Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Cyclocross and Gravelbiking (Recreational)
Reload this Page >

Looking at Specialized Diverge for first time gravelbike and drop handlebars use?

Notices
Cyclocross and Gravelbiking (Recreational) This has to be the most physically intense sport ever invented. It's high speed bicycle racing on a short off road course or riding the off pavement rides on gravel like : "Unbound Gravel". We also have a dedicated Racing forum for the Cyclocross Hard Core Racers.

Looking at Specialized Diverge for first time gravelbike and drop handlebars use?

Old 06-21-20, 08:36 AM
  #1  
Nitrius
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: May 2020
Posts: 6
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Specialized Diverge - for first time user of gravelbike?

Hello.

Looking to venture into the gravelbike world.
About two months ago I bought a hybrid bike(Scott Sub Cross 30), and fell in love with biking, probably 10-15 years since I did it last.
Anyway, been looking at the Specialized Diverge, what do the people on here think about the bike?
Will mainly be used for commuting to work, about 10km each way, which consist of about 80% road and 20% dirt/gravel and some recreational riding in my spare time, which probably will consist of 50/50 road/offroad biking.

As stated in the title, never used drop handlebars before, but i've had some testrides with bikes that have it now recently in shops around where I live, and it's for sure a different experience from what i've used too.
I know there are a lot of other gravelbikes around as well, but they are hard to find these days, I firstly fell in love with the Scott Speedster Gravel 30 and Scott Addict Gravel 30, mainly because of the color scheme, but they are nowhere to be found around my area at the moment.. So i'am open for other brands as well, but so far the color scheme on the Specialized Diverse Sport Carbon have caught my attention.

Last edited by Nitrius; 06-21-20 at 08:41 AM.
Nitrius is offline  
Old 06-21-20, 08:45 AM
  #2  
StarBiker
Senior Member
 
StarBiker's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 2,045

Bikes: Bianchi Grizzly, Cannondale F700,

Mentioned: 8 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 807 Post(s)
Liked 153 Times in 122 Posts
https://www.rei.com/product/122463/c...E&gclsrc=aw.ds
StarBiker is offline  
Old 06-21-20, 10:35 AM
  #3  
mstateglfr 
Sunshine
 
mstateglfr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Des Moines, IA
Posts: 16,538

Bikes: '18 class built steel roadbike, '19 Fairlight Secan, '88 Schwinn Premis , Black Mountain Cycles Monstercross V4, '89 Novara Trionfo

Mentioned: 123 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 10902 Post(s)
Liked 7,393 Times in 4,148 Posts
The Diverge Sport Carbon is quite the bike to start out with for an entry into drop bar territory.
I dont do Specialized, but even I can acknowledge its a nicely spec'd bike.

The stack and reach measurements allow for some really big bikes in that line, which as a tall cyclist, I can say is pretty rare.
The bottom bracket drop is extremely aggressive compared to almost all other gravel bikes too. Its 10mm lower than what is probably the average and though that doesn't seem like a lot it can make you feel like you are riding more in the bike than on the bike. Neither style is good nor bad, its just a preference each of us had.
mstateglfr is offline  
Old 06-21-20, 04:12 PM
  #4  
Nitrius
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: May 2020
Posts: 6
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
@StarBiker never heard of that brand before, don't think it's something that's available over here either, can't say i've seen it in any store. Though I liked the look, and the price seemed nice.

mstateglfr Thanks, good information there, though what do you mean by bottom bracket drop? Is that when your holding the bottom grip on the drop handlebars? And if I may ask what bike do you ride? Open for other suggestions
Nitrius is offline  
Old 06-21-20, 04:27 PM
  #5  
tangerineowl
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Oz
Posts: 931

Bikes: Curve Grovel v2 ti

Mentioned: 9 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 257 Post(s)
Liked 84 Times in 73 Posts
Your location and budget?
tangerineowl is offline  
Old 06-21-20, 04:46 PM
  #6  
Nitrius
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: May 2020
Posts: 6
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by tangerineowl
Your location and budget?
Around 3000usd, and location is Norway.
Nitrius is offline  
Old 06-21-20, 06:09 PM
  #7  
mstateglfr 
Sunshine
 
mstateglfr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Des Moines, IA
Posts: 16,538

Bikes: '18 class built steel roadbike, '19 Fairlight Secan, '88 Schwinn Premis , Black Mountain Cycles Monstercross V4, '89 Novara Trionfo

Mentioned: 123 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 10902 Post(s)
Liked 7,393 Times in 4,148 Posts
Originally Posted by Nitrius
mstateglfr Thanks, good information there, though what do you mean by bottom bracket drop? Is that when your holding the bottom grip on the drop handlebars? And if I may ask what bike do you ride? Open for other suggestions
bottom bracket drop is the difference between the height of the ground to the center of the rear axle and the height of the ground to the center of the bottom bracket.

