Build it and they will come

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http://RoadID.com/...te/4HC4V-TAFQ9XPJDTX

Just got a Crux Expert Red for CX racing and riding on road (disc brakes for the big hill descending around these parts) (much to the wife's dismay.. I may or may not have 8 bikes now...) and I think its the better machine, more tyre clearance means more versatile..
Couldn't CX on the new Diverge.. at least in the mud.. maybe ok in the dry with 32mm tyres..

This type of bike doesn't perform exactly like a road bike. CX and road geometries are pretty different. CX bikes have mountain bike like BB heights, longer stays and slacker angles. They handle differently than a dedicated road bike. Also, complete CX bikes typically have lower gearing, shorter crank arms and narrower bars than a road bike. Lastly, CX bike are designed for carrying while that's not a factor for a road bike.

A gravel bike is basically a toughened road bike with room for big tires and (usually) discs, it's not a CX bike. Gravel bikes are perfect for certain purposes.

Welcome to 2014.

Great bike for the USA market I think. This is where the "adventure" segment is gaining traction and attention. "Gravel" has become a category and they've jumped on it.
Slack geo, dropper post, thru-axles, huge tire clearance.

The stay length on a pure Euro-accepted 'cross bike is not 40c tire friendly for example. If you want 420mm stays you aren't going to get a 40mm Clement stuffed in there.

Specialized has everything and with the BPSA report on what is selling there's no shock they'd be there to hit the bullseye of the N.A. market to share the [gravel] road with the AWOL.

And if you're asking "Why" I'd ask "why, not?"

-SD

I don't see what this bike can do that either the Roubaix or the Crux can do. The Crux has more tire clearance than this new bike. All three have disc brake options. The Roubaix and Crux already cover the conditions that this bike is suppose to handle (gravel roads). I'm sure their marketing department says they can generate enough sales to cover costs, but I wonder if they considered cross-cannibalization. If you're just taking customers away from a Crux or Roubaix, you really haven't accomplished anything.

I know somebody mentioned this as a tougher road bike, but I'm not sure what that means. Regular road bikes can handle gravel roads just fine. I've seen road bikes in CX races (23mm CX tires). The only real difference is geometry.

Again, I just find it to be an odd bike. By that's just my opinion on it. I'm also not plugged in to the bike market. I just see my tri bike, CX bike and mountain bike in my garage and know this is a bike that would serve no purpose for me. Next bike from Spesh will be designed specifically for the trainer.

Wonder if Spesh has trademarked 'Gravel Grinder'.

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The curious task of economics is to demonstrate to men how little they really know about what they imagine they can design.

Bikes like this are much more popular in Europe. Put some mud guards on them and you have a daily commuter in all weather. Similar to the Orbea Avant

The "Gravel Grinder" bikes they have come up look great ... however they have two big flaws in the end:

1) They generally don't have fender mounts
2) The geometry is very tall ... it's supposed to be laid back, but that tall???

These bikes would be the perfect winter training bikes with fenders, but they seem to have neglected that fact in favor of making a bike that can be used for several months during the summer, then put away in the winter in favor of an actual winter bike, which funny as it may be ... tends to be a CX bike.

When are they going to make a road bike with road geometry, disc brakes AND fender mounts? That's what I'm waiting for, though I'm not holding my breath!

So the Domane Disk would be too tall in the front end to fit your criteria?

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Carl Matson

There are a few options already on the market that suit your needs. Orbea, Trek, Raliegh...

-SD

*edit @Carl beat me to it, but that Domane looks like a great option for an all-road/any-road road bike. Everything but racin'.

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https://www.kickstarter.com/...bike-for-the-new-era

Yes ... the only one that would work is their top of the line with the H1 geometry.

I'm currently riding a Scotty Foil (54cm) with no spacers and -17 degree rise 110mm stem ... And I'm still a bit tall. A Domane Disk would require a -30 stem at a minimum to get a good fit.

All either too tall or too short...

They are not using "Road" geometry ... they are using CX geometry with a lower bottom bracket. I want a disc brake road bike, with 28c tire clearance and fender mounts. The only way to get that is to go custom.

To spell SPECIALIZED does not take too much energy or time.

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DISH is how we do it.

Check out the Avant, may be too relaxed of a fit for what you want but you can get it with disc brakes and fenders.

