Dang. Specialized Ruined the Diverge.

[@FirstnameLastname-pe5ib]

Thank you for not being another industry shill! These bikes are becoming absolute gimmicks and it's driving the price of all bikes up with them.

[@hondacota4rt]

Not to mention, every "new" gravel tech is just 90s mtb tech that didn't stick around. I wonder why?

[@TheOnlyKontrol]

Logically think about it this the trend with everything these days. If you listen to a industry shill in todays day and age that’s your problem. I don’t know where y’all be finding these shills

[@FirstnameLastname-pe5ib]

@@hondacota4rt 100%. Have somebody hop on a 650b rigid xc bike with drop bars slapped on and tell him it's the latest and greatest "gravel" bike. Then have him on an "actual" gravel bike. He won't be able to tell the difference. Except when it's time to pay the bill, which will be 2 or more times more. You're not paying for the bike or the part. You're paying for the trend.

[@lukehendrickson3669]

This is why I just bought a Riv lol

[@sepg5084]

@@FirstnameLastname-pe5ib good thing nobody is putting a gun to your head to buy them. I don't buy them so i am not bothered. I've never bought a built bike since i was in high school, i choose what parts go into my bike. There are a lot more bike brands, don't be stuck with mainstream brands. So what if Specialized sells a gimmicky and overpriced bike? Just buy something else.

[@WETHEPEOPLESC]

Couldn’t agree more! As a Giant tech there’s nothing worse than having a 20 year old bike come in needing some proprietary part that they made for 1 year, and they don’t make anymore.

[@janeblogs324]

Like Overdrive?

[@francmeister420]

you just sell them a new bike at that point..

[@tubamonkey1]

Like D shaped seatposts?

[@tubamonkey1]

And mechanical to hydraulic converters. Ugh

[@chrisalto7313]

Man, I respect you. Long-day gravel comfort comes from proper tire pressure and correct fit. Keep bikes simple and solid! I prefer a reliable ride that doesn’t rattle.

[@ohmingfeng9351]

And a redshift stem!

[@tarantulasam7609]

I tested two bikes on Friday the Diverge STR and the Giant Revolt. Loved the Revolt. Hated the Diverge. I road the 8k version (the cheap one 😱) and the price was still terrible for what you got. It’s even uglier in person. The bike was heavy. It felt sluggish. The rear shock thing did not perform as well as my linkage suspension seat post I have on my old Trek XO. You took a dig at Lauf, but got to give the props for building a full carbon bike for less than 3k and their fork, though goofy, needs no maintenance.

[@janeblogs324]

The front suspension also has a great wheel path, unlike a fork

[@williammorris6097]

