Specialized Diverge Comp Carbon

Bought on

2015-02-06

Last mileage

15206.74

Specifications

• Framesize 58
• SRAM Rival 1
• 50T, 11-36T
• AXIS 4.0 SCS Wheels
• Roval C38
• René Herse Bon Jon Pass 700x35C
• Pirelli Cinturato Velo 700x32C
• SRAM PC-1170 Chain

Maintenance

• 2023-01-20, 12948km
  • Conversion of wheelset using non-SCS hanger

• 2023-04-13, 14050km
  • New tire (front)
  • New tire (back)
  • New chain
  • New bar tape

• 2023-12-24, 14548km
  • New brake pads (back)

• 2023-12-28, 14636km
  • New brake pads (front)

• 2024-03-15, 14985km
  • New brake pads (back, lasted 437km)
  • Bled rear-wheel brake
  • Bled front-wheel brake

My Diverge… Why do I even start? My first Specialized bike actually, and something between love and hate: The 2014/15 Diverge is in retrospect one of the first Gravel bikes for the mass-market, kinda. In comparison to what is available in late 2023, it has ridiculous little amount for tires… The biggest I would recommend are 35mm. And even if you go lower, there is no room for fenders at all. Today it would most likely go as endurance, I guess…

The bike has quite some history: I rode it for a bit more than 4500km with great joy and pleasure exactly as it came from the factory: With 2x11 Shimano 105, with some cheaper AXIS and Specialized parts attached to it. Kept the Roubaix tires (which have been quite excellent). I sadly had a bad accident with it, trashed the handlebar, levers, and a bunch of other stuff. Getting replacement for some parts from Specialized was literally impossible, customer service non-existent for that matter (What's even worse: The company builds fantastic bikes and while I shouldn't have bought one after that experience, I did nevertheless).

Anyhow: As the bike was trashed, we took the freedom to experiment a bit: I went 1-by as it was all the rage (keeping the 50 teeth ring in the front because I could!), replaced everything broken and tried new tires: First Schwalbe G-One Allround in 40mm and later René Herse Steilacoom in 38mm. The 40mm left so little room, I ruined the paint-job in the back… Not recommended. At some point I gave up using this bike as Gravel bike and went back to rode tires, first 35mm and now Pirelli Cinturato Velo in 32mm.

The latter runs super sweet with the Roval C38 wheels: I got them from another bike, and it was quite an adventure fitting them onto the Diverge: Little did I know about standards in the bike industry when I bought the bike: Everyone has their standards and then some: On this generation Diverge Specialized used a front wheel with a 15x100 axle and a back wheel with 12x135mm. Now the Roval C38 use DT Swiss 380 hubs, and they have exchangeable caps: So in theory it was just hunting those parts. Once I got them, I was super happy on the front but then: The back wheel was stuck. Literally. Turns out, that the "SCS" system by Specialized isn't compatible with anything else and has a freaking offset. Bummer. It took me a while to find out that there is a special hangar that corrects that offset.

Would I remodel the bike the same way again? Most likely not. I should have rather kept the 105, replace both the broken and non-Shimano parts and be done with it. The wheel-set of course is a tremendous improvement. The SRAM Rival 1 on the other hand is IMHO the much better bang for the money than the SRAM Force 1, especially the brakes. Maybe it's only my model, but they modulate much better and are stronger. The derailleur itself took every abuse I throw at it and still works perfectly fine, even after a week of sand-graveling on Texel.

Did my first #Festive500 in 2018 on this bike after it's first transformation.