0 (Be the first to add a review!) t = b.createElement(e); The frame also differs — it’s made with Specialized E5 alloy, but the top tube is 30 mm longer than the standard Diverge geometry (size medium). The Specialized Diverge Comp E5 2021 Gravel Road Bike is the ideal bike to escape on gravel back roads far from cars and crowds. Ben rode the Specialized Diverge E5 Comp for 6 months to find if it stacks up as a hot contender for your ultimate commuter or gravel sled. I was disappointed as I know Specialized can nail a plush and comfortable rear end — the new Roubaix I tested last year proved this. Stem: Future Stem, Comp, w/Integrated computer mount. They’re well-executed, clean and I’m guessing they’ll be an appreciated addition. Handlebars are Specialized’s Adventure Gear Hover with a pleasing 12-degree flare. Nothing too crazy: a mix of mainly loose gravel over a dusty, hardpacked surface, and a nice amount of tarmac to get a feel for the bike out on the road. I see the new Diverge as a bike perfectly aimed at those who want a bike that can do it all without thinking about the route too much. Perhaps most interesting is that where we’ve previously seen Specialized keep its own handlebars and seatposts across all bikes, the new Diverge sees a few external brands come into the fold. This could definitely be the option for you. You need a dedicated gravel bike like the Diverge. The full FACT carbon fibre fork keeps overall weight low and takes the sting out of road imperfections with ease. Specialized claims the new Diverge takes inspiration from the Epic cross-country mountain bike range. Tyre clearance has also been beefed up, now offering room for up to 700 x 47 mm or 650B x 2.1″ (approx 53 mm) rubber. The final carbon offering is the Base, kitted out with SRAM’s 1x 11-speed Apex groupset. It’s definitely got a race-orientated edge to it, and keeps you on your toes in trickier sections. The ultimate getaway vehicle that proves that smoother is faster. Instead, the extra storage option is now integrated into the downtube beneath the bottle cage – yet another carryover from Specialized’s mountain bike range. Clued up on trends & changes in the industry over time, we love his invaluable insights! Because I thoroughly enjoyed the bike. Once you get to the Sport model you’ll drop down to the FACT 8r carbon frame and lose that SWAT box. t.src = v; I’m often irritated when brands omit fender or rack mounts, especially as it’s an easy part to get right. Interest Free Finance (18 … Select a colour . The top tubes are now noticeably longer, with reach figures increasing anywhere from 10 mm to 19 mm depending on frame size, and they’re matched with shorter stems, too. One thing I appreciated is that Specialized hasn’t skimped on all the necessary mounts. Or more precisely, the pairing of this and the Tarmac which has become versatile in its own right by allowing up to 30 mm tyres. Gone is the old CBG seatpost (a name we will all miss, I’m sure) — now there’s a new, more normal-looking 27.2 mm carbon seatpost that flows from a road shape to a flattened setup near the saddle. You also lose the new carbon seatpost in exchange for a pretty standard-looking single-bolt carbon post. It’s more than stiff enough, and it’s predictable, nimble and positive when cornering. 2021 Specialized Diverge Comp E5 Gravel Road Bike - Gloss Tarmac Black. It’s hard to argue with the range of SRAM’s “Mullet” group, but on the road I was still hunting for smaller steps between each shift. Specialized has given its Diverge platform a solid shake-up. Again wheels are from Roval: this time the Roval Terra CL in 32 mm wrapped in Specialized’s 38 mm Pathfinder Pro in a very fetching transparent/tan sidewall. Comp E5 price: US$2,100 / AU$3,000 / £1,999Elite E5 price: US$1,600 / AU$N/A / £1,599Base E5 price: US$1,100 / AU$N/A / £949. Gearing is obviously a personal preference, but I’ve never really been sold on 1x groupsets. Starting with its road capabilities, the bike felt as road-orientated as a gravel bike can with 38 mm tyres. The Diverge felt very at home as an endurance bike. With the dropper installed on the first day, the rear end felt almost harsh, or at least not as smooth as I’d expected. Wheels are 32 mm deep Roval Terra CLXs. Out of Stock. I’d also put a lot of this down to the Future Shock 2.0 off-road. Along