Specialized Diverge STR Gravel Bike Review | Creamy Smooth But EXPENSIVE 🤑

[@hisdadjames4876]

Thanks for such a balanced, objective and fact-based review. Makes such a difference when it isnt sponsored content. 👍

[@bikeradar]

Thanks for the comment! We guarantee that BikeRadar's reviews are 100% independent and will never be for sale. Any sponsored content we do produce will always be marked as such :) Jack

[@Daniel-ux8tx]

I’m over a year now with the Expert STR, it’s extremely comfortable on both dirt & pavement, a high priority for me, very planted & stable downhill on both surfaces, no issues at all with any components, love love love this bike!

[@waelisc]

Nice to get lots of Jack's opinion and not just spec-list overview. Anyway, another example of the US gravel square peg vs the UK gravel round hole? At least where I am, the roads aren't bad enough for it, but the bridlepaths are either greasy mud, where comfort isn't the problem, or are probably too chewed-up and stony for this to make the difference between standing and sitting.

[@robertsonfamilyfarm9126]

What a awesome bike but , like 👍 you said 🎉 the crux for the win ! And in 5- 10-20 years with the crux you still have a bike that’s still awesome and works like it should without trying to fix outdated shocks

[@MozOnBikes]

My top tip as a prior generation diverge owner, save yourself £7000 and just buy a mint a late 90s early 2000s MTB like a Trek Y33, Cannondale Scalpel or even an epic for £300, fit a micro shift Advent X drivetrain and a set of drop bars. Spend the other £7k on holidays and having fun with friends and family . You’ll smoke fools that buy silly stuff like this with a really smug grin to boot!

[@timdixo]

Better option…buy a generic Chinese carbon gravel bike,add a redshift suspension stem,some quality tubeless tyres and you’re done.

[@MozOnBikes]

@@timdixo naa generic Chinese gravel frames are too risky and depreciate like supermarket sushi. With an old mountain bike the cost of entry is low, they are rock solid reliable and way cooler.

[@danielreynolds5012]

Stayed until the bitter end and was delighted by the emotional outburst harking back to videos of old after what was an interesting but tech heavy 12 min video!!

[@danielreynolds5012]

Sorry, 14.5 mins; time flies when you're having fun!!!!

[@bikeradar]

Thanks for watching till the end Daniel! Glad you enjoyed the sign off 😁

[@BennyCornelissen]

I generally like Specialized bikes, and I've owned the previous Diverge (before swapping it for the current Crux). I use my Crux for road, and light to moderate gravel. For rougher stuff, my Epic HT is my go-to. The Diverge STR, to me, is a solution in search of a problem, and then after finding the problem it's the wrong solution. It's easy to knock Specialized for the pricing. The thing is hideously expensive, but knowing Specialized's customer base, there will be people ready to buy these, so apparently pricing is 'business sane'. However, even if you get past the pricing, there's a lot about this bike that is ineffective and even contradicting. 1. Gravel bikes are made to be simple, reliable, and robust: the Diverge STR is far from simple. Whether it turns out to be reliable is anyone's guess, but if you're out bikepacking (or riding the TCR) and the rear suspension craps out, you're done. There's no roadside fixing this, and 'random bike shops' won't have the spare parts you need. In fact, if Specialized insists on its warranty approach for the Future Shock, you're going to be bikeless for days or weeks. 2. The Diverge STR is built on the idea that if a bike is better at accommodating rough terrain, you can take it to places you otherwise couldn't. This doesn't take into account rider skill, which is dangerous. At some point, you need to be able to handle the bike on the terrain you chose to ride on, and once you get to the limits of the 'support systems', unskilled riders will also immediately be at the limits of their skills. I expect some riders to get nasty crashes out of trusting their gravel tractor too much. It's for this very reason that I vastly prefer the Crux to the new Diverge STR for offroad riding: the Crux is demanding and doesn't isolate you from the tracks you're riding, but gives very clear feedback to the rider. It allows me to make a much more informed decision on whether I should ride or walk something 😉 3. The rear suspension makes your seat move in an arc, and that in fact is the whole point of the bike. A crucial part in bike fitting (and also in the Retul process that Specialized advocates for) is putting your butt (actually your pelvis) in the correct location. Saddle height, setback, and tilt are crucial to rider comfort. The rear suspension sacrifices all of those for the purpose of 'protecting your butt from impacts'. You can stay seated for longer. Yes, but you will do so at varying saddle setbacks and tilts as your saddle moves through the arc. This will force your pelvis to rotate more than it should, and over time it may cause friction on the saddle (hey ho saddle sores!), affect your hips (and therefore your knees), your back, etcetera. I feel that if you want to ride rough stuff, there's a few sane approaches in Specialized's lineup: - improve your line choice, riding skill, and core strength. The simplest option to protect your butt from impacts while not compromising your bike fit is learning how to pick a line, and when to lift your butt off the saddle. - if you want a drop bar bike, get the previous (non-STR) Diverge or the Crux depending on how aggressive you want your bike to handle - if you think the Diverge non-STR or Crux are insufficient: maybe consider one of the many (full-suspension) MTB options

[@High_Octane]

you done?