I built up my second Chinese carbon full suspension mountain bike this past year utilizing a local mechanic's expertise.. It works perfectly just like the last Chinese carbon frame hardtail that I had and raced for 6 years. My new frame only cost $560 plus $200.00 shipping and thats SEVERAL THOUSAND US dollars less than any full suspension xc name brand frame. Obviously, it's a few hundred grams more in weight, and maybe a year to two years behind on geometry, but I've won two of the first three races I've competed on it. My previous Chinese carbon hardtail frame cost $400 and a complete built back then was about $2000 USD. It lasted 7 plus years of racing , about 250-350 kilometers a week of training, a steady monthly or bimonthly racing schedule, and is still going strong , although I don't race it anymore. It's been thrashed and crashed in 46 xc races, brought me nearly a dozen and half wins in my age group, podium places the vast majority of times out, and is still going fine, no cracks or failures. My new build, a full suspension frame, complete with XTR, XT components along with Sid fork and NUDE shock and Chinese lightweight carbon wheels with DT Swiss hubs cost me about $4700 to build. It weighs 10.02 Kilos now after careful purchases of components online. To buy a name brand big name full sus frame xc bike that weighs less than 10.6 kilos (about two pounds MORE than mine) will set you back $9000 or more. Check out the big guys' sites for yourself and prove me wrong. The big name brands are determined to milk the well-to-do and that means only the wealthy can afford great bikes to race with, if you believe the media's hype. The media often sucks from the big name's teets complete with "press release rides" and given bikes to thrash and pass off to other "youtube journalists" to test. These tests have the same jargon being thrown around in every article, complete with "buzzwords like" progressive geometry" "cluttered cockpits" etc, that have exremely little to no significance on the true performance of a bike in the hands of anyone but a few professionals. one to three degrees of headtube angel is sen as "revolutionary" and touted as a "MUST have" to make the bike "competitive" (ThIs gain is often offset in reality , by the fact that that bike with a slacker headtube angle equtes into a longer wheelbase, and will turn more slowly and require more ground to do so in tightly taped off parts of a race course, or in tighter spaced trees, or thru rock gardens that require changing lines quickly.) It insures that the journalists will have something to yap about and stop short of any strong or unique critisism in fear of not getting new bikes and parts to test in the near futue. Don't believe me? I've been living long enough to see it in the offroad motorcycle industry over 30 years ago of which i was an active part, racing and briefly being a sponsored racer. A magazine called "Dirt Bike" had a chief editer nicknamed Superhunky" more than 35 years ago, who was "no holds barred" type journalist said truths about tests that made the manufacturers cringe on some of their creations, and then the tactics changed to who got to be invited to "releases" and tests and who received free bikes to test on their own. Superhunky was left out in the cold by the indurstry ,but had many thousands of followers of dirt bike enthusiasts in his corner. I lived in north Thailand for 7 years and raced xc mountain bikes there for more than 5 years of that time and saw many Chinese brand carbon frames working perfectly for nationally ranked Thai, riders there, and people like myself who were very competetive within their age groups. These frames didn't have failures like the big name companies want you to believe . In the years I lived there, I never saw a carbon frame fail during races, or on rides with friends. Early on, like in 2014, I only rode one that was inferior to others in terms of riding performance, not strength. I'm talking about xc bike frames here. I don't think it's in the best interest of the sport to keep the insane trend of increasing the prices of these bikes just to insure brick and morter shops bearing a certain big name brand" existance. There's a new industry of "mobile mechanics" springing up, so you can still get service if you really need it. I personally don't like "elitist " sports pursuits, and racing a bicycle shouldn't only be competitive only for the wealthier of society. There is a growing number of people discovering that cheaper frames which give little or no downside can be bought at a fraction of the cost mainstream manufacturers are demanding. The kids of the future shouldnt feel like they' have to depend on their parents buying them a $9000, $10000 or more expensive bike to be able to compete at local and state championship races with wealtier families who can pull the trigger for any bike for their kid or for themselves. It Thailand , they don't fall for this. I see many young and older riders doing quite well on Chinese no name brand frames. Chinese carbon frames are a legitimate alternative on the xc scene and some other gendres of competition. I'd encourage people to explore alternatives and have the personal satisfaction of buying parts and building or having someone build for them their own "custom" bike that will perform just fine on any level of competition they wish to persue.

[@jpdocumentary]

such a thorough review for a bike you haven't ridden. being offended at stuff is fun!

[@lunam7249]

$14000 usd for a sworks bike that a 1985 vintage bike would beat at speed for $300....i dont need to ride a $14000 POS just to know it smells!!

[@boof76yt]

More, more, MORE like this please. Could listen to this real talk all day. Thank you!!!

[@DebonairOnline]

You reviewed the 2018 Diverge E5 (aluminum with no Future Shock). I went and bought that same affordable ($1100) bike after that video. The classic Diverge is still offered in aluminum and with no Future Shock, and Future Shock only versions. So IMO the Diverge is not quite ruined, they just added a higher end/priced model with bells and whistles you don't want/need/like. But the original bike (3rd gen at this point) is still available.

[@Donovangulya]

That’s what Poseidon nailed on their bikes simple, cheap, and super capable for the price.