The larger the difference, more 'in' the bike you feel. The smaller the difference, the more 'on top of' the bike you feel.
mountain bikes have a small bottom bracket drop. Cyclocross have a medium amount. Road bikes have a bigger drop.
The Diverge has a lot. Again- there is no right or wrong when it comes to how much bottom bracket drop there is. Its just preference for how each of us wants to feel and ride. Some like sitting in the bike and some like sitting atop the bike.

I ride a Fairlight Secan frame that I built up. I love it, but some of its geometry is different from what is currently trendy/popular.
A Ribble CGR is one that i would consider if I were wanting a carbon frame gravel bike. Good value and i think it would be a nice mix of geometry overall.
Please dont read much into my comment that I'm not a fan of Specialized. As a whole, its a very good company that does extensive testing and quality control. Many friends ride the brand and all are loyal to it.
mstateglfr is offline  
Likes For mstateglfr:
Old 06-21-20, 07:43 PM
  #8  
Random11
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2020
Location: North Florida
Posts: 510

Bikes: 2019 Specialized Diverge, 2021 Cervelo Caledonia

Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 257 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 378 Times in 197 Posts
I bought a Diverge 11 months ago and I love it. I'm riding mostly on paved roads, with some trail riding, typically 15-20 miles a day. I'm riding for exercise (not for transportation) and most of my riding is on the drops. The Diverge seems like a great "do everything" bike. It's good on the road, but also good off-road as long as things aren't too rough. As to the low bottom bracket, it makes the bike feel more stable because the center of gravity is lower, but I have had a few pedal strikes so I'm very conscious of keeping the pedal going into a turn up to avoid that. The bike is very comfortable. I've gone on a few rides over 50 miles (longest ride--62 miles) and have felt good afterward. My bike is a 2019 model and I believe the 2021 model has a higher bottom bracket. The 2020 frame is the same as the 2019 that I have, so there are slight differences between the 2020 and 2021 models. I'm guessing you're looking at a 2020 because the 2021 models are just coming out. I'm very happy with my Diverge.
Random11 is offline  
Likes For Random11:
Old 06-21-20, 09:01 PM
  #9  
StarBiker
Senior Member
 
StarBiker's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 2,045

Bikes: Bianchi Grizzly, Cannondale F700,

Mentioned: 8 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 807 Post(s)
Liked 153 Times in 122 Posts
Originally Posted by Nitrius
@StarBiker never heard of that brand before, don't think it's something that's available over here either, can't say i've seen it in any store. Though I liked the look, and the price seemed nice.
I didn't notice your location. It's REI's brand.

Here is another one of their excellent bikes

https://www.rei.com/product/159860/c...es-adv-23-bike

Yeah, your limited to what you can get. REI tried to have an international presence but it didn't work.

Bummer. I just checked, they won't ship their bikes internationally. I can walk to my local REI, and bike past it everyday.

Oh well. I would mention some other brands but your location might not work for them either.

Best of luck with your decision.

Last edited by StarBiker; 06-21-20 at 09:08 PM.
StarBiker is offline  
Old 06-21-20, 09:34 PM
  #10  
Mr.Barbeque!
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 38
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
I have been trying to get Diverge for a couple of months and it has been a real struggle to get what I want when I first started looking. I am now waiting to get the Diverge Comp E5 (aluminum frame w/ future shock).
Mr.Barbeque! is offline  
Old 06-21-20, 10:20 PM
  #11  
mstateglfr 
Sunshine
 
mstateglfr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Des Moines, IA
Posts: 16,538

Bikes: '18 class built steel roadbike, '19 Fairlight Secan, '88 Schwinn Premis , Black Mountain Cycles Monstercross V4, '89 Novara Trionfo

Mentioned: 123 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 10902 Post(s)
Liked 7,393 Times in 4,148 Posts
Originally Posted by StarBiker
I didn't notice your location. It's REI's brand.
Here is another one of their excellent bikes.
You have quite the persistent interest with rei.
mstateglfr is offline  
Old 06-21-20, 10:39 PM
  #12  
tangerineowl
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Oz
Posts: 931

Bikes: Curve Grovel v2 ti

Mentioned: 9 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 257 Post(s)
Liked 84 Times in 73 Posts
As I don't know which year Scott or Diverge colour interests you, can you give me the main colours you'd prefer in a frame?
tangerineowl is offline  
Old 06-22-20, 07:42 AM
  #13  
Bryan C. 
nothing to see here
 
Bryan C.'s Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Antioch, CA
Posts: 564
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 218 Post(s)
Liked 145 Times in 78 Posts
Diverge owner here. I have a 2019 Expert that I have grown to love over the last year and a half. The big knocks on the Diverge are the low bottom bracket and the durability of the future shock.