[@cjohnson3836]

Converting an Epic to dropbars (there's multiple ways to do this; some cheap, some not) will give you a far more capable gravel bike that won't be horribly overweight, unless one's local gravel is closer to all-road. But then, if one's gravel is all-road, this Diverge STR isn't the bike either.

[@BennyCornelissen]

@@High_Octane Did I miss anything? 😉

[@BennyCornelissen]

@@cjohnson3836 I haven't done this myself but it seems to be hugely popular among riders that do beach races as well, and I might be tempted to try it if I wanted a monster-gravel-dropbar bike.

[@cjohnson3836]

@@BennyCornelissen Yeah its a niche thing, but then again suspension on a gravel bike is already niche. I've seen some of the sponsored racers do it in gravel races in the US. If one is looking at this diverge str, just go the rest of the way with an epic (or any XC bike).

[@Hintonbro.]

Great review Jack - depending on you BR guys more than ever now that Cycling Tips is kaput

[@bikeradar]

Thanks for watching! There's lots more in depth reviews and fun rides to come 👍👍

[@MG-iv8oo]

bought one. love it. your "floating" analogy is misleading. it takes the edge off but not "soft" or "floaty". would never go back to a rigid frame on gravel. the technology will improve but this will be like rim vs. disc brakes. better control, less thinking, more fun.

[@markburns739]

Wouldn't a Redshift (or something similar) suspension seapost achieve the same thing but at a much cheaper price with less that might go wrong and with a lower weight penalty? Seems like a much simpler and more elegant solution.

[@tarantulasam7609]

Road the redshift and the diverge str. I have a strong preference to redshift. Way cheaper. Similar saddle movement. Highly adjustable. You can get a sram red to the nines Lauf Seigla with a redshift seat post for less money and have a lighter, faster, more responsive bike that will accommodate wider tires.

[@PauloSerra]

I have to agree on that. I prefer the front future shock, as it does not change the lever angle, but the redshift stem is very nice ( I still ride with it). For the rear, I highly prefer the redshift version, as it does not change saddle tilt. Best combo for me would be the previous diverge with front future shock, and stick a redshift seatpost on the back (or the BMC URS, but that's a completely different story).

[@CarsandBikes]

I've had a few STR customers tell me that they extended the life of the rear Future Shock service intervals by installing a suspension seat post, which also made the STR even more comfortable.

[@pl4free]

you can get much better ride-quality from a quick XC-MTB for less than 3.000€. And you'll have much more fun on the rocky terrain shown in the video.

[@trevekneebone369]

Great presentation - thanks 👍

[@NewPolishScientist]

Redshift suspension seatpost costs £200. So you can have it 2.6% of price of specialized

[@pe3117]

Stop crying! You don’t have to buy it! 🤷‍♂️

[@NewPolishScientist]

@@pe3117 I will not able to buy it anyway

[@pe3117]

Definitely my next bike 💨🚴‍♂️ I have a Specialized Turbo Creo SL with the front Future Shock and it works incredible!

[@bikeradar]

If you like the Turbo Creo SL, I expect you'll really enjoy this!

[@chrisvanbuggenum871]

Good to see you Jack! Been too long!

[@bikeradar]

I'm still here! Just plugging away mostly on the site :)

[@letsgo_inc]

Cool bike, could never own it. Simplicity is king

[@Brownie861]

I love the looks! think the suspension on long rides wil be nice too

[@sorinpintilie1110]

Besides the ridiculous pricing, I feel this bike comes in contradiction with everything that defines a gravel bike, witch is supposed to be a simple, mile munching no faff machine. You spend your time fiddling with compression, rebound, etc. not to mention the cost of regular maintenance on all of this...

[@tecnociclista5342]

Frame posts, dampers, rebound speed...if I wanted to deal with this sort of stuff I'd ride a full-suspension MTB...

[@marcgtsr]

A mtb will always be slower on fast terrain. I would never buy this bike. But it's interesting

[@jellyfishsalad5926]

At £7000 they should call it the divorce rather than the diverge.

[@alves81]

lllllllllloooooooolllllllllll

[@ThunderStruckMTB]

If you have to have a frame that has the rear triangle supported by a string, you are sitting down in places that you should be standing.

