Getting out on the gravel is a fantastic alternative to road cycling. You can explore the wilderness without fear of cars and drivers, and usually, it's not as technical as mountain biking so you don't have to have the skills of Jolanda Neff to enjoy a couple of hours on your bike.
At Specialized, we’re big fans of getting people on the right bikes for the type of riding they want to do. Whether you’re an aspiring gravel racer, or you just enjoy leaving the road behind, the Specialized Diverge is the ultimate gravel bike. Let’s take a look at why.
At Specialized, we think gravel should be for everyone. It doesn't matter if you're seeking a bit of peace and quiet on the local bridleways or racing a multi-day epic adventure. Gravel riding is open to all types of riders, and that's why we built a bike to complement that.
The Diverge is available for all budgets, from those who want a decent bike to get started with, to a fully race-ready rig. You can also choose between aluminium and carbon fibre frames, depending on your preference. Essentially, the Diverge is a capable bike no matter the groupset or frame material. It adapts to your riding needs and provides an enjoyable ride whatever terrain you take it on.
As well as the sleek frame and the great pricing, the Diverge offers a lot more for gravel riders of all abilities. Firstly, we've designed the new Diverge to incorporate SWAT storage – our well-known integrated storage system, which means you don't need as many bags hanging off your bike. It's easy to store everything from snacks to tools in a sleek frame storage solution.
Secondly, for those who want to go on longer rides and bikepacking adventures, there are plenty of mounting points for luggage. Whether you just want to carry a feed bag on your forks, or a full-on carry everything including the kitchen sink setup for multi-day trips, there are mounting points for all of it.
The Diverge family of bikes is not just built for one type of terrain. We all know that even with our best intentions and route planning, particularly in the UK where bridleways often end suddenly and don't join up, you might have to travel across a variety of terrain on your ride or event. If you're in the Peak District, for example, you'll find plenty of rock gardens, whereas, in Kielder Forest, you might find smoother fire roads and dusty or muddy singletrack.
We've designed the Diverge to be at home on all these types of terrain and more. With our Future Shock technology, for example, we have included 20mm of compliance and a hydraulic damper, suspending the rider, not the bike. This means that you can trust the bike to soften the bumps, without sacrificing any power transfer you may traditionally lose over rough ground. It's also adjustable, so if you switch to smooth tarmac, you can easily adjust it to lockout so you have a more stable ride.
The clever design means that wherever you ride, you can go for longer with less fatigue. We’ve all been on a long descent or tough stretch of road where the bumps and lumps made it hard work to pedal – that’s where Future Shock comes in, taking away the extra effort required to stay stable without affecting the overall handing or agility of the bike.
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The Diverge has plenty of guises, from a full race machine to a more entry-level aluminium bridleway pedaller. But no matter the model, the Diverge is at home on all types of terrain, and with as much speed as you can throw at it. If you want to learn more or experience it for yourself, head to one of our local Specialized Concept Stores where our friendly and knowledgeable team can help you find the right bike for your needs. Click here to find your nearest store.
