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2018 Men's Diverge Expert

4.8

6 Reviews

If you're like us, the last thing that you want is your bike holding you back from…

Product Details

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If you're like us, the last thing that you want is your bike holding you back from having the ride of your life. If you see rough roads or flowy singletrack, we want you to ride it, not think, "That looks fun, but I can't do it on this bike." We're tired of our fun being restricted, and that's why we developed the new Diverge Expert. Now, you can get out there and not only explore new roads, but entirely new rides—we promise that the bike won't be a limiting factor.

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 700x42mm 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 a FACT 9r carbon frame that's one of the lightest in the category.

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 multifaceted talents, we topped it off with three water bottle mounts, mounts for racks and fenders, and our 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.

The Diverge Expert features a no compromise build, with a full SRAM Force 1 groupset with hydraulic disc brakes, Roval SLX 24 rims laced to DT Swiss 350 hubs, and fast-rolling 700x38mm Trigger Pro tires.

  • The FACT 9r carbon frame features our 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.
  • The lightweight FACT carbon fork is plenty stiff, aiding in handling, rigidity, and an overall light weight.
  • The fast-rolling, 2Bliss Ready Trigger Pro tires are perfect for adventure. The fast-rolling center keeps resistance low on the road, while the shoulder knobs dig into corners in the dirt. And with this 2Bliss Ready design, you're able to run lower pressures for more grip & traction, while all but eliminating the risk of pinch flats.

Technical Specifications

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FRAMESET

FRAME

Specialized FACT 9r carbon, Open Road Geometry, 12x142mm thru-axle, Future Shock Progressive suspension, 20mm of travel, flat mount disc, BB386

WHEELS & TIRES

FRONT WHEEL

Roval SLX 24 Disc, DT Swiss 350 hubs, DT Swiss Competition spokes, 20h

REAR WHEEL

Roval SLX 24 Disc, DT Swiss 350 hubs, DT Swiss Competition spokes, 24h

FRONT TIRE

Specialized Trigger Pro, 60 TPI, 2Bliss Ready, folding bead, 700x38mm

REAR TIRE

Specialized Trigger Pro, 60 TPI, 2Bliss Ready, folding bead, 700x38mm

INNER TUBES

700x28/38mm, 48mm Presta valve w/ extender

COCKPIT

SADDLE

Body Geometry Phenom Comp, Adaptive Edge design, Hollow Cr-Mo rails, 143mm

SEATPOST

S-Works FACT carbon, 20mm offset

SEAT BINDER

Alloy, 31.2mm

HANDLEBARS

Specialized Expert Hover, alloy, 75x125mm

STEM

Specialized, 3D forged alloy, 4-bolt, 7-degree rise

TAPE

S-Wrap w/ Sticky gel

SUSPENSION

FORK

Specialized FACT carbon, flat mount disc, 12x100mm thru-axle

DRIVETRAIN

SHIFT LEVERS

SRAM Force 1 hydraulic, 11-speed

REAR DERAILLEUR

SRAM Force 1, long cage, 11-speed

CASSETTE

SRAM XG 1150, 11-speed, 10-42t

CRANKSET

SRAM Force 1

CHAINRINGS

42T X-Sync

BOTTOM BRACKET

SRAM BB386

CHAIN

KMC X11EL, 11-speed w/ Missing Link™

BRAKES

FRONT BRAKE

SRAM Force, hydraulic disc

REAR BRAKE

SRAM Force, hydraulic disc

ACCESSORIES

PEDALS

Nylon, 105x78x28mm, loose balls w/ reflectors

* Weights based on production painted frames as pictured. Actual weights will vary based on colorway, frame size, and component variation. Specifications are subject to change without notice.

Geometry

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485254565861
Crank Length170mm170mm172.5mm172.5mm175mm175mm
Handlebar Width400mm420mm420mm420mm440mm440mm
Stem Length70mm90mm100mm100mm110mm110mm
Saddle Width143mm143mm143mm143mm143mm143mm
Seatpost Length350mm350mm400mm400mm400mm400mm
Stack569mm574mm592mm613mm639mm662mm
Reach360mm367mm373mm379mm385mm392mm
Head Tube Length108mm128mm155mm178mm90mm95mm
Head Tube Angle70.8°71°71.9°72.5°72.5°72.8°
BB Height265mm265mm265mm265mm265mm265mm
BB Drop85mm85mm85mm85mm85mm85mm
Trail56mm58mm58mm62mm62mm64mm
Fork Length, Full390mm390mm390mm390mm390mm390mm
Fork Rake/Offset50mm50mm50mm50mm55mm55mm
Front Center593mm597mm599mm604mm618mm629mm
Chainstay Length419mm419mm421mm421mm421mm421mm
Wheelbase1004mm1004mm1011mm1025mm1036mm997mm
Top Tube Length, Horizontal524mm532mm549mm561mm575mm589mm
Bike Standover Height704mm726mm752mm776mm801mm815mm
Seat Tube Length405mm440mm473mm500mm525mm555mm
Seat Tube Angle73.5°73.5°73.5°73.5°74°74°
Geometry

Complete Your Ride

Rider Reviews

4.8

6 Reviews

 

The Diverge Expert is a do it all bike!!

