikes. Pin it for your local dirt climb KOM, or grind up a giant back country peak, the light and lively Diverge will get you there faster. You can blaze on pavement, you can blaze in the dirt. The Sport model we tested is a budget-friendly carbon model that brings some unique features to the table and has an especially comfortable ride quality thanks to their unique Future Shock front suspension and a compliant … Seatpost: S-Works CG-R, FACT carbon fiber, single-bolt, 27.2mm Absolutely agree with everything you said. It was the most I’ve ever spent on a bike but I just had a feeling. It is hardly fair to compare the 2016 Specialized Diverge Seamus Allardice usually rides to the 2019 model, he discovered within a few pedal stokes on the new machine. Speed, control and confidence - Future Shock 2.0 … The frame is constructed using Specialized’s own FACT9 carbon, which is a grade or two down from what you find on the range-topping S-Works model, but is still highly regarded and used across the Specialized ranges. Technique replaces full suspension. The base E5 through to the E5 Comp feature the alloy E5 frame, which is lightweight and comfortable, yet stiff for excellent power transfer. The reason is that they are legitimately different—way, way faster on the road than a mountain bike, way more comfortable on trails than a cross bike. The FutureShock headset and CG-R FACT seatpost make the bike feel comfortable even when you want to spend all day riding. I bought one for my Nephew, (I have no kids), and so he and I have travelled far and wide and entered races, and Fondos together. What the Diverge enables is faster miles, which equals more miles, which equals a happier me. And yes, I plan to also get some 650s. Although I struggle a little with the price, the new Specialized Diverge Comp Carbon is a well specced mid-level gravel bike. Cannondale’s All Road/Gravel lineup is described as “built to move you beyond the paved and predictable” and includes “specially-equipped models” in their SE collection. It’s not my place to do that, and you may have been there, done that, and moved on. Trips to western MA, VT and NH usually involve looking for local dirt. The Specialized Diverge Comp Carbon excels at fast tours on almost any terrain. Its greatest weakness will certainly be weight, with a medium coming in at 28lbs. Certainly your own situation will largely determine what bike is best for you. This has to do in part with its shock absorption and larger tires, but also to its geometry. For sure, riding a dropbar bike on a rugged singletrack will never compare to flowing on a dual-banger, but you can do it and do it smiling. If you’re in the market for a Cannondale, we suggest looking at the Topstone, good looking aluminum gravel bikes that come stock with 40c tires. Specialized is well known for their marketing prowess. c With the stock tyres it’s a solid and dependable road bike for road riding and commuting, but needs a tyre swap to open it up to more varied terrain, whereupon it’s decently The first time, I was so sensitive to not drinking the adventure bike Kool-Aid, I looked to criticize wherever I could. So for what it is, the Kijote is actually a pretty sweet deal. For me, the Specialized Diverge is the perfect blend of capability, weight, speed, nimbleness, and comfort. All the time, shod with 34mm tufo CX tubulars (the tubeless tire of that time). Flag for Review Add an image. Specialized supply the Diverge Comp with a compact 48/32T Praxis Alba 2 crankset and pair it with an 11-32T cassette. You should not have to do this more than once. From the Sport to the Comp and onto the S-Works, a super lightweight FACT carbon frame is … But now, it's also equally adept at crushing dirt climbs as it is to cruising to the coffee shop or hopping into a local group ride. Enjoying/using it much more than my mtn. 2021 Specialized Diverge Comp Carbon review. But the DNA of the older bike is still there driving the latest model towards fresh adventures. Diverge is a Great launch into the brave new world of Gravel, which is (after-all) the New Hard-tail. The Diverge Comp E5, Diverge Carbon, Diverge Sport Carbon, and both Diverge EVO models use the more straightforward Future Shock 1.5, which does not … But it is. Thanks for the comments. I rediscovered what I’d felt when I got my first mountain bike in 1982, even the feeling I got when I was given my first two-wheeler as a kid: that sense of liberation and wide-open horizons. According to Specialized, “The Future Shock is a revolution in smoothness, delivering 20mm of travel without degrading speed, handling, or comfort.” While we applaud the thought and design that can go into such features, there is such a thing as over-engineering that can take away from predictable handling and prevent future upgrades. Very similar experience for me. But the DNA of the older bike is still there driving the latest model towards fresh adventures. Bottom line: Maybe it’s not a rocket ship, but the Seven is an excellent road bike, and I’m not exactly killing it with KOMs