[@EricRidesDirt]

As someone who races a Lauf I also think the fork is a bit of a gimic. I only got a Lauf because I needed a gravel bike when the bike industry had nothing in stock so I got whatever I could reasonably find.

[@bodilidily]

If I had a million dollars I’d still rather buy something beat up on eBay and sink my money into that.

[@johnbrann75]

Ride Reasonably Priced Bikes. I have a coffee mug with that on it. They are wise words that I live by.

[@KwadSkwad]

i agree the lauf isn’t pretty but man, once you descend on one.. you’ll get it. but the price also isn’t mortgage level. the diverge was a hard sell because cane creek seat posts exist for less than $300. $14k is solidly exclusively dentist price.

[@MtKrybnik13]

Future Shock in Roubiax is really cool thing... for my 65 y.o. dad. Seriously he likes this thing and he decided to bought his first road bike since 90's just because future shock gave him a bit of comfort on-road, that he getting on his XC full suspension bike off-road. So IMHO FS is quite acceptable thing, especially for older riders or newbies. I'm 32 and I've spent around 15 years on top spec road and XC bikes and I don't need it. But this thing? It's basically messing up with bikes geometry, I'm die hard full suspension XC bike rider, and non of my FS bikes changes the position of the sadle related to crankset position. Totally disaster.

[@anthonywalters7434]

I gave up on Specialized in 2019 when I bent the cranks on my Rockhopper and when I sent in a warranty claim for them it was immediately denied. I literally hit a 3 foot drop and they buckled.

[@pogingbryannorway]

So the bring back the cannondale headshok and to avoid patent issue the place it over the head tube.

[@erikhilsinger9421]

Do you remember the Slingshot mountain bike frame? It had like a suspension bridge cable that was supposed to absorb the shocks of the trail. I have never seen one in real life but the pictures in my 1980s mountain biking manual are LIT>if you're a civil engineer or something.

[@maritimezombie7684]

hard to justify these gimmicks when Redshift has options on amazon to give you just as much suspension for a fraction of a cost and it fits ALL bikes!

[@stuartpotter4923]

It's a new Spindatt Monday Moan .... and I'm so here for it!!! Totally agree with everything you say dude. 100%

[@adamabbas8876]

Loved the diverge geo, hate the future shock. Mine broke after a year, they basically couldn't fix it.

[@owenmason2002]

I really dig this style of content, feel free to talk and sit more often

[@dcouture79]

“It looks incomplete”. Perfect description and I absolutely agree.

[@sccxvelo]

Feel the same with routing cables and housing through stem/ head tube. Just waiting for a problem to break the frame/ fork and a fixing nightmare.

[@dangyang3631]

I have a 2018 Diverge (one of the entry level models) and while I love that bike, I could never afford nor could ever imagine being able to afford anything near the S-Works model. Thanks for your opinion about the new model. I haven’t formed an opinion about these changes yet, but your thoughts are helpful and informative.

[@phenofinder9145]

Scam works. That's what the s works stands for

[@holben27]

It's especially weird since steel was always compliant and vibration absorbing but that was considered a bad thing so we went to ultra stiff bikes and now... we're adding compliance lol...

[@skipfantry5059]

There is still the Diverge Evo - flat-bar and future-shock enabled but ditchable. I am finding it not quite slack enough, but one of the best 'gravel' category all-purpose rides

[@bootsauce47]

Funny, I just read what the term is called when your eye starts to like something. It’s called ”The mere exposure effect" or ”familiar principle”. That being said I just recently bought my dream gravel bike a Bombtrack Hook EXT slapped a Cane Creek eesilk+ seat post and I’m calling it a day.

[@MozOnBikes]

The next step in gravel marketing bollocks is the return of the Unified Rear Triangle suspension. Actually thinking about it a something like Trek Y bike built into a monster cross with drop bars could be a pretty cool experiment…🧐

[@sdq605]

I'm on my second A.W.O.L. Comp and it fits 2.1"tyres no problem, so thats about 50mm of cush for $12k less.

