Hi everyone,
I will be buying a new gravel bike soon and I narrowed it down to 2 bikes I have in mind. The Gen 2 Grail, or the Diverge Expert Carbon. I would like to know what other peoples thoughts on comparing the 2. I am having a difficult time deciding which bike is most value for the price. I ride pretty tame gravel trails/roads, but I am not opposed to exploring tougher terrain, I just haven’t found it yet. I linked both the configurations I am debating between. Price different is not much of an issue, just want the best overall bike.
https://www.canyon.com/en-us/gravel-bikes/performance/grail-generation-2/cf-slx/grail-cf-slx-8-axs/3580.html?dwvar_3580_pv_rahmenfarbe=R120_P01
https://www.specialized.com/us/en/diverge-expert-carbon/p/205815?color=336160-205815
Thanks!!
by HeXBoNe
2 Comments
Do you want to do a lot of exploring and climbing or a lot of racing?
The diverge will be great for the exploring and climbing. Diverge group set is SRAM Eagle with a rival crank. Eagle is great for mountain biking
The canyon will be great for the racing. Canyon group set is SRAM Force. Force is great for road
I have the diverge frame on a custom build. Here is my $.02.
1. Storage. Having seen the videos of the canyon storage vs my experience with the swat storage, the swat is better. It’s easier to get the bag in and out of (videos show people struggling a fair bit on the canyon). And, the opening is towards the bottom of the down tube. How easily could you get a dropped bit or co2 canister out of the frame of the canyon?
2. Suspension. I’m in love with the ride i get with the futureshock 2.0. I also have arthritis in my wrist, so that extra damping is vital for me.
3. Cable routing. Routing through the headset looks cool, but us a total pain if you ever have to do maintenance. May not ever effect you.
4. Handlebars. How much are you planning to mount to the bars? The aero bars look cool and are comfy (and functional if you are looking for max aerodynamics), but replacement and accessories are very limited.
6. Gearing. The canyon will have slightly more top speed with the 10 tooth smallest cog. The specialized will climb easier with the larger cassette. This one is up to you, but i will say that at 35 mph downhill, i don’t care that maxed on speed – that’s fast enough. But an easier climb is always welcome.
7. Warranty. Canyon has a 3 year crash replacement warranty allowing you to buy a replacement frame at a heavily discounted price, no specifics given. Then a 6 year warranty on manufacturer defects. Specialized has a lifetime warranty on manufacturer defects and a lifetime discounted replacement for non-warranty failures on frame and fork (i.e. crash) that ranges from 35% under 3 years down to 20% discount over 5 years.
8. LBS support. A good bike shop will work on anything, but having specialists who can get factory parts easily is not to be taken lightly.
To make a broad summation of the bikes, the canyon will get you most places fast. The specialized will get you more places more comfortably, albeit a little slower.
Yes, I’m heavily biased towards the specialized since i own one. But, i bought it after also looking at the canyon and making many of the comparisons i outlined here and came to the conclusion that the specialized was the better buy for me.
Bonus 9. Tire clearance. Canyon clears 46mm in the front and 42mm in the rear. Specialized clears 47mm on 700c and 2.1″ on 650b. Front and rear.