My future shock had to be replaced due to excess free play. The newer FS 1.5 it was replaced with was a definite improvement. I can only imagine how much better the FS 2.0 is. I helps knock down the chatter for you hands but it will never work as well as a real shock. I like it, and actually bought the bike because of the FS.

The low bottom bracket is a non issue as long as you don't want to run any technical single track. Narrow worn in trails and rock gardens are not very friendly for this bike. Pedal strikes are common for me. I don't ride that type of terrain often so when I do I just take easy and focus on avoiding rocks.

I just recently converted my bike from a 1x to a 2x because of this. The bike is a go-fast road oriented gravel bike. Use it in that context and you won't be disappointed one bit.

My recommendation is to buy a carbon model with the FS 2.0. As always, economics play unto your purchase so buy the best bike you can and upgrade what you may not like later on.
Bryan C. is offline  
Old 06-23-20, 02:20 AM
  #14  
Hmmm
Full Member
 
Hmmm's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Paris, France
Posts: 399

Bikes: TCX & CAAD3 SAECO

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 147 Post(s)
Liked 118 Times in 66 Posts
Originally Posted by mstateglfr
You have quite the persistent interest with rei.
Hmmm is offline  
Old 06-23-20, 11:56 AM
  #15  
Nitrius
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: May 2020
Posts: 6
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by tangerineowl
As I don't know which year Scott or Diverge colour interests you, can you give me the main colours you'd prefer in a frame?
This depends a lot on the bike I think, but it looks like i'am gravitating towards green colors, that's why the 2020 version of Speedster Gravel and Addict Gravel from Scott was the first ones to caught my attention.
But right now all the colors on the 2021 version of Specialized Diverge Sport Carbon is fine with me.

Bryan C. Thanks for sharing your experience with Specialized. So far it's still looking like the bike will be Diverge Sport Carbon, i've been in contact with a store that got a 2021 model, but they have a lot to do at the moment and the bike is not built yet. I know this bike is the step before you get FS 2.0, but it's quite the jump up in price for this here in Norway, so i'll have to do with FS 1.5 I think, though I have no idea if i'll like that system yet, as I haven't tested it.

Last edited by Nitrius; 06-23-20 at 12:01 PM.
Nitrius is offline  
Old 06-23-20, 09:20 PM
  #16  
tangerineowl
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Oz
Posts: 931

Bikes: Curve Grovel v2 ti

Mentioned: 9 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 257 Post(s)
Liked 84 Times in 73 Posts
FaraCycling (Oslo). F/Gravel.

2x GRX 810 in fjord green.

Last edited by tangerineowl; 06-23-20 at 09:24 PM. Reason: txt
tangerineowl is offline  
Old 06-24-20, 10:38 AM
  #17  
Nitrius
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: May 2020
Posts: 6
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by tangerineowl
FaraCycling (Oslo). F/Gravel.

2x GRX 810 in fjord green.

Never heard of before, but damn, that color on that bike, really nice, hmm more choices now... Have you tried their bikes?
Nitrius is offline  
Old 06-25-20, 04:59 AM
  #18  
tangerineowl
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Oz
Posts: 931

Bikes: Curve Grovel v2 ti

Mentioned: 9 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 257 Post(s)
Liked 84 Times in 73 Posts
Originally Posted by Nitrius
Never heard of before, but damn, that color on that bike, really nice, hmm more choices now... Have you tried their bikes?
Nope. Other side of world.
tangerineowl is offline  
Old 06-25-20, 03:02 PM
  #19  
blakcloud
Senior Member
 
blakcloud's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 2,595
Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 608 Post(s)
Liked 352 Times in 225 Posts
Look at the Canyon brand. First make sure they ship to your country. They have a 30 day return policy if you don't like the bike which you can't do with any other brand. The downside is you can't test ride before you buy. They offer a lot of bike for the money.
blakcloud is offline  
Old 07-19-20, 04:01 PM
  #20  
altondavis2
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 268
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 26 Post(s)
Liked 15 Times in 14 Posts
I have that model in the Moss Green color. It really looks great in the sunlite.
The bike is a great ride. I only do about 10% gravel so I swapped out the tires
for Schwalbe Marathon Plus.
altondavis2 is offline  
Old 07-19-20, 08:03 PM
  #21  
Random11
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2020
Location: North Florida
Posts: 510