[@benspeedschannel888]

Proof if proof were needed that the cycle industry has become a joke, gimmickry and bs just to extort the highest amount possible from marks with too much money. Makes me sick! Keep on keeping it real Eric, you’re a star!

[@f1hotrod527]

I had a 2017 Diverge. The cool black see through paint. I was disappointed when the 2018 came out and had the future shock and could fit wider tires. Maybe I should not have been disappointed. The 2017 and older frames were very beautiful. Some people did not like how the top tube flowed into the seat stays. I though it looked awesome.

[@mmontgomeryy]

You could really just get a suspension seat post and stem, and get most (if not more) of the benefits those Specialized systems will bring.

[@tarantulasam7609]

I have the RedShift suspension seat post. It’s performance feels better to me than the Diverge set up. I tested the Diverge on Friday.

[@RLSteffler]

Even if you got a Cane Creek seatpost it's still only a few hundred dollars

[@rdub-yah3880]

Anyone else think that seat post and saddle moving backwards and forwards constantly is a recipe for next level saddle sores?

[@batchmotors]

Yeah, the way your body is interacting with the bike is constantly changing

[@blacktrucksfly]

your body would be moving with it, it wouldn't be sliding against you.

[@rdub-yah3880]

@@blacktrucksfly I see what you are saying, but with that design the saddle movement will be in an arc. Not linear. This means when the post flexes backwards and forwards the nose of the saddle will raise and fall between your legs, probably only a few mm or so but enough to create friction, and friction is the number 1 cause of saddle sores.

[@rdub-yah3880]

@RollinRat I completely agree. A telescopic suspension seatpost is a far better, not to mention cheap, solution (IMO). A bad saddle fit and poor position both result in friction 😉, I'm not really an expert on dirty bums though 😂

[@johndef5075]

And if you stay level the saddle is crushing your....

[@DangerAmbrose]

That bike is people who want to win races. I'm happy with my Tommaso Sentiero.

[@davidbierbaum4881]

Hmm. Since your shed costs that much, does it at least have suspension post foundations? Imagine the squishy squishy bouncy base of your shed! You could call it your "Bounce Box"😇

[@maxwellcunningham8908]

I disagree with your point about the lauf fork they're so nice especially for long endurance rides like while bikepacking

[@Gravelmisfit_]

Love the videos man. I agree 100% with you. I ride a rondo ruut gravel and it works beautifully without all those ugly shocks etc.

[@jordanwatson5952]

I read the title and liked this video within the first few seconds!

[@TheBikeSauce]

Dude! Such a great video.

[@litespeed65]

Thank you for the rational point of view- Agree 100%

[@SubGMM]

I'm still rocking a 2015 Diverge expert same as that first picture you showed. Put some roval carbon wheels on it, and a bunch of light stuff. I love freestyling with it, super strong stiff fork and frame is bullet proof. These new bikes make me love mine even more. Only pain was converting the 15mm front axle to 12mm.

[@drifterdogs]

That's a lot of boing! I have a Cannondale with a soggy headshock and that's what it reminds me of. I need to fix that... Although I'm very very much interested in companies going after the KIS system. That seems better than a knock block imo. not HUGE but something that can help beginners IMMENSLY

[@stuartdilts2729]

I have a Comp E5 with the suspension stem, and it does make a big difference in comfort. It smooths out stuff like small washboards, and it could be useful to have on the back. However, a carbon seatpost and more supple tires/tire clearance might just make up the difference. On my Diverge, I run into issues with the relatively narrow tires far before chatter from the rear wheel makes things uncomfortable or unrideable. It might shave a second or too off of a race time, but that's not why most people bike, and hardly any of them will be able to afford this.

[@rayF4rio]

Just started looking at a gravel bike, and so far only the Argon 18 Dark Matter has my attention.

[@scotthughes29]

I’ve got a 2016 Diverge, and I absolutely love it. Swiss Army knife of a bike. Before they changed it. Great bike! Of course it’s Gallardo orange, and who doesn’t like saying GUY YARD OH?

