Lead time has been reaaaally long, my German dealer ordered it before launch in March 2020 (!!).
Having resisted the Gravel hype until now, after the first few rides I am a convert
I love MTBing, I love road biking, and this allows me to combine the two.
The versatility is great, e.g. to leave the tarmac at full gas and bunnyhop right into a singletrail
Out of the shop it was quite heavy at ~9.8 kg. I'm not turning a donkey into a racehorse, but wanted to reap the low-hanging fruits. So I decided to make my wallet weigh much less
First, I need power: swapped out the Shimano GRX crank for a Power2Max NG power meter with Rotor Aldhu cranks.
Also switched the heavy-ass stock 700c wheels (DT Swiss G540) to DT Swiss GRC 1400 carbon wheels, downsized to 650b. Riding a smaller 52cm frame I think the 650b wheels fit the bike well. It feels more agile / nimble compared to stock, more playful on the trail and more willing to lean into corners. (The discussion of 27.5" vs. 29" has been beaten to death, no need to repeat any of that here).
As tires I first chose Panaracer Gravelking Semislick in 48mm width (48-584) and rode them tubeless for 1.000 km. I did not like the feel of them, even at lower pressures they felt quite stiff and not supple at all. Maybe related to their beefy puncture protection.
With my intent to build a Frankenstein bike - half MTB, half roadbike - I switched to MTB tires: 2.2“ Continental Speed Kings (=55-584). On the DT Swiss GRC1400 rims (internal width 24mm) they measure 56mm.
Specialized approves max. width of 2.1“ or 53mm, but these fit fine with enough clearance for mud, dirt etc.
The wider tires combined with lower tire pressures (~20 PSI) feel great and give confidence on rough sections in comparison to the rather skinny Pathfinder Pro 38-622.
However, the 650b wheels lower the already-kinda-low bike by an additional 10mm, so gotta be careful with striking pedals or chainrings when navigating root sections on the trails or when pedaling while ripping bends.
Further changes compared to the stock Diverge Comp Carbon:
- Switched out the Roval Terra Carbon seatpost with 20mm setback to the Roval Alpinist Carbon, which I can use with 0mm setback
- Switched out the Power Comp saddle to the S-Works model, I prefer the carbon rails & shell, feels more comfortable to my bum
- Regarding frame geometry and coming from many kilometers on the Tarmac SL6, the stack is too high for my liking, so in order to lower the cockpit I
- switched out the high headset cover for the lower one
- switched out the Specialized Future Stem 70mm @ -6° for 90mm Extralite Hyperstem @ -12°
- I put on a bell, because shouting at pedestrians to get out of the way in order to save 27g, that I only do on my Tarmac
As pictured it now weighs 9.2kg incl. XTR pedals, Supacaz bottle cages, Garmin mount and bell.
Most weight savings from tires, wheels and XT rotors (455g), followed by saddle (106g), stem (67g) and seatpost (58g).
Not a featherweight at all, but very capable for my intended use. Love the comfort the 20mm suspension by the Future Shock provides. Takes the edge right off.
I could save significant weight going for skinnier tires, but I like to take it on singletrails, emphasize its offroad capabilities and the fun to be had
Open to further recommendations and tips.