anyway. So at the moment I’m not as in love with the bike but little by little each fixing up of the bike shop’s sloppy work it feels more bettah. I am so glad I did as this style of bike has pushed my horizons so much more than I could have imagined at the time. ... which actually debuted on the latest Roubaix in 2019 – is an adjustable coil suspension cartridge housed within the fork steerer. I’ve tried some of the trails with the 700C 35’s, but they don’t seem to grip all that well on our local trails, just way to many roots/rocks, creeks. We now bring you our Top 5 least desirable gravel bikes of 2019. Bought a second pair of wheels mounted with road tires to ride the gravel rig with the roadie groups from time to time. Diverges priced higher than mine when I got it, all the way up to $10,000. Either way a simple bike review has me smiling and itching to ride… Thanks! The latest version of Specialized's Diverge Comp E5 is a very capable gravel racer that works well on the road too. ... Buy the Specialized Diverge from Rutland Cycling now. As usual, great observations and writing, Steve. Specialized Diverge Comp review. Required fields are marked *. Owes to the riders intent and skill, not so much the bike, though. My Diverge Comp is about the same age as your, going strong still it seems. Today the Diverge Sport costs $3,000 and the entry-level E5 Elite is $1,400. I’m either on the Diverge or my 27.5+ hardtail running 3.0 tires. I’d like to leave the house on 2 wheels, hit a trail system, then grab a slice of pizza and a beer in the city, then ride home! I treat it the same way I treated my bikes as a kid. BS Alert! Yes, the Specialized Diverge Comp boasts a wide array of fantastic features, including its top-notch build, super practical features, and unique geometry. It reads like a love letter to yourself. Good day all..I commented on the 2018 Diverge thread, but since that was a little old and the bike may have changed a litle in 2019, I figured I'd start a new one. My local trails are epic, but when you’ve done the same climb a hundred times in a year because it’s the closest to your house, even Stokey McStokester would be up for something new. With its off road capabilities and drop handlebars it would be easy to categorise the Diverge as a cyclo-cross bike, but Specialized is keen to stress that that’s where the similarity ends. Now that may seem a … I ride a 2018 Diverge Comp which I have done a couple of upgrades on, Ultegra rear derailleur, Roval Clx carbon 32 wheels, and Praxis Zavante carbon cranks. Specialized Diverge Expert Carbon review. Occasionally companies will send us products to review, but we have never been paid for any content. The £1,000 Specialized Diverge E5 Sport brings the US company’s latest adventure and gravel bike design down to an attractive price point and produces a package that works well in a multitude of uses. It looks like Trek … People are saying bad things about the Diverge EVO but I had switched the drop bar for a carbon flat 780mm bar with some crunchy Oury grips and that was the perfect relief from having a model without future shock. This ratio provided all the versatility you could possibly need on the road and gravel, yet heading onto more challenging terrain I … Except unlike the bikes I had as a kid, it can take the abuse. Both sets of wheels are 700c, though I’m considering getting a 650B set. But I wouldn’t have put 3,400 miles on this bike if I didn’t love it. With the Diverge, Specialized slackened the front end, lengthened the wheelbase, and dropped the bottom bracket 10mm. If you want to get from A to B quickly and only need minimal luggage, this is a very capable and comfortable bike. This is the best-to-performance carbon model in the Diverge line-up. When the Diverge first came out, a lot of brands were just using cross bikes and branding them gravel bikes. Switched to some graphine tires and that was the final touch that made that the best bike I ever owned. But bike companies are onto something with the adventure bike and gravel grinder. It's fun to ride thanks to a quality frameset and sorted geometry, and the Future Shock tames the bumps for a smooth route across the trails. The Kijote is built on a chromoly steel frame, with mechanical disc brakes and a Shimano Claris drivetrain. it is a wonderful bike and I am really glad I don’t have to choose between it and the Team Machine. The Specialized Diverge is available in both aluminium alloy and carbon fibre. Notify me of followup comments via email. Italian brand Pinerello must be very confused on what the gravel market is looking for. Ideal straight out of the box for light, dry gravel trails and back lanes, but without limitations of taking things further. This is my review of the Specialized Diverge. Specialized needs to sell some more to justify re-tooling the mold to accommodate wider tires if desired, because with 2.1’s this bike would replace most models, especially now that the Electric Version is available. Scrape off a thin, transparent layer and you discover that you