mohamilton

Im 5' 10 with a 33.5 inseam. Curious if a 2016 diverge would fit better in a 54 or 56? The shorter reach would be nice but the stack lowers quite a bit to 564 on the 54 models

Meech33

Bump

GeneO 

Can't tell you for sure. All I can say for certain is that I am 5'10.5" with a 32 inseam and I ride a 56cm 2016 Diverge Expert and it fits well.

mohamilton

Cool - Thanks for the reply, yeah just gauging ball park sizing. The stack seams to get way shorter with the 54 vs the 56

Meech33

Meech33

tdilf

I would find some road tires you like and probably think about using clipless pedals for that distance. And maybe dial your shock setting to firm. I am really liking Continental GP5000 for my road wheel setup - I have them in 32c width.
The only limitation for doing a century is going to be you - the bike is fine for that mileage.

shelbyfv

I agree. Put on some nice smooth 32s or even 28s and you'll be good to go.

JB_Nicholson

Thank you both!

mstateglfr 

The Diverge, in my size, is basically just endurance road bike geometry overall. With identical tires, I would not be slower on a Diverge than any random properly fitting endurance bike.
Geometry is certainly more upright/relaxed compared to race bikes, but its not like you will be riding a beach cruiser.
Geometry like a 72.8 head tube angle, 73.5 seat tube angle, 421mm chainstays, 56mm of trail - all quite reasonable for an endurance road bike. The 85mm of bottom bracket drop is pretty radical, but you will just feel like you are sitting in the bike more than on top of the bike.

For paved road riding, get some quality 32mm tires and call it good. As mentioned, GP5k are great. Panaracer Gravel King slick are really good at almost half the cost, if you are looking for a more budget friendly tire. Or Rene Herse tires are loved by many if you want a very light and fast tire that is similar in results to the GP5k.

Ive ridden centuries on my gravel bike with 43mm Panaracer GK SS tires(and WTB Resolute 42) where 80% was gravel and 20% pavement, and ridden centuries where 20% was gravel and 80% pavement. My gravel bike is slower on pavement than any of my road bikes, but not by much. Its certainly not enough for me to really focus on.

Random11

I rode my one and only century on my Diverge last October, all on pavement, and with 700x38 Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires. It was no problem. I like those tires but i've heard others on these forums complain about them giving a harsh ride. I'm mentioning this to suggest that you don't need "road" tires to ride a century on a Diverge. I did it with 38s and am thinking of doing another one. Also for some context, I'm 70 years old and have been riding three years. Yes, you can do a century on a Diverge.

HTupolev

For the purposes of a paved century, their rolling resistance will pose a bigger challenge than road feel. Marathon Plus are invincible and last forever, but they're extremely slow.

Random11

I bought those tires because I was having so many flats. I did have two flats in 2020 with the Marathon Plus tires, both from running over debris in the road that I didn't see until after I ran over it. But that's way down from 2019 so the tires are serving their purpose. All of my flats have been on streets in residential neighborhoods. Why do those streets attract so much debris? So back to the OP's question, you say my tires are slow, so he should do fine on a century without buying new tires.