Hi everyone,I’m looking at upgrading,from the base model of the diverge,is the base carbon a good choice,I’m liking the sound of the future shock,and also hydraulic brakes. I don’t know to much about the sram gearset anyone a thoughts on that as well please. Thanks for any advice.
I picked one up in October and have really been enjoying it. The geometry is playful but still compliant. I like the future shock, it isn't noticeable which is a good thing, but definitely takes out a lot of road vibrations. I upgraded to larger tires, 42mm which fit with plenty of clearance. Will probably go up to 45 soon. Also swapped out the bars to Venturemax. Keep in mind the stock bars are risers, but you can add spacers to the future shock (but they are a different diameter than regular steerer). Also the stem is a different diameter, but it comes with a shim that will fit normal stems. I recommend trying to dial in the stem at the LBS as they will have the Specialized ones in stock. My only complaint is SRAM hydrualic brakes. Mine have gotten squishy after only a couple hundred miles. Seems like SRAM hydros have a history of this, and the brake bleeding method is somewhat complicated compared to Shimano. I loved them when the bike was new though.
Also the stock bars are 42 wide, with a bit of flare. Going to wider bars with more flare, especially in the drops, really helped the handling in the rough stuff and I think work better with the geometry.
I think the Base Carbon is a nice option. It was fairly cheap and available. I have since upgraded it considerably. I have had no issues with the future shock 1.5 and appreciate its performance. The Apex group is solid if a bit heavy. I prefer the 1X set up, but you'll have to decide if it's for you. If you want to go with a 2X, it isn't a difficult swap as long as you can find the parts. I also appreciate that the Base Carbon model has a port to install a dropper with internal routing. The only thing I didn't like about the Base Carbon are the stock Axis wheels. They are super flexy and prone to losing tension. I had them in the shop 3 times in 3 months before my i9s came in.
Right now the best bike ability is availability. Good luck.
Causearuckus wrote:Also the stock bars are 42 wide, with a bit of flare. Going to wider bars with more flare, especially in the drops, really helped the handling in the rough stuff and I think work better with the geometry.
Causearuckus wrote:I picked one up in October and have really been enjoying it. The geometry is playful but still compliant. I like the future shock, it isn't noticeable which is a good thing, but definitely takes out a lot of road vibrations. I upgraded to larger tires, 42mm which fit with plenty of clearance. Will probably go up to 45 soon. Also swapped out the bars to Venturemax. Keep in mind the stock bars are risers, but you can add spacers to the future shock (but they are a different diameter than regular steerer). Also the stem is a different diameter, but it comes with a shim that will fit normal stems. I recommend trying to dial in the stem at the LBS as they will have the Specialized ones in stock. My only complaint is SRAM hydrualic brakes. Mine have gotten squishy after only a couple hundred miles. Seems like SRAM hydros have a history of this, and the brake bleeding method is somewhat complicated compared to Shimano. I loved them when the bike was new though.
Thanks for this, do you rate the sram package on this bike,I'm going from a Shimano Claris 2x I've read the sram is only a slight step up in quality,do you feel it's a good groupset as the reviews aren't great but I do like the bike and 1x.👍
I haven't ridden the Diverge (I have a GT Grade) but I have a general thought: From what I understand on the website the base carbon is 1x. If you ride in a hilly region as I do, an upgrade to the next model could be worth considering, giving you 2x and perhaps some good value upgrades besides. I'm using all of the 500%+ range I have with my particular 2x setup and although many will disagree, I'd not manage well with 1x. I spin out my 46x11 too easily as it is, and I'd not like the low cadence climbing steep grades on 40x42. Food for thought and not specific to the bike - if you have a chance to test, even if not a Diverge it might we worth having a go on the 1x gearing to see if it can work for you before choosing.
I can give a little perspective on the 1x. The terrain around me is very short and step climbs and descents. I find I have enough gearing 98% of the time, but occasionally want that extra low gear. I might switch to a 38t chainring and see how that is. I don't worry too much about spinning out on the high end, but if you do lots of road riding and/or like to go fast a double might be the better choice.
Causearuckus wrote:I can give a little perspective on the 1x. The terrain around me is very short and step climbs and descents. I find I have enough gearing 98% of the time, but occasionally want that extra low gear. I might switch to a 38t chainring and see how that is. I don't worry too much about spinning out on the high end, but if you do lots of road riding and/or like to go fast a double might be the better choice.
The riding around me features a lot of short and steep climbs, and I did use a 38 with my 1X to get stronger before moving to a 40. I recently rode with a couple people using doubles and on longer climbs, they pulled away from me, but on really short steep climbs, they tended to lag behind me and often stalled out/spun out and had to walk the rest of the way up. Ideally, I want a set up like my MTB Eagle 12 speed 10/50, but that only seems to be available using AXS, which just now is a bit more than I want to spend. Though, I did see a GX level AXS teased today, so....
I'd also be interested in 10-50, especially with the fitness to have 42 in front and therefore good road descent performance. I don't personally mind the big gaps at the back, at least not as much as I dislike the front shifting and the occasional chain drop. Here's an interesting and well-researched article that talks about mullet options apart from AXS, but none of the options really interested me personally: https://bikepacking.com/gear/guide-to-mullet-drivetrains/ For the time being I'll stay with a 2x setup based on 11-40. With the wider cassette and a larger inner ring there is at least much less front shifting.