Both too short and tall for me ... and unless you want to ride it like a mountain bike ... it's too tall for most people as a winter road bike. Good try, but it's geometry seems more like those just getting into cycling and looking for something as far away from a race bike as possible.

I've looked at all the bikes on the market ... in the end, I'd be better off going with a 29'er hardtail MTB, throwing on fenders, ridged fork and road tires.

The new Tarmac Disc would be "AWESOME" if they had fender mounts.

Get rid of the shallow drop bars (guessing) and/or bend your arms more ;-)

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http://bikeblather.blogspot.com/

I'd love something like this, not in the market right now but this would be perfect to ride to on and from the towpath. Cx bike doesn't appeal to me but I want something more nimble than a mtb bike.

LOL

You should see my winter bike ... 56cm Jamis Nova race with a "Slam that stem" top cap, -25 degree stem (110mm) and it's still a bit high and it only has a 15cm head tube length (Can't find stack/reach measurements on it).

I do run shallow drop bars through ... more for the shorter reach than shallow drop. The shorter reach allows for a bit longer stem which puts the bars tops a bit farther away than a bar with longer reach.

On my commutes to/from work on interval days on this bike ... I spend the 21.5 miles in my drops (about 1 hour with 1200+ feet of climbing).The bottom of my bars are usually about the same height as the top of my fork.

Granted, I admit that my fit is different than the average cyclist ... but even if I were an "Average" fit ... the geometry of these bikes are way "Relaxed". They are too tall and short for most people. Might as well buy a mountain bike or CX bike and get way more flexibility in a bike.

If you are going to make a bike for a specific purpose, make sure it doesn't already exist I guess ... or in this case, leave it up to your marketing department to sell the bikes as something different and "NEEDED" when they are not!!!

The crux has a relatively low bb drop but this new one is a little lower and slightly shorter wheelbase making it a better road bike than most pure crossers. The nuance is fine here, but I think the geo is smart for a slightly more gravel or rough trail roubaix like all around bike.

Most cross bikes have higher bbs making them handle less admirably for a lot of twisty descents especially on the road. That being said, the cross races in SoCal or typically dry so I'd have no problem racing the Diverge either.

Cycling has a lot of micro niches, which is sometimes maddening, but if I was looking for a do it all road and trail bike, this would be a nice option. Since my cross bike has a lowish bottom bracket, unlike many of the European brands, I am not in the immediate market.

J

The price sure would be. And of course, there is no buying just the frameset

One nice thing about Specialized is that they'll sell you just the frameset. They don't force you to buy the whole damn bike.

Remember when Specialize sued Volagi? They just re-made Volagi's original idea....but with the marketing dollars to actually sell it. http://velonews.competitor.com/...specialized-1_203443

Some of your responses are interesting, especially comparing CX bike to this new bike. Reading on some other forums, the replies are just as mixed. Many just see this bike as a dumbed-down CX bike. I always thought the Roubaix line was just like a CX bike but without the clearance required for CX racing. I am surprised how many people don't believe their road bike can be used on a dirt road. Given Michigan road conditions, there are times were a dirt road is smoother. Especially with the trend toward chip-seal.

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The curious task of economics is to demonstrate to men how little they really know about what they imagine they can design.

I was offroading one time in my jeep coming down the fireroad leading to the trail was a women in a smart car bawling her eyes out shaking and scared.

The car did it just like a road bike can go down a dirt road, that doesn't mean it was fun, good for your equipment or in some cases safe.


An adjustable wrench might fit on a bolt, it doesn't mean the wrench that is actually the right size isn't a better tool for the job.

From a BikeRadar article
Cyclocross rigs make great gravel race bikes: Dan Hughes, reigning DK200 champ
Dan Hughes, owner of Sunflower Outdoor & Bike Shop, in Lawrence, Kansas, has bagged four DK200 victories. Endurance racer Rebecca Rusch has raced the DK200 the past two years and claimed the women’s victory on both occasions. Both have won the last two Dirty Kanza’s aboard Specialized’s ’cross race bike, the CruX.
Admittedly, it’s the engine, not the bike, that won. But it also goes to show that another bike in the quiver, or another genre of bike, may not be the right tool for the job.
“I don't think there's a ton of difference between a cyclocross bike and a gravel-grinding bike,” Hughes said.

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"Base training is bull shit" - desertdude