wrote about finding fun on the bike again. And while it might sound cliché in a landscape of bike claims chocked full with hyperbole, the Diverge Comp truly is one bike that does it all. cycling apparel, cycling kit, gravel kit, eliel cycling, eliel crafted, gdevteam, gravelstoke development team, ambassador program, partnerships. Reading this took me back to the good old days of bikemag. Thursday 14 November 2019 Ben rode the Specialized Diverge E5 Comp for 6 months to find if it stacks up as a hot contender for your ultimate commuter or gravel sled. Rather, the Specialize… Made for exploring new roads, commuting to class, and everything in between, the Diverge Comp E5 redefines how many functions one bike can fulfill. Future shock is great and is all I need for the dirt trails where I live. That’s nothing less than a miracle. That bike opened up a whole world for me and I don’t think I’ve touched my mtb since. I, too, find that I am riding this bike much more and my mountain bike much less and this is even after three seasons. It came across as cynical, when in fact my feelings about the Diverge are the opposite of cynical: After never really loving road bikes, after avoiding pavement in favor of dirt, after trying countless cyclocross bikes and not falling in love, I threw a leg over the Diverge in October 2017 and my life changed for the better from the very first ride. Hey there, I just purchased a Diverge expert..I had to order it, waiting is killing me lol Can hardly wait to ride it! Smaller brands have been building and proving the worth of dropbar adventure bikes for a long time and bigger companies like Specialized are now devoting considerable resources to them. Got my Diverge at exact same time, put at least that many miles on it and feel exactly the same way. 20mm might not sound like much travel, and relative to a mountain bike fork it isn’t, but it turns a bike that would be kinda miserable off-road into one that’s pleasurable on most doubletracks and a lot of singletracks and even makes sketchy descents possible. The only drawback is that you’ll be limited in the amount of luggage you can carry. The Diverge is more capable than ever. The only drawback is that you’ll be limited in the amount of luggage you can carry. I am enjoying all the feedback on my soon to be favorite bike!! But that doesn’t mean it lacks something else – maybe it is the size, it is perhaps its comfort, or maybe it is better trail performance. On a recent trip to NH, i was able to put my carbon road wheels on to ride tarmac with my wife and bring the gravel wheels to enjoy the dirt. Otherwise a Salsa Cutty might be in order . It wouldn’t be accurate to say that I’d grown bored with mountain biking, but I’d definitely gotten in a rut, riding the same old trails every day, mostly because of time constraints. 1. Does everything better than I can and is just plain, flat-out fun in every condition I’ve tried. And with the constant goal to best meet your needs, we took your number one request into account—tyre clearance. >>> Read our Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL7 review It still ticks the lightweight box, with the top of the range SL7 S-works frame, which features … This has to do in part with its shock absorption and larger tires, but also to its geometry. With a completely redesigned frame, the new Diverge is more capable than ever. Now, you could make that argument about almost any bike. The Diverge E5 Comp, however, is made for exploring new roads, commuting to class, and everything in between. Page 1 of 2Specialized S-Works Diverge review. Had a similar experience after buying a COOP drop-bar fat-tire bike for bike packing. Let us know your thoughts below, have you ridden any of these bikes? On paper, or to a non-discerning eye, it might not seem all that different than a road bike, or really even all that different from those road bikes being retooled as gravel grinders. Didn’t we see this already with the “Domane Gravel”? Specialized Diverge Comp 2019. Specialized has incorporated their unique Future Shocksuspension design on th… My stoke for riding the Diverge prompted me to challenge myself to ride every trail and every significant street or road in the southern half of my county, which took a year and half and led me down nearly 5,000 miles and a half-million feet of climb. The Diverge basically become the go to for most rides. If you love to get places, slow or quick, the Diverge may be the foray for Reticent Mountain Bikers to update their arsenal, and travel more broadly. I haven’t ridden my full-suspension Yeti in two years. It's fun to ride thanks to a quality frameset and sorted geometry, and the Future Shock tames the bumps for a smooth route across the trails. That’s a lot of money by most measures except bikes, where it would be considered on the low end. All Things Bike is brought to you by Velocio. ), I got a Seven Evergreen SL with two sets of wheels in ’16. I have a spare pair of 700c wheels with 34mm tyres on for pure street riding. Your email address will not be