Whatever you get into, send us video. The Roubaix is able to fit up to 33mm tires. 5’9″ – 6’0″. 152 – 158cm. From tires and helmets to shoes and chamois, gear makes the ride. There are gravel bikes that are definitely fast and fun on smooth roads (like Cervelo Aspero). Let me explain…, A great gravel bike is for me something like a swiss knife that has to be very good at many different things. And this is a true shame because it is a very clever design that in my opinion is, in many ways, better than Redshift Suspension stem (which, as you may already know, I really like and use on my benchmark bike). When you apply the force to the handlebar it flexes downwards. The Power Comp saddle does not help either in that regard – in my saddle shootout it was offering much less compliance than a Brooks C17 or SQ Lab 612 Ergowave saddle. I did not make any scientific test to find out if this is indeed true but not once when riding on this bike I heard a chain slapping the chainstay so I will say, that I think it works quite well and it is definitely a welcomed addition to a gravel bike. I don’t know why Specialized did not put this on its gravel bikes (bikes that would, in my opinion, benefit the most from it) but the result is that you don’t get the possibility to adjust the suspension level simply by rotating the external dial. Yes, the Diverge frame is compatible with most rear cargo racks. Medium. Specialized wanted to ensure that your new Diverge Comp E5 rides comfortably, shifts crisply, and brakes smoothly for years to come, so you'll find a Shimano 105 11-speed groupset, powerful hydraulic disc brakes, the fan-favorite Power Sport Saddle, and a durable Axis Sport Disc wheelset that's been cased in our fast-rolling, 35mm Roadsport tires with built-in flat protection. Whatever you get into, send us video. If you thought the new Diverge was progressive, get a load of EVO. It is all about the place where the suspension is doing all its magic. And the smallest tyres? Climb it, race it, or load it down with packs and fenders for the long haul, Diverge does it all, faster and lighter than the rest. Thanks to a drive side chain stay utilizing a solid beam of carbon behind the chain rings we’ve created clearance without using a fragile dropped chain stay design or increasing chain stay length. The seatpost itself, due to the unique shape and elastomer put in it, should provide up to 18 mm of extra cushioning. The answer? Combine this with a wide 44 cm Hoover Bar (with a 1,5 cm rise) and a very short chainstay and you got the sensation like you are sitting on a first and very old Bicykl (with a huge front wheel and a very tiny rear one). And all of this at the cost of more handlebar movement compared to the Diverge with Future Shock suspension. Why? I know that this low BB combined with a short chainstay gives the super planted feeling but I think I would like to have a bike with a BB put a little further from the ground. SWAT™ pods keep it all dry and organized. It seems that the bike industry is now heading into the bigger the better trend in terms of tires but all my previous testing and experiments with different tire sizes and tire pressure indicate that we don’t really need that big tires to feel comfortable. The Roubaix tires came off easily due to the deep center channel in the Axis 4 rim. Lively, agile, direct, precise and yet sufficiently stable on the straights. The new frame will comfortably fit up to 700x38mm tires with plenty of room for mud, too. Close My Cart. Yes, it is a very comfortable bike due to the flexing nature of the steel but at the same time, a steel bike (like my Jamis Renegade Exploit) feels more like a touring bike next to a carbon Diverge. The only answer I can think of is that my two and a half years old son loves to ride with me and I simply can’t install my Romer Jockey child bike seat on a carbon seat tube of the Diverge. But if you use tire like this 38 mm Pathfinder you can settle at 30 psi tire pressure and have low rolling resistance (thanks to narrow tire and a smooth thread) and at the same time a very comfortable ride without bottoming out on bigger ruts etc. Crazy, we know, but wait until you rip a descent with that much rubber. Prior to this test I have read and watched many reviews of this suspension system and to be honest none of them got me really excited. I was deliberately looking for different test scenarios just to find limits to it. How about a 30mm longer reach, a 5mm lower BB, and a 70-degree headtube angle with our new Rhombus tire. Small. To find out I mounted a set of Continental SpeedRide 700x42 tires (from my CAADX) on the Diverge Axis 4 wheels. Gravel riding might still be finding its legs as an “official” sport, but that doesn’t mean we couldn’t treat it like one with the Diverge Sport’s build. In terms of Redshift stem, it is on the pivot point between steerer and the stem itself. By dramatically increasing reach, slackening the headtube almost two degrees, and lowering the bottom bracket to 85mm, we’ve created the first flat bar specific gravel geometry with confidence to send it. The placement of the suspension is also good for providing a similar level of comfort no matter where you put your hands (while the suspension stem form Redshift is least effective when riding on tops). And for sure I do not recommend putting 650x47b tires on this bike because your pedals will be destroyed by constant hits from the rocks, ruts, etc. Along with tire clearance, weight was a large factor in the development, and taking some design cues from the development of the Roubaix, we developed an E5 Premium Aluminum frame that's plenty light, certainly stiff for hard efforts, and undeniable durable. This results in a frequent pedal strokes even on not so bumpy roads. So we challenged ourselves to create a bike that does more than live up to the demands of today’s gravel rider. Try out both and try different models of each. We recommend running at least 700x28c tires on the Diverge. Specialized Diverge Comp Gravel Bike - 2020, 56cm. Would I buy it? How much larger? At 425mm, the Diverge’s chainstays keep the wheel tucked under the rider for lively acceleration and nimble handling, while perfectly balancing the bike for ultimate confidence. So it looks like for now, I am stuck with my steel bike…. Very generous—47mm on a 700c wheel and 2.1” on 650B. Is this a holy grail of gravel bikes?Close, but not really. There is quite a popular notion that the fewer spokes the more compliance the wheel will offer. So when riding on hoods you constantly feel the handlebar moving and if you want to mitigate the movement you need to use harder elastomers that will also greatly reduce the overall suspension effect. Future Shock 2.0 But to be a great all-around gravel bike it has to do remarkably well in all of those situations. “What geometry is a gravel bike supposed to have?” Wrong question. Why exactly I think that Future Shock is better? This is flat bar gravel, a laboratory in the dirt for you to push your limits. But I was more into 28 spokes and definitely not as low as 24. This is flat bar gravel, a laboratory in the dirt for you to push your limits. How about a 30mm longer reach, a 5mm lower BB, and a 70-degree headtube angle with our new Rhombus tire. This is the issue I already described when reviewing a suspension sestposts. At least for Specialized Diverge Comp. 2020 Specialized Diverge Expert Specs. You will quickly find that only after you lower the air pressure of 42 mm tire to something like 25 psi you will be able to squeeze both tires the same way). The second thing is the wheelset. The high stack makes this bike also a great for longer trips but I for sure would change the handlebar for a more narrow 42 cm just to put my arms in a more comfortable position. With some slide rule wizardry, the Diverge’s new fork has increased rake and trail to ensure all that stability at speed never feels slow at the bars or ‘floppy’ at the front wheel. I’m 5ft 2in and chose the smallest available frame at 48cm. It has to be fast but at the same time, it has to be fun to ride. 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