Will basically only be riding these on flat gravel roads so I’m leaving towards the diverge because of the 1x and future shock. Canyon seems on the heavier size. Any reason to choose one of these vs the others? $1k for the canyon or $1.1k for the specialized. Open to any feedback!
by PeaMaleficent3803
2 Comments
The SRAM apex 1 drivetrain is a good fit for flat areas because the main weakness of it is the total gear range is not the widest. Flat also means weight is negligible. I prefer not to have the future shock because it is all proprietary design and replacement parts, for handlebar suspension I prefer a replaceable stem like redshift for that reason. Both good options but drivetrain would be biggest factor for me so with your terrain I would pick the Specialized.
I own a 2021 diverge e5 comp and it’s a great bike. The futureshock micro suspension is almost unnoticeable, but I think that’s a good thing. You don’t want to be feeling all the time on small bumps or fine gravel. It’s definitely there though and what you will notice is slightly less hand or wrist pain after long endurance gravel rides. It’s great at taking the bumps from shallow potholes or fine gravel roads, but not very good with anything larger than like a 1-2 inch deep pothole or bigger speedbumps. I have the futureshock 1.5 on mine, it’s a slightly better design than the 1.0 with a replaceable spring and cartridge. If you don’t like the amount of micro suspension, you can throw one of their stiffer springs in there. However, unfortunately, it’s not the 2.0 or 3.0 with an on the fly adjustment knob that you can tighten or loosen. The good thing though is, although it’s an older design, you can upgrade the 1.5 to the 2.0 or even 3.0. The newer versions are backwards compatible with older frames, so parts are very readily available.
Anyways, I would get the Diverge for that reason, but I would get the Grizl if you want slightly better value. It comes with a 2x GRX 400/600 groupset and better wheels. The Diverge doesn’t come with the best wheels if those are the stock axis elite/sport wheels. I replaced mine after just 1 year of riding as I had hub issues in the rear wheel. It’s a known issue if you look around the specialized forums… just something to be mindful of. I don’t think it was a common issue though and most riders have had zero issues with those wheels.