with a bottom bracket that’s over a half-centimeter lower than the previous Diverge. The EVO differs from the rest of the range in several ways. Specialized wanted to ensure that the new Diverge E5 rides comfortably, shifts crisply and brakes smoothly for years to come. For the 2021 model year, Specialized redesigned their popular Diverge gravel bikes. n.callMethod ? My test bike for two days, the S-Works eTap. if (f.fbq) return; n.push = n; But it was that dropper post that had me wondering about the new Diverge’s gravel capabilities. They’ve introduced slacker head tube angles across the board (0.5 degrees slacker). Specialized Diverge 2021 is a very interesting bike. Both the Sport and Base models come in eight sizes and downgrade to the previous Future Shock 1.5. The $2,500 Diverge EVO Comp looks like the ultimate all-terrain commuter machine. n.queue = []; In fact, I was surprised to see what speeds we actually hit out on the roads when I was back at the hotel and checking out my ride data. The EVO range will only be available in three sizes: small, medium and large. Ask us to Price Match it now. 2021 Specialized Diverge gravel bike: first-ride review May 8, 2020 Specialized has overhauled the Diverge for 2021. Specialized wanted to ensure that the new Diverge E5 rides comfortably, shifts crisply and brakes smoothly for years to come. The Base Carbon is fitted out with some pretty basic Axis tubeless-ready Elite Disc rims, and Specialized sealed bearing thru-axle hubs. Prior to the world going into lockdown, Dave “Shoddy” Everett attended an exclusive launch of the new Diverge to learn what it was all about and how it rides. When mated to our full carbon FACT fork, the Diverge Comp E5 becomes a light, lively and versatile bike ready to attack any surface. }; It is not a hardcore, racy gravel bike like Cervelo Aspero, but at the same time, it is not a fully off-road, MTB gravel bike like for example BMC URS. You really can feel confident on a variety of terrains. The head angle is also one-degree slacker (70 degrees) than the rest of the drop-bar range. These offer, in Specialized’s words, “aggressive tread for aggressive riding on aggressive trails”, and that matches the suggested ethos of the EVO nicely. I enjoyed it even more once I got rid of a certain component …. The SWAT box has enough room for a few essential tools or supplies. I’ve slowly come to realise though that a lot of that is down to where I live and the riding on offer. The build is mostly Shimano’s Di2 GRX RX815, but with a Shimano XT 11-42T cassette matched with a 40T 1x chainset. Saddle: Body Geometry Power Sport, steel rails. Sticking with comfort, the Future Shock 2.0 really is ideally suited to gravel. This is easily the bike’s main selling point, and is equally likely to be a drawcard or a turn-off for many, depending on how you feel about the need for a bit of ‘bounce’ up front. The EVO’s also been designed to be 1x specific, where the rest of the range can be chopped-and-changed depending on your preference. Better yet, the boost in tyre clearance has been achieved while retaining compatibility with front shifting (although most models are set up 1x). The down tube is designed to give you the stiffness where you need it with it’s rounder over sized profile. Using fenders, though, does reduce tyre clearance slightly: to a still-generous 700 x 42 or 650B x 47c. Longer and slacker it may be, but Specialized has balanced that with a long 55 mm fork offset across all frame sizes, meaning the rather quick trail figure (61 mm for a 54 cm) is much the same as before. Indeed Specialized hardly touched upon it in the launch event presentation. Available products you may be interested in . The Tracer tyres are superb on rougher terrain — they sure helped get me to some places I wouldn’t have bothered on slightly narrower tyres. As for chainstay length, that’s been lengthened. All Gravel bikes are delivered free to the UK mainland, 365 day returns & Price Match. With a Premium E5 Aluminum frame and the latest Future Shock 2.0 with an adjustable hydraulic damper offering 20mm of travel, the Diverge Expert E5 is uniquely qualified to tackle aggressive trails at high speed. It's fun to ride thanks to a quality frameset and sorted geometry, and the Future Shock tames the bumps for a smooth route across the trails. The