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First Look! All-New 2021 Specialized Diverge gravel bike with Future Shock 2.0

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When Specialized released the original Diverge in 2014, and updated it in 2017, they set themselves a lofty goal: Make a bike that can handle pavement, flowy singletrack, gravelly roads and everything in between.

Huh? I’m not an engineer but I do have enough cycling experience to understand that a “do-it-all” bike usually has a trade-off or two somewhere. I’m the sort of bloke who would rather have a bicycle perfect for one job versus a Jack and Jill of all trades, because I don’t like making compromises.

With that said, having ridden Diverge 1.0 on a few occasions, I can attest that Specialized did a pretty fine job of checking / ticking all of those “do-it-all” boxes. That bike even went as far as to incorporate suspension beneath the stem with Future Shock 1.0, that didn’t cost a ton of weight, or have the rider bobbing all over the place and diving forward whilst braking.

But now, there’s an all-new Diverge frame and fork, and an upgraded Future Shock. And it’s a lot better. Here’s everything you need to know…

From whence it came…

Specialized had the moniker “Innovate or Die” floating around a few years ago, and considering how fast bike designs for the road less traveled have progressed lately, it doesn’t pay to sit around on one’s hands.

Little known fact, especially those newer to cycling. Specialized is not new to gravel riding, they released a bike way back in 1989 that was a mix of a mountain bike and road bike known as the Rock Combo. It was essentially a 26″ wheeled mountain bike with a flared drop handlebar, 7-speed bar-end shifters and hardpack tyres, a precursor to much of what we see today. You can see a little of that bike in the video above.

Moving forward to 2020, Specialized thought now was a good time to innovate and returned to the drawing board for Version 2 of the Diverge. Quite a lot has changed…

2021 Specialized Diverge Carbon with Future Shock 2.0

Specialized Diverge Expert with Shimano GRX Di2 1x

Specialized is committed to suspending the rider and has been doing this since the early 1990’s with their first full-suspension FSR mountain bike design through to the CG-R micro-suspension seatpost. We’ve even seen a really interesting if impractical suspension dropout concept from them.

They believe suspension provides benefits such as enhanced control, traction, performance, rider comfort and so on, principles we’ve all seen applied in high-performance motorsports.

To that end, the new Diverge gets Version 2 of the Future Shock at the front of the bike, an axial compliance suspension design, that places the suspension at the top of the headtube, beneath the stem. Specialized believes this design is the most efficient because it is unaffected by pedaling, versus suspension positioned beneath the headtube.

Specialized launched Future Shock 1.0 in 2016, originally designed to tame the cobblestones of Paris Roubaix, and quickly added it to the next Diverge.

For Future Shock 2.0, Specialized worked with their sponsored road teams to add more control over the suspension, and got it up and running in prototype form in 2017, which ultimately was seen on Peter Sagan’s Paris Roubaix bike that year.

They made changes related to tuning, adjustability and spring rate, and added hydraulic damping to give you more control over its motion. Naturally, this new bike gets the latest Future Shock 2.0, putting the damping adjustment knob front and center:

That soaks up the bumps, but the biggest changes are in geometry. Ride quality has been improved thanks to big changes here – the 2021 Diverge is longer and slacker.

Up front is a slightly slacker headtube, a slightly different fork offset, longer reach and a shorter cockpit. In a 56cm frame, reach has been increased by about 13mm, and combined with a slacker head angle and ~5mm more fork offset. This puts the front wheel out about 30mm farther, which aids in high speed stability. That extra distance is countered by a shorter stem to both aid steering response (helps speed it back up a bit when you want to turn) and keep the rider’s hand position in the right place.

Specialized Diverge Pro Carbon

The total wheelbase has increased by about 35mm, with that extra ~5mm coming from the chainstays…but the chainstays are still short at 425mm.

Shorter stays usually result in less tire clearance, but Specialized got around this hurdle with a narrow, 15mm thick beam of solid carbon between the tire and chainrings. Finally, they increased bottom bracket clearance by 6mm over the original Diverge.

Tyre clearance is up to 700c x 47mm with plenty of space at all sides. It will also fit 650b x 2.1″ tires.

What about storage, bottles and other stuff?

Accessory and bottle cage mounting points have been improved on the frame and fork, and beneath the downtube, making for five mounts total. There are discreet rack and fender mounts, and when the removable rear fender bridge (not shown) is attached between the seatstays, you’re looking at clearance front and rear for 42mm tires with fenders.

 

Another big change is the S.W.A.T. (Storage, Water, Air and Tools) system’s location. Gone is the triangle-shaped plastic storage container that sat above the bottom bracket. It’s all moved inside the frame, with a hatch hiding under the downtube’s bottle cage.

