The last thing that you want is your bike holding you back from having the ride of your life. Fun shouldn't be restricted which is why Specialized have developed the new Diverge Expert x1. Now you can get out there and not only explore new roads but entirely new rides; the bike won't be a limiting factor.
The Diverge is more capable than ever. With the constant goal to best meet your needs, Specialized took your number one request into account - tyre clearance. The new frame will comfortably fit up to 700x42mm (or 650b x 47mm) tyres with plenty of room for mud, too. Along with tyre clearance, weight was a large factor in the development, and taking some design cues from the development of the Roubaix, a FACT 9r carbon frame was developed that’s one of the lightest in its category.
Next up, Specialized moved away from a traditional ‘cross geometry, instead opting for something that hasn’t been seen before - their Open Road Geometry. You can think of it as a road version of modern trail bike geometry. It provides playful handling and predictable steering for endless dirt skids and mid-corner drifts. The geo features a bottom bracket that's over a half-centimetre lower than the previous Diverge, a slacked-out head tube angle, short chainstays, and a short wheelbase. These changes make for a bike that's not only fun in the dirt, but also performs well on the road.
While riding gravel and dirt roads on a road bike may add to the adventure, there’s only so much that wider tyres with lower pressures can absorb, in terms of bumps. With this in mind, a new version of the Future Shock was implemented into the Diverge design. It not only soaks up bumps with ease, but also adds the benefit of extremely predictable handling. That's because the wheelbase isn’t lengthening when you hit a bump, so the front end of the Diverge keeps the same effective head tube angle. In other words, when you dive hard into a turn, you won’t be surprised by under-steer or sloppy handling. Unlike the original Future Shock (found on the Roubaix), the Diverge's version features a progressive spring that makes this technology more suitable for off-road applications, where stiffer suspension is often needed to soak-up larger bumps and obstacles.
To add to its multifaceted talents, the Diverge is topped off with three water bottle mounts, mounts for racks and mudguards, and a Road SWAT™ kit that fits a tube, CO2, CO2 head, valve extender, and money clip. So while it’s one of the most smile-inducing bikes you’ll ever ride, it’s equally adept at commuting or even bikepacking. For the spec, Specialized made a no-compromise build, with a full SRAM Force 1 groupset with hydraulic disc brakes, Roval C38 carbon wheels, and fast-rolling 700x38mm Sawtooth tyres.
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The FACT 9r carbon frame features an adventure-bound Open Road Geometry, Future Shock Progressive suspension with 20mm of travel, and front/rear thru-axles, making it the ultimate tool for your next adventure.
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The lightweight FACT carbon fork is plenty stiff, aiding in handling and a light overall weight.
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Yep, that's right - carbon wheels on an Expert-level bike. The Roval C38 Disc carbon wheels bring performance to the masses. They're lightweight, durable, and ready for your next adventure.