Specialized S-Works Diverge review

The Specialized S-Works Diverge is probably one of the most exclusive gravel bikes on the market. As an innovator, it offers a number of technological features that you won’t find on any other bike. But does that automatically make the Diverge the best gravel all-rounder of 2021? Read on to find out.

A quick overview of this group test: The best gravel bike 2021

Developed as the perfect vehicle to escape the stress of everyday life, Specialized rely on a proprietary suspension system for their S-Works Diverge to generate added comfort and speed. Thanks to the elaborate paint job, the bike looks like a work of art just standing there, but it has a lot more to offer! The Diverge relies on Specialized’s Future Shock 2.0 system, which is integrated into the steerer tube, suspending the entire cockpit of the gravel bike. With up to 20 mm travel, the system’s damping can be adjusted with a flick of the hand by rotating the dial on the top cap of the stem. The Diverge offers clearances for up to 700 x 47C (700 x 42C with mudguards) or 650 x 54B tires. This still leaves 6 mm on both sides of the tires for mud. Thanks to the longer front frame triangle compared to the previous model, you’re unlikely to encounter any toe overlap, even on the smallest frame size! Instead of a hollow tube, the drive side chainstay around the area of the tire is solid. This trick allowed the engineers to keep short 425 mm chainstays while still offering plenty of tire clearance, all without having to drop the chainstay like the OPEN WI.DE. or 3T Exploro.

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Size	49	52	54	56	58	61
Seat tube	390 mm	430 mm	470 mm	500 mm	530 mm	560 mm
Top tube	529 mm	542 mm	558 mm	573 mm	589 mm	605 mm
Head tube	99 mm	104 mm	116 mm	133 mm	159 mm	185 mm
Head angle	70.0°	70.5°	71.3°	71.8°	71.8°	71.8°
Seat angle	74.0°	73.8°	73.5°	73.5°	73.5°	73.5°
Chainstays	425 mm	425 mm	425 mm	425 mm	425 mm	425 mm
BB Drop	80 mm	80 mm	80 mm	80 mm	80 mm	80 mm
Wheelbase	1,019 mm	1,026 mm	1,032 mm	1,042 mm	1,059 mm	1,076 mm
Reach	365 mm	374 mm	383 mm	392 mm	401 mm	410 mm
Stack	571 mm	577 mm	592 mm	610 mm	634 mm	659 mm

If there is such a thing as warp speed gravel, then the S-Works Diverge is ready for it.

Integrated into the downtube, the convenient SWAT box offers storage space for smaller items such as a light jacket, spare tube, mini tool, and a CO2 cartridge. The SWAT box is located under the bottle cage in the down tube and, with a little practice, can even be opened and closed while riding. Stowing things here also makes far more sense than a conventional saddlebag in terms of weight distribution. The spec of the € 10,999 gravel bike is consistently geared towards performance, featuring a 1×12 SRAM RED eTap AXS drivetrain combining an Eagle AXS XX1 rear derailleur, 42 t chainring and 10–50 t cassette. The 50 mm X-Fusion Manic dropper post gets the saddle just far enough out of the line of fire in tricky situations. You also get a pair of 700 x 38C Specialized Pathfinder Pro tires fitted on the Roval Terra CLX wheelset. In size 56, our test bike weighs 8.66 kg.

Lively, agile, direct, precise and yet sufficiently stable on the straights. This is how our test riders unanimously describe the excellently balanced, road bike like handling of the Diverge. Regardless of whether you’re in winding terrain or going through an open high-speed corner, the S-Works responds to rider input with razor-sharp precision and directness, on asphalt and gravel alike.

While this allows experienced gravel fans to play with the terrain, beginners are likely to be overwhelmed, especially when riding downhill as the bike does not forgive any major errors, doing exactly what the rider tells it to. The bike’s direct character is echoed in its light-footed and quick acceleration. The Diverge just seems to want to go, excelling on flat terrain and in the mountains with a very high level of efficiency. The only factors that might limit the speed of this gravel bike are the grip of the tires in very loose terrain or the rider’s skills. The Future Shock 2.0 system offers lots of comfort. However, due to the dropper seat post, the compliance of the rear can’t quite match the front. While there is an imbalance in comfort, it’s nowhere near as pronounced as you might assume. It is impressive how well the rear triangle absorbs impacts without any obvious special damping features. The only real niggle is that the dropper post remote kept coming into contact with our testers’ thumbs while riding, especially as the question of whether you really need one on such a sporty bike will be very personal. The Diverge is more than capable of instilling the rider with confidence even without the dropper post.

Tuning-tip: those who want the best in gravel race performance can save the weight of the dropper seat post and replace it with a conventional one. Otherwise, the build is great as it is.

Conclusion

The Specialized S-Works hits the sweet spot between asphalt and off-road performance. Its liveliness and acceleration remain unmatched in this group test, making it perfect for all ambitious and experienced gravel racers. While the handling is superbly balanced, beginners and more relaxed riders will be overwhelmed by its razor-sharp precision and direct response. Ultimately, it is the more good-natured handling of the OPEN WI.DE. that takes the victory from the S-Works Diverge.

Not sure which gravel bike you should buy? This guide will help you for sure: gravel bike buyers guide.
You wonder what tires to put on your gravel machine? We recently tested the best gravel tires against each other in our gravel tire group test.

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More information here: specialized.com

The testfield:

Get an overview of this group test: The best gravel-bike 2021 – 13 models on review

All bikes on review: 3T Exploro Race EKAR 1X13 (Click for review) | ARC8 Eero (Click for review) | BMC URS 01 ONE (Click for review) | Cannondale Topstone Carbon Lefty 3 (Click for review) | Canyon Grail CF SLX 8 eTap (Click for review) | Fustle Causeway GRX600 (Click for review) | OPEN WI.DE. (Click for review) | Ridley Kanzo Fast (Click for review) | Ritte Satyr (Click for review) | ROSE BACKROAD FORCE ETAP AXS LIMITED (Click for review) | ROSE BACKROAD AL GRX RX600 1X11 (Click for review) | Specialized S-Works Diverge | Trek Checkpoint (Click for review)

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Words: Photos: Valentin Rühl