published. But that doesn’t mean it lacks something else – maybe it is the size, it is perhaps its comfort, or maybe it is better trail performance. I talk about my 2018 Comp Carbon, and the Diverge line as a whole. Maybe I just need to adjust but the same size bike feels completely different. I have 5 bikes including the Diverge. Can’t wait…great story, thanks for sharing! The off-road wheels have 40mm tires ’cause I really like the cush, but 650B’s would give me more. Strangely, the graphics on this thing look more like something you would see on a big wheel racer than on a modern day gravel bike. I’m not suggesting you buy the Diverge. The tyres on the Specialized Diverge Comp Carbon aren’t a great choice for anything but dry, well-packed surfaces and tarmac but, with an upgrade to a … Have an SWorks Diverge, the original, and took it to Joshua Tree and the Mid West Forests in Rain, Mud, Snow, and Sand. Here we go…. It’s great for Fishing, because you can scout lakes in remote areas that a Car cant get to, and the time to walk would render you a bloody mess from Swarms of Bugs. I had a similar experience/awakening after buying a Jamis Renegade last summer. I have asked myself numerous times, If I could only have one bike which would I choose. I really didn’t like the way the IF rode on the road, and between looking for a new bike for years and the confluence of a number of life events (semi-retirement, 6-month road trip, etc. When the Diverge first came out, a lot of brands … Same. I was running on the stock Trigger Sport tires and while it was great for a while when the tire went it went catastrophic. Fast forward to Feb this year and a pscyho runs my bike over and takes off. Yes, the Specialized Diverge Comp boasts a wide array of fantastic features, including its top-notch build, super practical features, and unique geometry. But the fun factor went way, way up when I switched to wider 650bx47mm hoops. Stem: Specialized, 3D-forged alloy, 4-bolt, 6-degree rise. But it’s brand new as opposed to used and well maintained and the bike shop did really shoddy work on the setup which is always a big let down. It’s not just hype—the Diverge and its cousins are like rally cars or dual sport motorcycles….multi-tools that open up the old ways to new kinds of fun. So, yeah, I was ready for a different style of bike, for something to mix up the experience, and that definitely provides the context for how I viewed the Diverge. You can also subscribe without commenting. This bike was justified as a ‘winter’ bike with mudguards, but also as a means of exploring trails further away than I want to ride the 29’er so I hope will have a lot of synergy with your Diverge……, Your email address will not be published. And while a CX bike can be used as a gravel bike, it’s far from optimal. Not sure if it was this particular model or that you just needed a new challenge. The current tech (hydro brakes, fatter tubeless tires, micro-suspension) is a useful advance, no doubt there. You can easily upgrade to a more aggressive tread, even up to 2.1” with a 650B wheelset. Also important is the Future Shock in the headset, which provides 20mm (.78 inch) of shock absorption and bump compliance. The Specialized Diverge Changed My Biking Life for the Better By Steve Casimiro | June 11, 2019 So, this is the second time I’ve written this essay/review/appreciation of the Specialized Diverge adventure bike. What does that even mean? Most of the post talk about going to 650s. Pin it for your local dirt climb KOM, or grind up a giant back country peak, the light and lively Diverge will get you there faster. Thursday 14 November 2019 Ben rode the Specialized Diverge E5 Comp for 6 months to find if it stacks up as a hot contender for your ultimate commuter or gravel sled. Wider tires also important. Hey, I’m old. Our third in a series of Top 5 articles to end 2018 may ruffle some feathers. With a FACT 9r carbon frame, the Diverge Comp frame is incredible capable and race bike light. Loaded and Clear of Gear, the bike opens up the road you may well have avoided. And while we haven’t actually ridden any of the following bikes listed here, we would be happy to give them a proper test in the future. I tried the tubeless thing but it’s just not cut out for tires that spend a lot of time on the road and are such a thin casing. There were seven (!!) So, this is the second time I’ve written this essay/review/appreciation of the Specialized Diverge adventure bike. The Specialized Diverge Comp Carbon excels at fast tours on almost any terrain. Speed, control and confidence - Future Shock 2.0 … by Steve Casimiro | Jun 11, 2019 | All Things Bike | 22 comments. Specialized makes many versions of their Diverge gravel bike and the Sport model we tested falls towards the lower end of the price spectrum for their carbon-framed models. The reason is that it’s really expensive for a bike company to invest in a new model and they were hedging to see where this category went, playing it safe by repurposing an existing model before going all in. The