Specialized Diverge lineup has seen some major updates for 2021. It provides playful handling and predictable steering for endless dirt skids and mid-corner drifts but keeps stiffness up to snuff for your inner-racer. The Comp E5 still gets a Future Shock headset where the lower two models — the Elite E5 and the Base E5 — don’t. Future Shock 2.0 doesn’t actually lockout but firms up the rebound. Matched with a rear triangle that feels tidily tucked underneath, it makes you want to attack the climbs. On the Diverge the lack of lockout seems far less important. That’s clearly something that the market will dictate, but it certainly looks like something else you can already buy from a different category …. One bike that shreds flowy single track gravel and traditional roads with equal authority. Swap those road tyres out for whatever takes your fancy for off-road duties, and you’ve got a bike that can take on an amazing variety of different surfaces. }(window, document, 'script', On day two we tackled more challenging terrain with the 47 mm Tracer, a bigger volume, knobblier and more off-road orientated tyre. Available products you may be interested in . fbq('track', 'PageView'); There are nine standard models in total and two flat-bar offerings, but more on those later. The question is: who’s this for and is there a market? Around in CycleStore since the beginning, John has a great knowledge of all the action behind the scenes. A more capable road bike won’t cut it. All of that can be slotted into a slim bag that slides into the opening of the frame. From the first gravel section we hit it instantly had me changing my view on the bike. The Comp E5 comes with Shimano’s GRX 810 mechanical groupset, and would seem to be a great little option for those entering the world of gravel bikes for the first time. Code : 290927303316. And here’s some more sweet music: gone is the PF30 bottom bracket while the prodigy child — a 68 mm BSA threaded bottom bracket — has returned. Sure the tyres had been swapped out for the fatter Tracers, but the fore and aft of the post was massively noticeable. Bags of room for up to 700 x 47 mm tyres. A bike that performs equally well over both the dirt and road. £1,999.00. The reach has grown by 13 mm (size 56), increasing the wheelbase by 38 mm. The only real difference between the two is in the components: the Comp gets an SRAM NX 11 / Tektro HD-R290 / Praxis build, and the Expert earns a nicer Shimano XT / Magura MT4 / Praxis build. Gone is the SWAT box that sat at the base of the main triangle above the bottom bracket. When I put down what power I have, the bike picked up speed with ease. It ticks plenty of the boxes I’m looking for in a well-rounded gravel bike. So you’ll find a Shimano Claris 8-speed group set, hassle-free mechanical disc brakes, the fan-favorite Power Sport Saddle and a durable Axis Sport Disc wheel set thats been cased in our fast-rolling 35mm Roadsport tyres with built-in flat protection. View Options & Buy. At the end of the day, it’s just a damn fun bike to ride. Price: US$10,000 / AU$16,000 / £8,899.Frameset price: US$4,200 / AU$6,000 / £3,499. 2021 Diverge Models The new Diverge drops with an army of models. The third iteration of Specialized’s modern-day gravel bike arrives with a plentiful line-up to prove The Big S continues to be more than all-in on drop-bar bikes designed to go places. Hidden away out back, on the underside of the seatstays, the bosses are practically undetectable. !function (f, b, e, v, n, t, s) { When mated to our full carbon FACT fork, the Diverge Comp E5 becomes a light, lively and versatile bike ready to attack any surface. 2021 Specialized Diverge Expert E5 EVO. Brakes are flat mount with the fork designed around larger 160/180 mm rotors instead of the more commonly found 140/160 mm. The Expert model gets a gorgeous paint job in a fetching Gloss Raspberry/Redwood/Black/Chrome/Wild Ferns design, which is well worth checking out. It allows you to hit things faster than you think you actually can. The new Diverge has … Secondly, the two days of riding I did at the Diverge launch turned out to be the last real-world riding I’d do (and have done) in over two months now. There are 11 of them, priced from $1,100 (Diverge E5) to $10,000 (Diverge S-Works). 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