Yes, that’s a big hole in the frame. But Specialized enlarged the downtube’s diameter to and reinforced the area with a burlier carbon layup.

The included zippered pouch of the S.W.A.T. system contains a small bracket for the essentials, just wrap your tube around that. It comes standard on most Diverge models, but is unavailable on some of the lower-end builds.

TL;DR – 2021 Specialized Diverge features

  • Longer reach
  • Slacker head angle
  • 35mm longer wheelbase
  • Adds up to more stable handling at speed
  • SWAT kits on most models, now hidden inside downtube
  • Future Shock 2.0 adds hydraulic damping control
  • Average painted frame weighs in at around 950 grams

Flat bar Specialized Diverge EVO E5

Flat bars are quite popular with some folks who ride gravel, and Specialized gets that. So they created the Diverge EVO E5. The bike is designed completely around flat bars, with a longer top tube and reach more than the drop-bar Diverge – 30mm more to be exact. The stem drops to 70mm, headtube angle has adjusted by a degree, and the bottom bracket has been lowered a few mm. Finally, the frame is 1x specific.

Specialized’s engineers rigged up this special frame to figure out the headtube angles, reach an so on. The Diverge EVO is available in Aluminium E5 only, and three sizes.

2021 Specialized Diverge Specs & Options

2021 Diverge Base Carbon gravel bike specs and features
2021 Diverge Base Carbon gravel bike specs and features

2021 Diverge Sport Carbon gravel bike specs and features
2021 Diverge Sport Carbon gravel bike specs and features

2021 Diverge Comp Carbon gravel bike specs and features
2021 Diverge Comp Carbon gravel bike specs and features

2021 Diverge Expert Carbon gravel bike specs and features
2021 Diverge Expert Carbon gravel bike specs and features

2021 Diverge Pro Carbon gravel bike specs and features
2021 Diverge Pro Carbon gravel bike specs and features

specialized s-works diverge specs and build components
2021 specialized s-works diverge specs and build components

Pricing for all models coming soon. Other than specs, the key differences as you move up the price range is a shift from FACT 8r carbon on the lowest two models, then FACT 9r, with the S-Works jumping to FACT 11r carbon fiber for the lightest frame.

2021 Specialized Diverge Geometry

2021 specialized diverge gravel bike geometry chart

All drop bar models share the same geometry, buuuut, only the Base and Sport models come in the smallest 44mm size. All others are available from 49 to 64 to fit a wide range of riders.

Specialized.com


Article by Gravel Cyclist. Jayson O’Mahoney is the Gravel Cyclist: A website about the Gravel Cycling Experience.

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22 Comments
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Andrew
Andrew
4 years ago

Can’t wait to see prices in this post COVID economy. But ehi,these guys consider themselves the Rolex of the bikes..

blahblah1233445
4 years ago

I knew this would happen – first we go back to CX bikes and make “new” gravel bike type. Then we add a suspension fork (eg. Fox AX), then straighten the bars (already happening with Decathlon bikes, now Spec joins the fray). Now we wait for bigger tyre clearance and improved geometry, and then… we just get a typical XC bike, that was created and improved in the exact same way for the last 3 decades!!!

They recreate the same process from 30y ago and call it a “novelty”, however I’d call it stagnation…

BTW – I also find dropper posts on gravel bikes a stupidity. If You ride such gnarly trails, that they require a dropper, just buy an XC bike – it covers those trails way better and faster.

Stanky Leg
Stanky Leg
4 years ago

Yeah that flatbar is just a “hybrid” commuter from 20 years ago… with disc brakes

madik
madik
4 years ago

BSA threaded BB. Why? It’s a shite choice for DUB axles and can’t be fitted properly with anything with 30mm axle. If the threaded way is a must (which isn’t..) the T47 would make so much more sense.

blahblah1233445
4 years ago
Reply to  madik

BSA is the best BB type and there’s no problem with 30mm axles. Got one on my fatbike (120mm wide) and this thing just works A-okay.

Velo Kitty
Velo Kitty
4 years ago

Press-fit is superior, but most bike manufacturers implement it horribly. (Does your car have threaded interfaces for bearings? Nope.)

BSA is a not problem for 30 mm spindles, as there’s no constraint on the bearing’s OD. It’s BB86, BB90 that are problems for 30 mm spindles.

blahblah1233445
4 years ago
Reply to  Velo Kitty

“PF is superior, however it has to be made perfectly” – and that is exactly why BSA is better – cause it’s devoid of such problems.