closest analog to mine is the plain Diverge at $2,500, with a carbon frame and hydraulic discs (mine are mechanical). Prove Humanity: Please click here to start. Lets own up to the fact that a Population of Mountain Bikers who have thoroughly explored being rattled, and bruised — risking their limbs are now transitioning to a softer more zen-like sport, called Gravel. In addition to equipping the frame with vibration damping “Zertz” inserts, Specialized equipped the Diverge Comp Carbon with this Cobble Gobbler seat post, which offers 17 millimeters of vertical compliance. The bike became marginally slower on pavement but a thousand times better in the dirt. Are we way off the mark or on point? See the Future Shock and Diverge at Specialized Bikes. Shocked the crap out of many mountain bike riders, whilst blasting down the Silverado and Trabuco truck trails, or the Whiting singletrack. I have put about 8000 mile on it in just a bit over 2 years. Venturing onto skinny tyres to test the Specialized Diverge E5 Comp to see if it can take the gong for best commuter/gravel whip for those dedicated mountain bikers. The bike offers 90 percent of the benefits of a road bike with 80 percent of the benefits of a mountain bike. I’ve had a similar experience with the Specialized SirrusX 4. **(These Results are not “Typical”). I just read this while taking a break from assembling my new-delivered today!-Ti gravel bike, 700c wheels but running 43mm tyres as delivered, but can go up to a 50mm tyre. I started out on a pristine pre-owned 2017 or 2018 Diverge A1 Sport and loved loved loved that bike. I bought. (Only the first and last photos show the wider tire setup—I guess once I switched, I was having too much fun riding to stop and shoot pictures.). We now bring you the Top 5 Worst Gravel Bikes of 2019. Specialized makes just about everything for cycling that you can imagine and that includes about 10 different versions of their popular Diverge gravel bike. Cross bike geometries are designed for super tight, super fast CX race courses. With a FACT 9r carbon frame, the Diverge Comp frame is incredible capable and race bike light. Bike enthusiasts hold strong opinions, and that old forum saying, your mileage may vary, is especially true here. Ti hardtail 29’er in February this year before we got locked down-have over 1300 miles on that. Specialized have taken the Diverge back to the drawing board for a total redesign to meet the needs of the gravel rider. Didn’t we see this already with the “Domane Gravel”? The Diverge Comp E5, Diverge Carbon, Diverge Sport Carbon, and both Diverge EVO models use the more straightforward Future Shock 1.5, which does not … Pavement, trails, whatever comes my way. The carbon fiber frame is efficient and light enough to feel great on the pavement. Venturing onto skinny tyres to test the Specialized Diverge E5 Comp to see if it can take the gong for best commuter/gravel whip for those dedicated mountain bikers. 2019. Last year I rode to DC with a friend, covering 40 miles on asphalt and over 30 miles on trails and the paths of the Rock Creek Park. Now while the ALR and SL versions of the Checkpoint are formidable rigs that can compete with some of the best gravel bikes offered today, the AL versions are not gravel bikes. I like the Diverge, as compared to the OPEN UPPER, it is smoother, more stable and a bit more sluggish. With a FACT 9r carbon frame, the Diverge Comp frame is incredible capable and race bike light. Honestly, I really can’t decide. In a hole until yesterday… I got the 2021 Base Carbon which is the $2500 model I think you were writing about. So while we don’t anticipate seeing the Aventon on any epic adventures, it could be just the ticket for those on a budget looking to join the cool kids popping airs at the local pump track. This isn’t just planned obsolescence at work or the creation of a new category just to generate some buzz. Are there any gravel bikes we should have included in the list? This version sits at the lower end of the carbon models, priced at £3,399. I bought the same bike about a month before you and agree completely. BS Alert! One bike. I have 4 trail systems locally, each a 12-15 mile pavement ride from the house. That the best gravel specific products and giving you our Top 5 Gifts for the Cyclist. Knew 30 seconds into my test ride that I was done from the shop has... 2019 | all Things bike is still there driving the latest Specialized Diverge ways to new of! Groups from time to time authentic content, quality goods and thoughtful curation cause I like! 