[@The2808erik]

This suspension does nothing you couldn't achieve with a suspension seat post adds complexity, points of failure and more faffing around with maintaining the thing . . .

[@kbikski]

suspension seatpost has stiction and most change your saddle-to-pedal distance constantly; this does neither

[@The2808erik]

@@kbikski it does change saddle to pedal distance via changing the fore and aft of the saddle.

[@jezza359]

A Boardman ADV 9.4 with the same groupset costs £2650. This means you are effectively paying £4850 for the Specialized name and the suspension. Any discomfort the suspension takes away is put back in by the price tag.

[@cup_and_cone]

This is a very overcomplicated and expensive way to try and replicate a Y2K era Cane Creek Thudbuster...

[@Jacob99174]

Prefer Redshift Shockstop However, we both agree, just not this version

[@StockySnail]

Sounds like if you have enough money for a motorcycle you should consider this bicycle. Sounds like it would take extra time to dial it in. I currently have a Diverge with the 1.5 future shock in front (spring not shock) and love it but would be nice to have something in the rear to soften the blows as well. Not willing to spend $6k more vs what I paid new for my current Diverge though. I'd rather buy another motorcycle at that price. 🤣Why didn't they just do short progressive spring in the rear seat tube like the do with the front? Much cheaper that way.

[@Michael-b6k2u]

With same price, which one better for competitive cycling. S-works diverge or Specialize Diverge STR Pro? Thanks.

[@petayV8]

This bike would good for bike touring or bike packing with long days in the saddle. For anything else I dont get it. Ide personally get a Lauf Grit for half the price and have just as much fun if not more...

[@Monotruco]

I hope one day the mountain bike is invented...

[@r.davies2702]

Nah, not enough money in it for the manufacturer's.

[@PauloSerra]

Nice review on this !! I had a chance to test ride one, and I can say you are spot on on everything (at least to me). The bike itself is nice, but I wouldn't buy one. I am one of those that the change in reach and more noticeable to me, change in saddle tilt, is highly annoying. This feels smooth, but annoying ...

[@jellyfishsalad5926]

So many things to go wrong and require maintenance on new fancy pants bikes these days. You can't beat a fully rigid bike with mechanical shifting and rim brakes for low maintenance and longevity.

[@High_Octane]

or terrible ride quality lol

[@jellyfishsalad5926]

@@High_Octane depending what sort of riding you are doing of course. I just don't think bikes should be discarded after a few years because it's not worth fixing all the broken/ worn out/ obsolete technology. I've got a redshift stem on my gravel bike for improved comfort which if it breaks I can just replace with the stock stem rather than potentially needing to replace a whole frame with a bike like this.

[@High_Octane]

@@jellyfishsalad5926 this is literally the only bike with that potential.

[@fbdtravel2594]

which is the fundamental difference between a trekking bike and a gravel so to change category?

[@nancyosborne-webb646]

Wonderful, low-cost bike. LUDICROUS SPEED!!

[@Zzyyxx22]

I’ve a much simpler 2016 comp DSW diverge. It’d be perfect if it could take wider tyres. For bumpy stuff I have a Chisel.

[@kbikski]

The newer Diverges have much improved 'trail' geo and tire clearance. Not just the STR.

[@miguelangel909]

The price....kills the concept, might as well get a mtb

[@Ew-pc5pk]

Best in the biz at reviewing kinda weird bikes

[@bikeradar]

Kinda weird bikes are my jam 🤙

[@alainpfammatter8224]

I donˋt think this will be a successful bike… First of all it looks terrible and is far to complex and your seat position variies all the time!

[@twatts4436]

Given the bike industry's propensity for recalls in recent years, i am dubious of any system which relies on inherent flex of materials as a suspension setup (beyond normal flex of a solid). I fear things like this will crack at the join in 5+ years with limited support. In theory - should be fine. But i just don't think it will have been suitably tested.

[@yarlon2014]

Can’t imagine the laugh your Specialized dealer has everytime you come in get your whacky, overengineered rear suspension gimmick fixed for 500$ after getting memed out of 7500+$ for an over 3kg rival equiped bike in the first place.

[@LifeCycle1978]

Congrats. You’ve won this months “way to angry over something he has the freedom not to purchase” award.

[@pe3117]

Don’t cry! You don’t have to buy nothing

[@alexdoherty1984]

Cannondale headshox?

[@laszlozoltan5021]

Specialized - built to last a year or so....

[@MrKruucks]

How does the rear future shock compare to the canyon VCLS 2.0 leaf spring style seatpost?

