Jim53

Well, I grew up in the Midwest, where the highest level of praise is "darn good"...

Cool that you've done the whole length! Harpers Ferry to Georgetown? Doing the whole trip is on my bucket list. Any thoughts on steel vs. aluminum vs. carbon frame for towpath terrain?

Jim53

I asked the dealer what it would cost to upgrade to Shimano RS505 -- the brakes used on the D Comp. He told me he'd have to buy the "whole brake set", which would cost $700. Add, say $100, for labor, and I'd be looking at a $2600 bike.

Lazyass

It probably costs $700 at the dealer. You can get them for the mid-$200's online.

Jim53

Wow, that would make it reasonable to do the swap.

OK, this question will expose me as a non-cognoscenti: what specific parts would I order online? The dealer was saying that I needed even to replace the brake hand levers on the bike. He was stating the price as if I was starting from scratch.

Thanks,
Jim

Lazyass

https://www.competitivecyclist.com/s...Q&gclsrc=aw.ds

Rennvelo

One more thought out of my experience with the Roubaix and Diverge 2017. I think the Future Shock adds more to the ride characteristics than everything else. Ok, May be the tire width, but assuming similar tire width. Therefore, the Difference between the Carbon models and E5 model with FS is most probably smaller than between the E5 models with and without FS.

Jim53

Thanks!

BluesDawg

I'm sure your LBS wouldn't blame you for buying these components for significantly less than their wholesale price (FU, Shimano), but if you'll be needing their assistance in choosing it and installing it, please be prepared to compensate them for their trouble.

Lazyass

There's some weird pricing going on right now. Ultegra 6800 STI's are on sale and cheaper than 105's.

curttard

Harpers Ferry to Georgetown is only 60 miles. The C&O starts in Cumberland MD, and it's 180mi from there to Georgetown. It's a nice ride and flat as a pancake. The only hills will be on short on-road detours, if there are any for the given year. If you don't want to camp, you can stay in hotels every 60 miles not far from the towpath (Hancock and Harper's Ferry would be the hotel points).

I've only done it on my cromoly rigid MTB, with tires from the 1.25" 100psi Specialized Fatboys, to 1.5" 80psi Specialized Nimbus, to 2.1" 60psi Panaracer Smoke/Dart. No issues, at least if it's dry. Two of my trips had heavy rain the entire time, so the trail was just one big mudpit, and then I was glad to have the 2" knobbies.

DTG

You'll get more bang for buck with the JREX. I'm not a fan of the future shock but take that with a grain of salt. I have a 2015 Diverge Comp carbon that is my primary road bike(sold the actual road bike with 23s). I also like the fact I can toss it around with with no qualms. I've also done some light bike packing with it but that's about it. As I digress though, I wanted a little more from it and didn't want to push it past it's limits. That being said, I came across the JREL back in Feb and just loved everything about it from the spec sheet, being rack compatible, etc. I test road the Exploit and loved how it rode. It rides more stable than my Diverge and just a tad slower but remember, this is not a road bike but a real do it all bike. I figured if 631 steel road great, then the Carbon one would ride that much better. So I finally put in an order a month ago and I pick it up today.

I know that's a lot of info but in the end, you get more bang for buck. Plus you'll probably be one of only a handful of people in your region that has one since most bike shops don't carry the carbon version.

So my opinion is non biased since I already own (Diverge) one but just felt the new bike was a step down impo, therefore the JREL is the best bike for me, even without the future shock.

wheelhot

Anyway, anyone has the weight for Diverge Comp E5? I'm curious to hear the weight of the bike, I'm guessing ~10kg+

curttard

I can't imagine it's much heavier than the Elite DSW if at at all. The futureshock is only 7oz. I'm not sure how much weight the smartweld process saves. But the Comp E5 has 105 compared to Tiagra on the DSW, there's a few oz right there probably.

Lazyass

Total weight is 9.80kg (21.6lbs) in size 54cm.

https://www.cyclingabout.com/2018-sp...touring-bikes/

curttard

What did the Elite DSW weigh?

eppan

Interestingly the upper rear rack mount seems to be in the seat collar, at least on the E5 Comp. Based on Specialized site Carbon models don't have that alloy rack mount seat collar, but the site mentions "mounts for racks". I cannot see any placement for the rear rack based on pictures I've seen.

eppan

Also an interesting difference, is that the carbon models have two placement (3 screws) bottle mounts on seat and down tube, where as aluminium ones only have one placement (2 screws). I bet this for the SWAT-box compatibility, but works also nicely, if you need to lower your bottles to make room for a frame bag.

curttard

Answering my own question: Cyclist (UK) said their 2017 Elite DSW 52cm was 21.2lb.

For the 2018 E5 Comp: Cycling About claims 21.6lb for a 54.

fruitpunch.ben

Hi guys.

Just discovered the Diverge, and while I'm waiting for the 2018 line-up to make its way to Canada, I registered to ask a question.

There's lots of discussion and opinions about the high-end carbon models & E5 comp with Future shock. But what about the cheap ones?

If I'm considering one of the low-end models (E5 up to E5 Elite) without Future Shock, would I be better off with a 2017 model with Zertz? Since zertz is now gone on all models, the low-end diverges now have no dampening at all, right?

I guess I would be giving up the premium E5 aluminum for A1, and, as someone who likes to keep their bikes for a long time, possibly risking getting stuck with unsupported wheel sets.

Am I right? Any opinions?

Thanks!

Lazyass

I have an A1 and it's hard to tell how much the Zerts actually works, but it's a smooth riding bike. The lower end models use regular wheels. If you want front end suspension you can always get a ShockStem.

fruitpunch.ben

Thanks. I guess what I need is to either ride both myself (unlikely I can find both in stock in my size) or wait for someone else to chime in who has ridden both who can compare the ride... A few people have ridden 2017 and 2018 high end models, it's hard being on a budget - no one reviews the entry level ones

I guess since none of the 2018s have any dampening in the seat, Specialized is admitting that the zertz inserts there were a gimmick?

For the front end, the ShockStem is definitely an option.

Another idea: Would the E5 be upgradeable to a future shock stem at a later date, or is it integrated into the frame somehow?

Lazyass

You can't put a Future Shock on a frame that doesn't have it. IMO a ShockStem is a better option, anyway. Same amount of travel, lighter, if you sell the bike you can keep it and if you keep the bike for a long time and end up having to replace the fork you won't have to try to track down a used Future Shock after Specialized stops making them. I'm going to get one and the people who have them seem to love them.

curttard

I had the bike shop weigh the 2018 Comp E5 and their analog hanging scale said 22.5lb. I had my digital with me just in case and it read the same. This is with basic plastic pedals and reflectors still on. Still, a full pound heavier than what was reported.

wheelhot

Yup, the new Diverges is definitely much heavier than last year Diverge, even though FS was supposed to just add 200g-300g

curttard

Maybe DSW really was a significant weight-saver? Weird that they dumped it.