[@MW-ud8zp]

100% agree

[@HD46409]

In fairness to Lauf. They are pretty reasonable when you buy the whole bike and there is no maintenance. Combine the bike with an ergon seatpost and you have a reasonable amount of vibration damping without any real maintenance. The diverge thing seems like a maintenance nightmare and it's going to be proprietary so it's going to be a total PITA in a few years to maintain. I'm also betting that there are special tools. So yeah good fun.....

[@egutzait]

I have a Topstone and a Lauf (laugh all you want it's actually really nice to ride) and I got the chance to ride the new Diverge. The Lauf is comfortable and the steering is a touch nervous and the position is aggressive and it's actually pretty responsive, although my one criticism is that I don't feel I could really put a ton of power through it in a sprint or on a steep climb because the front will bounce a bit. The new diverge in comparison feels EXTREMELY sluggish and unresponsive to ride, it felt like I was riding through pudding and I had to put in more effort to steer and maneuver than it should.

[@DEXVD]

What are the modern equivalents of that pre-2018 Diverge? Are most fully rigid gravel bikes of today in the same wheelhouse now, with maybe superior tire clearance? My next gravel bike will likely prioritize Cross, so maybe a Crux but stuff like the Szepter is interesting too.

[@billromano5844]

Yeah. So irritating. Couldn’t agree more. All I ever wanted was my road bike to have clearance for wide tires. The bike industry can’t rest on that bed of laurels. They have to take it to the extreme conclusion. Internalized, electrified, full sus, aero. I just traded my 21 E5 Elite Diverge which is good because it is rigid and has incredible clearances. But the cables were still semi internal and I wanted to get away from hydros, internal headset and thru axles. So I traded it for a 2012 Salsa Vaya Ti. This bike has the clearances and I can work on it and replace everything on it without pulling my hair out!

[@monteman59]

I have a Lauf True grit , it’s not about the look it’s about function, and no maintenance ride on 😂

[@_MrSnrub]

Thanks, I hate it.

[@joshlock925]

Was about to comment asking your thoughts on the lauf forks.. then you go and tell me. Agree with your thoughts mate

[@WalkerBikes]

I like this video format every once in awhile....Monday "Spin-chats"? On new occasionally? Lol

[@WalkerBikes]

I have a 2019 Diverge and I totally agree...it changed the main reason I like the bike...being that it's SUPER simplistic and just works....I'm not against innovation, but there is no way in 5 years that will have stuck around.

[@mazditzo]

haha nice points, diverge is one of my dream bike, but not the suspension thingy line up. I hate specialized proprietary compo

[@fernandocol9728]

Well, I loved it! mainly because here in Brazil it costs three times more, our income is three times smaller, so it makes people feel even richer than they really are (not)! I would change some things, though! I would put flat bars on it, a little more travel (around 100, 120 mm) , bigger rotors and fatter tires. This would make the already great concept of gravel bikes even greater!

[@billromano5844]

Sounds like MTB to me! 👍

[@dvs620]

I'm about 90% confident you're joking about turning this into a full sus XC bike. But this is the internet, so...

[@MW-ud8zp]

This is esentially an overengineered suspension seatpost. Its not even real suspension. It doesn't affect the rear wheel at all.

[@stephenfitzmaurice3528]

I have the 2022 diverge pro and love it. I know the future shock is a bit weird and overly complicated to some people, but with 700x47mm tires and the future shock, I am way more comfortable riding light single track than I was on a fully rigid gravel bike with 50mm tires. I also work at a bike shop and get great discounts on these bikes or else I couldn't afford them. I do think that this new STR generation took a step in the wrong direction. I think this may be a huge flop for them.

[@WordupG]

People are flocking here to praise Spindatt for being brave and going against the grain. I’m gonna praise you for doing the same thing in this comment section. Seems like almost everyone here is blindly blasting on Diverges simply because their opinion-leader says so. It’s pretty funny actually. How many have actually ridden a FutureShock? Probably very few. I have to agree with you, the FS does make the front end feel better for a lot of riding conditions. I only have it on a Roubaix but I consider it an upgrade over any similar bike without it.

