Originally Posted by
maartendc
Thanks for the great suggestions. I cannot believe I had not come across those. Those bikes are actually an incredible value! They use the same fork and frame as the more expensive models, but if you are willing to go for Sora or Claris, they are very affordable.
In fact, i could buy the Specialized Diverge E5 with Claris components for €1049, buy an entire Shimano 105 R7000 groupset online for €486 and still be cheaper than some of the competition.. Cheaper than buying their Tiagra model even... I cant believe they go up to €1700 for Tiagra..
The downside to the Cannondale Topstone seems to be that it doesnt have mounts on the front fork for a rack.
The Diverge gets some great reviews and there are so many choices that there's one for most pockets. It also seems to be very nicely set up for lightweight touring out of the box. with room for wider tires, decently low gearing, a nice comfortable geometry with a bit of shock absorption and mounts for racks and fenders. I like the Sport as I want carbon and the Future Shock.