[@bikeradar]

The two are quite hard to compare. The VCLS seatpost helps take the sting out of big bumps and reduces vibrations on buzzy terrain. The Future Shock Rear system has an 'always on' floaty feel that isolates you (not the bike!) from most bumps and lumps. The RedShift ShockStop is probably a closer comparison to the Diverge STR but, even then, it's not quite as active (not necessarily a bad thing - it really depends on how you want your bike to feel).

[@High_Octane]

it's fine and I always wondered why something like that wasn't invented sooner buy an OEM and not aftermarket. It's just ugly which is a bigger turn off than the price.

[@Intrud0r]

Rear shock? No thanks. If I want this I buy a CC Fully.

[@steadster6572]

If you think you need this you're probably actually in the Mtb market.

[@imola8]

sorry, but i believe Specialized is going the completely wrong way with their suspension system. Adding more and more proprietary highly expensive parts for a little suspension effect that could be achieved by a simple supsended seatpost and stem that fits on every bike. This one is definitely not for me.

[@tarantulasam7609]

The diverge str is a joke. I test road it. It was extremely heavy. It felt very sluggish. I did not like it. I like the feel of the redshift seat post more and it is highly adjustable and a fantastic value for money. You also can throw it on just about any bike. You can buy a sram red equipped Lauf Seigla ultimate and toss on a redshift post for less money than this mediocre build. It would be much lighter and can accommodate wider tires.

[@corybrim7524]

I see this exact comment so much that I'm wondering if it's a genuine comment

[@tarantulasam7609]

​@@corybrim7524 If you want a diverge, go get one. They seem to be on clearance everywhere right now. I assure you my comment was sincere. I bought the Lauf and have not looked back. I used it on a WIRAD trip and it handled that trial no problem. Granted I did run 2.2" x 29 tires, which the Lauf can clear.

[@JonReid]

I’ve got a diverge. I hate the future shock. It’s just more complexity, more that can go wrong and it makes the bike feel spongey when sprinting or climbing. The bike would be so much better with a standard headset.

[@bikeradar]

Interesting, thanks for commenting. I personally really vibed with the Future Shock, but also appreciated being able to lock it out to avoid the issues you describe. With hindsight, what gravel bike would you buy today?

[@JonReid]

@@bikeradar I’m partial to a simple, race orientated setup, particularly the Giant Revolt, the Scott Addict or with Specialised, the Crux.

[@Skooteh]

@@JonReid There are many people who prefer the futureshock over a standard headset. Not that your opinion is invalid, but the market for gravel bikes without weird headsets is pretty well served by other companies.

[@JonReid]

@@Skooteh I hear you, but it should be a simple thing on their side to offer both options.

[@Skooteh]

@@JonReid It's kind of complicated to offer multiple similar SKUs. I can understand why they wouldn't bother. I just wish they provided adequate part support for older bikes. I would not trust really any company in the bike industry to support a proprietary system like that in 10 years.

[@johnnnewmex]

The irony of a flex post but no dropper...

[@tomas7403]

🤔 I think it is going to be a commercial feilure.

[@mohamadjamil3164]

I will not buy this bike as well. I will go for crux or simply a mountain bike. Specailized is trying or innovating at the expense of the end user

[@keepinitfloored]

Thx about ready to kick the doors open on my local bike store.

[@docmccoy9813]

Repaint your old mtb frame from the 90s and save a lot of money.

[@chaotictattoo]

Gravel bikes with suspension. Why buy a gravel bike then?

[@danielstorengen4283]

if they put a cover over that rear sus. it would be a horribly bad looking bike...?!

[@JamesZebra]

Companys really are desperate to make things more expensive.

[@PolyglotBikepacker]

Or a mountainbike LOLLLL

[@r.davies2702]

The things they do to try and part us with our cash.

[@calcite84]

Nonsense machine

[@mokotramp]

Christ, and I thought I'd seen it all! Buy an MTB FFS! 🤦

[@PeterPutz82]

🤦‍♂️

[@cjohnson3836]

Specialized is completely missing it. The Crux is too expensive and lacks versatility. Most people don't need a race bike. And this thing is a solution in search of a problem. What is really missing is a carbon tier diverge WITHOUT the Future Shock mess. They have the base aluminum version. Do it in carbon, as well. THAT would the perfect gravel bike.

[@bitchoflivingblah]

3:35 - So it's $7,500 or £7,500 for the base model, yet $14,000 or £13,000 for the high end models. I'm not a maths genius but doesn't this mean that buyers of the base model in the UK are being f'd over to the tune of a whopping £1000. .

[@lincolnlu9869]

Brexit ❤️

[@Andy-co6pn]

Its not a rear suspension system, its a rider suspension system