[@zptro6316]

Idk if gravel bikes really need mechanical suspension. I'd rather see them engineer compliance into apparently rigid frames. Or just use steel, lol I once had a bianchi san jose. It was marketed as a steel CX bike. Today it would be a gravel bike. On gravel it had this magical humming springy sensation where the wheels were glued to to the ground. For sure the fork was compliant, as was the rear triangle if you sprinted. But it was great to ride

[@jesuscruz836]

Totally in your camp on this one.

[@TryboBike]

My opinion is that: if you want suspension, commit to it! 4 bar rear, telescopic front and suspend the rider fully.

[@kimrice394]

High percentage of gravel racers are 40-50, high percentage of gravel races are ultra distance. The suspension service interval will be at least 25-30hrs😜 It’ll be fine.

[@pizzapie4me]

They do make a non-silly-seatpost version. Still has the future shock, but not as ridiculous. 🤷‍♀️

[@benspeedschannel888]

I’m sure Specialized drew the concept for this frame in 1991, gave it up as a bad job, then recently rediscovered the drawings a few months ago and thought “people are stupid enough to buy this now” I give up 😡

[@dj_ath]

If I was specialized I would be looking on manufacturing bikes outside of Taiwan. If war pops off the biking industry will suffer huge shortages on parts and bikes

[@frankhammond9909]

Nice rant! I agree 150%.

[@Hubertalcala]

I am totally with you! I own a 2022 diverge with no future shock, and I’m happy and satisfied. It’s stupid and it’s dumb. New subscriber from Chicago😎

[@veloaa-montreal6924]

Thanks for speaking my mind! It's the same with the future shock, you can get it on the moderately expensive bikes but you have to drop the big cash if you want the fully adjustable version. I really like my 2016 Diverge Aluminum because it fits 32s, maybe 35s, it's just a basic all-road bike that does it well. I'm of the opinion that if you really truly need suspension and huge tires then an XC mountain bike will probably be the best bike anyway, but Specialized can't sell you a bike you already have can they?

[@Zzyyxx22]

Had a quick look and Service interval on the future shock looks to be every 500 hours and to cost about $250 assuming in needs the cartridge replaced. If the rear shock is similar in cost time then you’re into the bike for $750 - $1000 every year or two as go thru discs/pads/chains/tyres etc I own a 2016 diverge DSW comp (the silver one that’s pretty much the same as rawnstercross but with some red bits) she would be perfect if she could take wider tyres. Max is 38/35c

[@ben24763]

Eh. Outside of pro mountain biking, most suspensions are NEVER serviced, no matter what mfg says. So the real question is, how does it hold up to that reality of no service? I am sure the 14k S Works dentist buyers will service their shocks, but when the tech comes to the lower end... Nah.

[@neilk22]

Price and design opinions set aside, im amazed that the specialized factory riders still prefer to ride the big gravel events with the crux.

[@siTTinLo]

I agree that that squishy head tube shock thing is silly however I bet that if you were to actually ride one of the bikes with the flexy seatpost on a Long (100mi +) gravel ride, and then rode back on another bike that didn’t have the flexy seatpost, I bet you would really see the benefit. But I fully agree about that head shock thing, that sucks and these prices have Been out of hand for a long time.

[@1969Rake]

There was a name we used back in the day for riders that put down the new tech. We called them "Retro Grouch". I was, am, and always will be a Retro Grouch!

[@knellotron]

They're not taking away the old models. The Diverge STR is a spinoff, and they're still making the regular Diverge. If you want something even simpler, there's the Crux.

[@lincolnlu9869]

6:30 ish, you're talking about the mere exposure effect. The more we're exposed to something the more positive associations we have for it.