Bikes: 2019 Specialized Diverge, 2021 Cervelo Caledonia

Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 257 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 378 Times in 197 Posts
Originally Posted by altondavis2
I have that model in the Moss Green color. It really looks great in the sunlite.
The bike is a great ride. I only do about 10% gravel so I swapped out the tires
for Schwalbe Marathon Plus.
Sounds like my Diverge (although the color looks more brownish, so maybe not the same color, but the color does come out in the sunlight). I also put Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires on my bike. I also ride mostly paved roads, but the bike and tires do very well on gravel. I've heard some complaints about those tires giving a harsh ride, but I rode someone else's Tarmac this morning and there was noticeably more road vibration on that bike, so maybe those tires work better in combination with the Diverge.
Random11 is offline  
Old 08-05-20, 12:19 PM
  #22  
MikeIndy
Newbie
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Indianapolis, IN USA
Posts: 40

Bikes: Trek Emonda, Trek Madone Disc, S-Works Diverge,Seven Evergreen SL Ti, Trek Fuel EX, Trek SuperCaliber, Farley Fat Bike, Trek Domane

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 15 Post(s)
Liked 36 Times in 9 Posts
Late to see this thread. For the distance you are mentioning, the Diverge is quite a bike, at any model. I had the 2018 edition and just received a new 2021 edition. Both the carbon S-Works versions. Awesome bikes. I use for training and racing for longer events like Dk200, Barry Roubaix, etc. Solid reliable bike.

That said, I also have a Lynskey Pro GR (Titanium) that is my go-to commute bike. My commute is ~20 miles each way. I prefer not to take my nicer carbon bikes on my daily commute rides. (That said, working from home under COVID since 3/13/20). The future shock on the Diverge is great for gravel rides - especially long ones. For a short commute, mostly paved, not sure you really need it. You may save a little or get better components considering another rigid gravel type bike.

Just my $0.02
MikeIndy is offline  
Old 08-06-20, 01:34 PM
  #23  
Craptacular8
Senior Member
 
Craptacular8's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 643
Mentioned: 9 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 182 Post(s)
Liked 36 Times in 31 Posts
Earlier version

Originally Posted by Nitrius
Hello.

Looking to venture into the gravelbike world.
About two months ago I bought a hybrid bike(Scott Sub Cross 30), and fell in love with biking, probably 10-15 years since I did it last.
Anyway, been looking at the Specialized Diverge, what do the people on here think about the bike?
Will mainly be used for commuting to work, about 10km each way, which consist of about 80% road and 20% dirt/gravel and some recreational riding in my spare time, which probably will consist of 50/50 road/offroad biking.

As stated in the title, never used drop handlebars before, but i've had some testrides with bikes that have it now recently in shops around where I live, and it's for sure a different experience from what i've used too.
I know there are a lot of other gravelbikes around as well, but they are hard to find these days, I firstly fell in love with the Scott Speedster Gravel 30 and Scott Addict Gravel 30, mainly because of the color scheme, but they are nowhere to be found around my area at the moment.. So i'am open for other brands as well, but so far the color scheme on the Specialized Diverse Sport Carbon have caught my attention.
It is a really nice bike. I have 2nd generation, in the aluminum frame, no future shock, and I still love that bike. Other than the name, very little has stayed the same however. BB height is only marginally higher in this iteration (2.5mm), but most other geometry comparisons are different. Mine was virtually an endurance road bike that took slightly larger tires. Short rear stays, same head tube angle as a traditional road bike, etc. I can probably squeeze 35's in front...maybe 34 behind. I've got 32's that measure close to 33 and some change with room to spare. It handles gravel well, for it's given tire limitations just fine. The typical rails-to-trails crushed limestone is really quite in its element. Rough pavement, just fine. The new Diverge takes really a huge tire...unless you are tip toeing over a lot of exposed root/rock on your off road gambits, you should be in good shape.

The future shock is a really nice feature that while I don't have it on the Diverge, I do have it on it's carbon cousin the Roubaix. Takes the edge off nicely.
Craptacular8 is offline  

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.