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Upgrades and tuning, I plan to also get some 650s ’ ve received the carbon!: Specialized, 3D-forged alloy, 4-bolt, 6-degree rise its feet, but without limitations of taking further! To a more aggressive tread, even up to $ 10,000 the way up when I got,! On my soon to be favorite bike! Feb this year before we got locked down-have 1300! Were around for a while when the Diverge everything in between go for. A LeMond poprod just kills-no carbon for me, the new Diverge is in! Bike feel comfortable even when you want to spend all day riding email hello @ [ site. Love it bought a second pair of wheels in ’ 16 fresh adventures be limited in the Comp... ] for support was this particular model or that you wrote about finding on... With a 650B set kills-no carbon for me and I don ’ t ridden my full-suspension Yeti in years. From a to B quickly and only need minimal luggage, this is best-to-performance... Of gravel, connecting to them on regular roads… so much fun the first,! $ 1,400 and Trabuco truck trails, or the Whiting singletrack most rides “ failed ” hello @ [ site... Body geometry Phenom Comp, hollow Cr-Mo rails, 143mm carbon models, priced at.! Riders intent and skill, not so much fun is great and is amazing seatpost make the bike opens the... Least desirable gravel bikes we should first say… this is the Future shock is great is... Yes, I looked to criticize wherever I could must be very confused on what the Diverge line a... In at 28lbs myself numerous times, if I could only have one bike which I... Fun factor went way, my story is similar goods and thoughtful curation this has to do this more once... There driving the latest model towards fresh adventures pair of wheels in ’ 16 for. I never expected to be favorite bike! new challenge cartridge housed within the fork steerer bike... Past us again with the “ Domane gravel ” the fork steerer paid for any content more ground than normally... Tires for that added compliance the steering is steeper and the Diverge Sport which! Better from the shop for that added compliance Diverge A1 Sport and loved loved loved that! The spec carbon which is ( after-all ) the new Diverge is very impressive ride! This took me back to the riders intent and skill, not so much fun perfect blend cobble... The “ Domane gravel ” both aluminium alloy and carbon fibre for exploring new,. Evergreen SL with two sets of wheels are 700c, though, it is a useful advance, no there! System positioned just above the head tube s a lot more ground than you normally would and NH involve! Shocked the crap out of the century companies will send us products to,... Stable and a pscyho runs my bike over and takes off cars or dual Sport motorcycles….multi-tools open! Only need minimal luggage, this is the perfect blend of capability, weight, speed, nimbleness, specialized diverge comp 2019 review. The time, put at least that many miles on it in just a harsh. The mark or on point Specialized, 3D-forged alloy, 4-bolt, rise... When I specialized diverge comp 2019 review the 2021 Base carbon which is ( after-all ) new... New orange Comp carbon Diverge today Specialized supply the Diverge enables is faster miles, which equals a happier.... Fresh adventures latest specs see the Future shock is great and is amazing your number one request account—tyre... Think I ’ m riding the Diverge line as a gravel plus bike that can accommodate 650B x 1.9in for! Have avoided enough to feel great on the Specialized—a lot of other gravel grinders will fit.! To ride… Thanks bike enthusiasts hold strong opinions, location and style or riding the feedback on soon... The tubeless tire of that time ) bit harsh, but without limitations of taking Things further the mark on! With 80 percent of the older bike is brought to you by.. Some 650s, or the Whiting singletrack, all the way up to $ 10,000 a thought build... Happier me forum saying, your mileage may vary, is made for exploring new roads, commuting to,... I got it, all the way, my story is similar is especially true.! In ’ 16 and I am really glad I don ’ t I... To any of these bikes are first set the Diverge line-up weakness will certainly be weight, mechanical. Wheels with 34mm tyres on for pure street riding bikes, where it would considered! Bike! regular roads… so much fun bike in a way I treated my bikes a... Great on the pavement talk about going to 650s of 2019 old ways to new of... The two bikes, riding one one day the other the next the next true here what. Opposition, though, it is smoother, more stable and a chunk. Trails and gravel grinder could make that argument about almost any bike ’ d love to test this ride Noble. Can ’ t wait…great story, Thanks for sharing my favourite bike.... Was the final touch that made that the best bike I ’ m the. New challenge ever owned to be specialized diverge comp 2019 review bike! m either on the road too has to do,! The list to you by your Future shock in the dirt money given the spec pavement and the... Dual Sport motorcycles….multi-tools that open up the road too of 2019 winning blend of cobble and. A compact 48/32T Praxis Alba 2 crankset and pair it with an 11-32T cassette post about. Onto something with the roadie groups from time to time Pinerello must be very confused on what gravel. You ridden any of the Specialized Diverge is the best-to-performance carbon model in list. Taking Things further first non-road bike and has provided a nice alternative while group rides. Are like rally cars or dual Sport motorcycles….multi-tools that open up the old to.