[@LeandroCoelho3]

It's so strange that they decided to go down that route. We saw trek get rid o the ISO speed and I think this will not catch on. I would love to see an alloy version of the Crux, that for me is an extremely good looking bike

[@kristiandawe85]

Give a fully rigid frame made from aluminum or carbon, no funny future shock garbage or suspension crap, I just see it as headache, I like to tinker with my bikes and change them up often, this future shock when it came out always seemed like a dumb idea that would cause more headaches than its worth, I want my bikes to have standard size components like 27.2 seat posts. 31.8 bars, 1-1/8 steering tubes, quick release or thru-axel wheels. I don’t even really like disc brakes simply because sometimes they are a bother to service. I feel like Specialized made a bike for a wealthy person such as a doctor or dentist who feels they want to get into cycling and will buy anything they are told is good and is stupidly expensive

[@Hintonbro.]

Future shock : Form is bad Function is fantastic

[@AverageBensCycling]

So happy I got a sequoia before they killed that line. This new diverge is ridiculous.

[@lunam7249]

VINTAGE...VINTAGE...VINTAGE!!! 1000% performance at 10% the price!!!!

[@johnnydoe66]

I understand the premise of isolating the rider from road "buzz", but I cannot wrap my brain around prices that are equivalent to a motorcycle.......who the f#@k pays this much and why?

[@123moof]

Can’t agree more. It is hard to see what this solves that a $300 suspension seatpost and a $200 suspension stem doesn’t. Or really just put a little larger and lower pressure tires onto almost any gravel bike with good clearance. Best of all, you can swap all three of these out to go back to nearly a road bike setup and looks as desired. The fugly-ness of this will never go away, though parts availability will. In general I find that most of the gravel category doesn’t offer my much that my ‘97 Gary Fisher doesn’t, at least once I got better handlebars setup to my liking. Well, other than about a 10 lb weight savings. And a clutch. And disc brakes. Oh nevermind…

[@underbikedoverconfident1142]

This cycle (pun intended) the bike industry has got into with its anti consumer proprietary weird standards is getting more ridiculous not less. Good look finding spare parts in 5 years for half this stuff. Also, cables through the headset can F right off.

[@ByronWWW]

Kind of confused - specialized market this future shock as "suspending the rider rather than the bike" - does it actually function as suspension (which is normally there to keep your wheels in contact with the dirt and/or absorb impacts) or is it just to make it feel a bit more comfortable? I'm looking at pictures and this seems to be there just there to allow the seatpost to move back and forth while your handlebars are going up and down - seems incredibly over engineered for that?

[@peteo3436]

I can't believe you slagged off the Softride! You must have personal experience with them 😁 Soooo bad

[@dvs620]

Congrats. First gravel bikes were drop bar 90 mountain bikes. "But they're faster on climbs and fire roads than a hardtail." Okay. Now, they're crappy full suspension XC bikes. And they've probably narrowed the speed gap between the two. They're literally making crappy mountain bikes, slapping drop bars on them and jacking up the price. I could see the appeal of gravel bikes initially. But the more "advanced" they get, the more I keep saying to myself, "Get a full sus XC bike or a hardtail."

[@lunam7249]

yep...they blurred the line...and now its all the same paint mixed up in a can....yuck!!

[@strangemobius]

Hey now, Softride is awesome. And at least Lauf is charging a relatively decent, non-bonkers amount for their fork tech (less for the top end spec of their gravel race bike than the lowest end spec of the new Diverge)

[@teddgram]

I can't believe they are still pushing that Future Shock. I rode a mountain bike with an air fork for 7 years before getting a gravel bike with a rigid fork, and honestly I don't feel like the ride quality has suffered that much. That's saying a lot since my MTB has a 100mm travel and the Future Shock travel is only 20mm travel.

[@byrondixon4648]

Really like this format occasionally. $14,000 USD is just bonkers! I'd be able to buy a whole fleet of bikes for that... Fast light road bike, training road bike, carbon gravel bike and go to the shops cheap bike. I ended up selling my 2020 Diverge E5 Comp because of the future shock. At least once every ride it's nice to get out of the saddle and do an effort. The future shock didn't feel good at these times.