And all that talking about stiffness and weight… If Spec could make an ultralightweight XC frame with BSA BB, then we can flush such arguments down the toilet.

As for 30 spindles with BB86/90 – I know it too well. Unless Your BB had double rows of bearing balls, it’s almost surely to fail.

Velo Kitty
Velo Kitty
4 years ago

You deliberately mis-quoted me, blahblah. Not cool. BSA has problems. Please watch Hambini’s and Luescher Teknik’s videos about pressfit and learn a bit of engineering.

The Truth Tech
The Truth Tech
4 years ago

This bike is stupid heavy, please pick one up. Might feel like an e bike, it’s not. It’s just plain heavy. My guess is the swat box will be gone in the next iteration.

Kyle
Kyle
4 years ago
Reply to  The Truth Tech

Like picking up a bike that has a saddle bag on it?

mikeinsf
4 years ago
Reply to  The Truth Tech

You speak in hyperbole. I own a Diverge. It’s not road bike light but it’s not heavy. Certainly far from ebike weight.

THEODORE ALLEN
THEODORE ALLEN
4 years ago

Was considering buying the 2020 Aluminum version ($1800USD). Now, all 2021 aluminum versions are a flat bar version. Major bummer.

Ken
Ken
4 years ago
Reply to  THEODORE ALLEN

There are 3 Alloy 2021 Diverge bikes. $2,100, $1,600 and $1,100. The Comp E5 has a future shock, the other 2 do not.

Dinger
Dinger
4 years ago
Reply to  THEODORE ALLEN

This article only features the carbon and flat bar models (called “Evo”) but there are 2021 alloy drop bar diverge models, too. Go to their website and you’ll see them.

Durianrider
Durianrider
4 years ago

Pragma Mawson is 7.93kg with no pedals and doesnt have a fork shock that will be a ‘future shock’ for you when you cant get spares no more…

Sagan rode a locked out fork. He didnt want a bouncy front end under power.

All these Specialized ‘reviews’ are nothing more than paid product placements and are cringe lol

Velo Kitty
Velo Kitty
4 years ago
Reply to  Durianrider

Did he ride with it locked out the whole race? We all aren’t Peter Sagan anway. The base model of aluminum frame doesn’t have the Future Shock, and I assume the frame is exactly the same as the FutureShock 1.5 version. So there is the possibility of swapping in a normal fork if you have a FutureShock equipped bike.

I’d like to know what is the service interval of Future Shock, how hard is it to maintain, and how much are the parts?

I don’t think BikeRumor gets directly paid, but they get compensated via view traffic generating advertising income.

Kristi Benedict
Admin
4 years ago
Reply to  Durianrider

Durianrider and everyone, here is a link to our revenue disclosures, which can be found at the bottom of the front page on Bikerumor: https://bikerumor.com/revenue-disclosures/ We are upfront about our revenue sources and do not have a pay-for-play system. Also, if this article were a review, the word “review” would have been in the title.

blahblah1233445
4 years ago

I AM an engineer. And while I also think that Hambini has a certain amount of autority, when talking about bearing mechanics, I wouldn’t treat him as an all-knowing oracle, especially since he’s a YT-er, so there is gonna be a lot of rant and exaggeration in his videos, for the sake of views.

The thing is that we had an universal, all-time good interface in the BB department, but then it all started to resemble car industry, where every single car model has it’s own spare parts.

Dinger
Dinger
4 years ago

I think people have short memories. I spent lots of hours in the shop chasing away creaks in traditional threaded bb’s. I don’t remember them being much less creak prone than plastic-cup press-fit bb’s. I have owned several of the latter and never was overly bothered by a squeak every now and then. I also think it’s lost on most people that threaded bb cartridges are press-fit bb’s. The bearings are just pressed into the cups that are threaded into the frame leaving you with two interfaces.

blahblah1233445
4 years ago
Reply to  Dinger

The difference between BSA and PF is that You can easily service the former one without the need to buy a bearing press (and those things can cost a lot, especially different sized adapters), screwing it back in the frame is also easy and You can’t f*ck it up unless You really mean to. And I never had any problems with BSA creaking, but I did come across some loose/imperfect PF frames.

Velo Kitty
Velo Kitty
4 years ago

blahblah1233445: “I AM an engineer.”

Which branch of engineering? Your obviously incorrect statements (“exactly why BSA is better – cause it’s devoid of such problems.”) indicate that you are not a mechanical engineer.

Mike W.
Mike W.
4 years ago

So they scrapped the rear suspension from the previous model?? I am not surprised as that floating seatpost idea was a service and reliability nightmare.

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