rgconner

A local bike shop has the unusual service of letting you borrow bikes from their loaner fleet. Actually take them home, keep it and try it out for reals, not just a short hop around the parking lot.

I took my wheels in for a rebuild... after 18 years they started to crack around the drive side spokes. They did a bang up job of hunting down quality rims that came in brushed AL like the old ones.

While browsing around, I looked at the Diverge and the owner offered to loan it to me while the wheels were being built. I am in the market for a gravel bike, so what the heck? Yes, I have a deposit down on Black Mountain MCD, but it always pays to shop around.

So I went for my typical 30 mile training ride, on the local roads, bike trail... and took a few detours on the single track that is along the American River Parkway here in Sacramento. https://www.strava.com/activities/1544297725 if you are curious.

The Diverge has a very low bottom bracket, carbon frame, a shock built into the headset to give an inch or so of rebound, and "Zertz" inserts into the seatpost. Add in stock 38mm tires and it adds up to a nice ride. (As it should be at $3000!)

Handling was reliable as it should be with a low BB and long wheelbase bike but still sharp to take the curves of the trail and sharp corners needed to navigate the pylons that keep cars off the trail.

Braking was firm and reliable from the Shimano disc brakes, even with my 225 weight. Easily modulated they never locked up under normal paved use. The back had a tendency to skid off road, but the front was ok.

Gearing was awesome. With a 1:1 lowest gear (32 front and back) it was easy to climb the 5 to 8% grades I encountered, including the 1/4 mile climb at Hazel Blvd. THAT climb normally kicks my butt on the Inglis with 38:26 gearing. Just sat back and twiddled up the road at about 4 miles an hour... not fast, but was not at max heart rate at the top and felt like I could keep going as long as I wanted... despite having 15 miles under me at that point.

Not going to comment on the 105 groupo... either you like Shimano controls or you don't.

Going offroad was a blast! The tires felt well planted and gave grip under trying conditions. The local single track is maybe 8 inches wide and is studded with random cobblestones that are actually tailings from the Gold Rush of 1849. Makes for tricky riding to be sure, especially as a clyde. But the shock did a good job of soaking up the hits and even when it degraded into cobble-on-cobble and rocks were moving around it still did ok. I only fell once, while trying to take a slope in the wrong gear and stalled out and failed to clip out fast enough. From that point on I kept one foot out of the clip after that.

The low BB got in the way here. Several times I hit cobbles with the pedal and once hit the chainring while going over a sharp ridge.

Same happened on a few sharp turns, striking the pedal. Granted, I was bombing around them at 18+ mph, but I normally do that.

Surprisingly, despite all this technology, I had the same pressure point problems I normally have at the end of a ride. Not that it is all that bad, a little pain in the butt, some tightness in the forearms. Considering how more aggressive the position is on the Inglis vs the Diverge, I was a little surprised. I have taken the Inglis on some of the smoother single track and it was every bit as comfortable as the Diverge. Same thing with the potholes and ridges caused by roots under the trail, it was no less "comfortable" as the Diverge under those conditions.

I don't dare take the Inglis on the cobbles, because 25mm tires are just not up for it.

Having Inglis build me another frame that could take big tires would probably put me at $4000 when fitted out, which is the price of the Diverge Pro. Little rich for my blood right now.

Overall, I have to say I am impressed by the Specialized Diverge Comp. It is not perfect, but it is definitely very very good. Considering it is about $500 more than the Black Mountain MCD it is a strong contender if the MCD falls through.

munkeyfish 

Nice reveiw. I'm always interested in these kind of bikes, especially being a Clyde and carbon frame.

dr_lha

The MCD will be way cooler.

rgconner

I feel a lot more confident about the MCD for sure.

The Diverge is a good bike, packed with goodies at the price point.

I liked it, but I did not love it.