Alphonsus

So I am soon gonna be purchasing a bike, however, I am really stuck upon these two bikes which I know are slightly different. In order to help, here's a little background. Currently, I'm a college student, and I have a DB 29ner hardtail for about 3 years, it wasn't until this year that I really started biking. Use to only ride like 2-5 miles, but this year, I've been going on 50-70 miles trips...which on a 29ner is very inefficient. One thing I liked though about the 29ner was being able to go on dirted and rougher terrains such as side trails off the main bike road which led to me wanting a gravel bike instead of a straight road bike. I am still gonna keep my 29ner for riding on campus to and from class and will most likely sell it after college to get better mtb for actual trail/mtb riding. However, I also want to the PanMass Challenge which is a 192 mile 2 day bike ride. I would also love to, later on, do triathlons(but not too competitive) and be able to go on group rides.

I know the Diverge is a straight gravel bike, whereas the Domane is an endurance bike. Obviously, for the Diverge I'll be able to put smaller road tires compared to the 38mm it comes with if I wanna ride on the road, however, would the Diverge be able to compete on group rides? If in the future I get carbon rims for the Diverge, would it be a good race bike? Obviously, I'm not gonna be going into too competitive road races like a crit(although it quite interest me) so those slight time advantage over a mile doesn't apply to me. I know the Domane can have 32mm tires which I'll probably get gravel kings for.

The big thing for me about the Domane is the downtube storage, which on the Specialized I'd have to shell out another $700 to get that feature. Is the downtube storage more of a gimmick? Normally on my 70 miles ride, I have a top tube bag(carry charger, snacks, wallet) and then a saddle bag(extra tube, hand pump, levers, multitool). I guess having a downtube will allow me to be able to add more food and stuff, since I do want to be able to do frequent 100-150 mile trips which I highly think I'd be able to achieve once I get a road bike and I get clipless pedals.

So based on those which bike do you think is right for me? Obviously, as a college student, I am putting a good portion of the money into this and hope I'll make the right decision especially since I hope this bike will last me 5-10 years, for the different plans I want to do with it. And of course, it ultimately depends on what the bike stores have available since there is a shortage. Ultimately, I know no matter which bike, it's gonna feel wicked fast compared to my current 29ner which weights about 32lbs. I think honestly, I would go for the Diverge if I didn't have plans on possibly doing triathlons and group rides in the future.

sincos

Short answer is easy: ride them both, get whichever you like better. I wouldn't sweat the DT storage: could be handy, but hardly a dealbreaker. The only wrong answer here is the one you like less.

GlennR

I have 2 bikes, a lightweight "climbing" bike and a CX (aka gravel) bike. The CX is my winter - foul weather and has drop bars and 32mm tubeless all weather tires. I have a second set of wheels with 35mm knobby for dirt riding.

I can tell you the light weight road bike is amazing on long and technical rides in good weather. But the CX is a true pleasure on rough roads with bumps and debris. With the knobby i can do single track, gravel and still do 50+ mile rides.

Also i test road a Domane SLR and it's a awesome bike. But too close to a road bike so I went with a CX.

You have to decide on what type surfaces you'll be riding more and that will help you decide which way to go.

As to the downtube storage... saddle bags are cheap.

Mojo31

If you use the flat repair roll in the Domane down tube, there is not much room for other stuff. A little, but not much. Don't plan on packing a lunch in there.

With that, I really like my SL5, and find it great for long rides.

wvridgerider

Ever consider making the 29er a drop bar mountain bike? I converted my Karate Monkey and it is a fun versatile bike. If you have a suspension fork, get a surly fork and it will allow you to raise the the stem prior to cutting it. Maybe a pair of used bar cons for shifters. Cane Creek brake levers. Just a thought. 2.1 tires work well.

jaxgtr

I have the Domane SLR and love it, but I do 95% of my riding on the road. I have no plans to race, but I do have an Emonda if I want to go a little faster, and the Domane gives me the benefit of doing some gravel riding if I want. If all is the same and the only difference is the dt storage, then it comes down to what fits better.

sean.hwy

Unless you ride smooth fast roads and are chasing very fast men/women ( you don't want to be dropped in a group ride basically and 1mph makes a huge difference then) I would get a gravel bike hand down. I own a top stone gravel bike and a systemsix road bike. I take my gravel bike every day at lunch ride the roads to get to the gravel bay trail. I take my gravel bike when I go on vacation bend, or (snow), Yosemite etc. So much less chance on getting a flat.

When I take the wheels/tires from my road bike and put them on my gravel bike, my gravel bike is very close to the same speed as my road bike. Get a gravel bike, but an extra set of 28/32 gp 5000 tires. When you get more funds by dedicated wheels. Then you can gravel or road with in 10 minute wheel swap.

biker128pedal

For a comparison have you considered a Checkpoint over the Domane. And the two sets of wheels advice is the way I want to go.

one4smoke

Why haven't you considered the Roubaix?

Alphonsus

I actually have, but I guess it's pretty similar to the Domane(besides the shocks), but the Domane has the downtube storage. Also Domane allows for better tire clearance I believe

Alphonsus

Yeah, that's why I'm still unsure, cause gravel bikes you technically can put a different set of wheels on them, but I wonder is the gears of the GRX similar to the 105? In terms of speed? Or is the 105 faster since it's adhere to road?

blakcloud

I am a Domane owner and I love my bike but from what you are describing I think the Specialized Diverge Sport is the way to go on this one. Re-read post #7 from sean.hwy because it is spot on.

The geometry of the two bikes are different and this is apparent in stack height or easier comparison head tube length. The Diverge is much closer to a road bike than the Domane. With a different set of tires or wheels this bike would rock. You will have a bigger saddle to bar drop to get you into a more aggressive position, akin to a road bike.

Both bikes are great, you won't be disappointed with either but one may be better suited to your needs than the other.

biker128pedal

I'd have t look closer to the built specs. Pretty sure the GRX rear derailleurs have clutches and may take wider range cassettes. The chain rings are going to be like a compact. Then some models are 1X up front. The manufacturers web sites will list the builds. It will be another year before I add to the stable. New roof time.