We're adamant believers that you needn't have an elitist's budget to feel like one. Need proof? Take a look at the Diverge E5 Elite.
With a completely redesigned frame, the new Diverge is more capable than ever. And with the constant goal to best meet your needs, we took your number one request into account—tire clearance. The new frame will comfortably fit up to 700x38mm tires with plenty of room for mud, too. Along with tire clearance, weight was a large factor in the development, and taking some design cues from the development of the Roubaix, we developed an E5 Premium Aluminum frame that's plenty light, certainly stiff for hard efforts, and undeniable durable.
Next up, we moved away from a traditional 'cross geometry, instead opting for something that hasn't been seen before—Open Road Geometry. We know what you're thinking, "it's just another marketing term," but for the Diverge, we truly did develop an entirely new geometry. With a touch less hyperbole, 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-centimeter 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.
And while riding gravel and dirt roads on a road bike may add to the adventure, there's only so much that wider tires with lower pressures can absorb, in terms of bumps. With this in mind, we implemented a new version of our Future Shock 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, 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 multi-faceted talents, we topped the new Diverge off with three water bottle mounts, and mounts for racks and fenders,-so while it's one of the most fun bikes you'll ever shred fire roads on, it's equally adept at bike packing, commuting, or even a spin to your local brewery. The frame, meanwhile, is topped off with a Shimano Tiagra groupset, mechanical-disc brakes, and an Axis Sport wheelset.
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