The drive train is simple and disc brakes are more stopping power than I need. The R&D folks really put their heads together and got it right with this model. I have ridden more on this bike than on my Roubaix or old aluminum MTB. I bought it as part of an adventure package from Kinetic Cycles in Sacramento. The Diverge alone was fine. I wanted a few fancy bits to make it my own. So I added a pair of ZIPP 303 Firecrest 650b wheels with 47mm WTB Byway tires. I swapped the seat post for the CG-R and changed out the saddle for the RominEVO. To save my knees I installed a 38T Rotor CX1 oval chain ring. This was in preparation for a 65 mile Lost and Found gravel ride in California. I had no problems with the terrain or elevation. I did end up swapping out the Byways for a set of Donnelley MSO with a more appropriate tread pattern for gravel. I put a 50mm in the front and 42mm in the rear. Yes 50mm!! The Diverge just rolled over everything! I am not the fastest but I don't need to be when riding gravel. You just go, go, go..When I get on the road I am, able to keep up with roadies on 700c 25mm/28mm setups. The Diverge expert is a do it all bike...oh wait, I already said that!!


Name:
Amidroc

Helpful?

Excellent touring bike

I replaced a Trek road bike with the Diverge Expert, size 56. Ordered it through a local bike shop. Did a bit of research and came to the conclusion it was either this bike or a Domane SL6 disc. What was more appealing with the Diverge was the simpler drivetrain and the slightly more relaxed geometry. I replaced the original tires with the more road-friendly Roubaix pro 32 mm tires and the phenom saddle with the avatar gel saddle. Also replaced the aluminium hover handlebar with the carbon version. Had the local bike shop replace the original stem with a 24 degree stem for a more upright riding position and shorter reach. The bike is superb on paved roads (smooth and rough) although I haven't tested it on rough gravel roads. The gearing is good but as expected the 1x 11 system has larger jumps in the gears so sometimes finding the right gear is difficult . Not a big deal to me as I ride for exercise and recreation. The lowest gear is more than sufficient for climbing steep hills. After several 25-30 miles rides, I can say this is a very nice bike. It is light, comfortable and very stable. The drivetrain is also very quiet and the disc brakes are strong. The local bike shop installed the stiffest spring in the future shock and I may switch to the medium for harsher roads. I am still searching for a more comfortable saddle for longer rides. Overall, a very nice bike.


Name:
Anand

Helpful?

Excellent choice for dirt roads

I'm generally a roadie and have mountain bikes too for true off road. But I needed a bike that would handle the miles of dirt roads in Vermont and my 23 tires just can't handle that. This gravel bike is perfect for the task and doesn't feel like a ""hybrid"". It handles dirt very well but is also fine for pavement----even with the 38 tires. I like the 1 by gearing for its simplicity and once used to it, the shifting is fine. My only gripe, and it doesn't really matter, is the silly built in carrying case for inner tube, CO2 cylinder, tireiron. First, it won't hold the larger inner tube required for these tires so it must have been designed for smaller tires on other specialized bikes. It's small, it's cheesy and basically non-functional. Took it off and threw it away.


Name:
Mateo

Helpful?

So glad I was able to test ride this bike.

I ride Blacktop, and Gravel 145 miles a week. I needed a bike that could withstand, and provide the comfort, and durability I was looking for with one bike. The Diverge fits that program for me.......


Name:
Kevin

Helpful?

Absolutely love my '18 Diverge Expert

Perfect dirt,gravel, or pavement. Very comfortable, I am going to try some 650b wheels to see how that plays out. The statement of 700c x 42 with plenty of room for mud is misleading though. I have WTB resolute 700c x 42's and there is no clearance for mud. Actually just riding through a mud puddle ended up gouging the chain stays. Other than tire clearance I think the bike is as advertised and I would buy one again. Wish it had e-tap 1x12 and a lightweight set of 650b's.


Name:
Foretexas

Helpful?

Love the new Specialized Diverge Expert in Satin Oak

The bike is soooo light and super perfect. The paint and carbon is lovely. My local authorized dealer MAOB hooked it up in Franklin, TN. Thanks boys! And being 2Bliss is perfect!


Name:
One M.

Helpful?