[@dougfromsoanierana]

Or you could buy one nice road bike and travel to a few iconic spots to ride it.

[@byrondixon4648]

@@dougfromsoanierana so many things one could do instead of buying one overpriced gravel bike

[@cd0u50c9]

Half way through the video - just yes, like! As a bike tinkerer myself I like a simple straight tubed frame, steel/alloy, exposed cables, no gimmicks - the simpler the bike the more you can do with it! I saw a video a while back which puts gravel bikes as the real successors of the 1990s hardtails, which had little suspension and made rides fun - that's what a non-suspension (i.e. a normal) gravel bike is - fun! All this dampening just dampens the fun and loses the point of a gravel ride/bike.

[@SebaJimenezZ]

Let me say one or two things First of all, money aside, the performance of the bike is smooth, like the diverge we know, added a “thing”. The rear FS is really comfortable, and could be a main thing if you have a road bike packing like 1000 kms. Second. Complete agree about the future of the future shock. We don’t know how much time Specilized is going to support and response in case of mechanical issues or problems Third. The looking. I really love the look of the complete black diverge expert. But, is just a personal opinion. I see a lot of videos, probably the entire web about the new diverge. And always the main problem is the money. Probably one or two videos said something about the performance.

[@yuri_on_youtube]

I'm glad I'm not alone in that opinion. Also, reminds me of Cannondale's Headshok from the 90s with the stem knob. Aesthetically, not a fan.

[@jonrogersuk]

OG Diverge owner here, I agree. I wouldn't go near the new Diverge, I just don't have the wallet or patience for gimmicks.

[@AdamGoodson]

I was looking at the price for a diverge a few days ago and thought to myself, “If I had $14k to spend on exercise and outdoor activities, I would probably by a bunch of lower end stuff. As in a Cheap Ford Fiesta, a Bike Rack for my Ford Fiesta and a Beat Up Gravel Bike on Offer Up and still have money for gas, food and beer. Why spend $14k on it? Why buy a gravel bike with so many components that need more maintenance? It is more of a Mercedes Benz that has to have special oil change techs and upsell pitches on the new air filter and such. It all adds up.

[@nouvadevor9518]

Product designer here, I study history the of the market, this "New amazing tech that won't stick and will fall to obscurity" is nothing new, it has always happend and people have always complained about it, but sometimes some of this tech changes and comeback.

[@johndef5075]

A suspension seatpost is a better design than this. And your saddle angle wont change as it flexes like this wankery will.

[@billromano5844]

"Wankery"! 👍

[@DaveCM]

Specialized excuse is a suspension seat post changes peddling dynamics as the seat moves up and down. But, they are changing it too. Granted, leg extension stays the same, but other factors are changing. Including reach.

[@johndef5075]

@@DaveCM good point. Another review pointed out the saddle coming up into the jewels every time it flexes😅

[@ksduathlete]

I do have a lauf. I don’t really even notice the fork anymore . I also have an Ican gravel bike. It looks badass. I know what you mean about something ugly can become cool. When I was a kid there was a GT Bmx bike with a built in bashgaurd. It was so damn ugly. Now I would love to have one. Also I bought my Lauf a used demo bike. I also built my Ican for about $1200. I will never spend over $2500 for a bike and to me that is a ton of money! I totally agree with everything you said …and yes these frames with extra suspension will need to be serviced . Probably won’t be able to even get parts 10 years from now . I’m just an old Budweiser man . I’m not the doctor / lawyer/ dentist who can throw 14k at a bike and even if I had the money it wouldn’t make sense ..

[@ctucker6701]

Specialized has lost their minds. Good video, completely agree.

[@smup2I]

Really interested in Mr. Nohlin's honest opinion 😂 S should just bring back the Sequoia 😕

[@rossbodenmann]

It's like the early nineties all over again