You say you're not concerned about your time.............haha. We'll see about that someday! We all get the bug.

So, something to consider.......are you going to ride this bike in competition with clip-on aero bars or simply "as-is" with a wheel and tire change?

If you plan to run clip on bars, the head tube stack height on a gravel bike is a lot taller/slacker than even some endurance road bikes. Or climbing road bikes. The clip ons would still help, as even people in gravel races sometimes use them, but the help will still be less.

IMO, ask yourself which you care more about right now. The flex and usage of the true gravel bike, or future in tri. Answering that, buy the bike that lends itself to that purpose more now. Don't compromise on that to get more triathlon utility. N+1 a budget used tri bike later if it's worth it to you.

I've seen people too often try to multi task a bike by going moderate road/gravel/clip-on use and the bike isn't excellent at any of the three.

Want gravel, buy gravel. With space for some big wheel/tire for nice comfort and gravel handling. True modern gravel drop bars. Maybe some opportunity for bikepacking mounting. Etc...

Want tri, buy tri. Want road, buy road. Want gravel, buy gravel.

You can multipurpose stuff, just be OK with it not being the optimal experience in the secondary duty. We have guys toss road tires on cross bikes all the time for weeknight worlds. I've seen clip-on road bikes plenty of times. It's fine.

But don't buy a gravel bike that is more triathlon capable. Just get the nicer gravel bike and know it is what it is.

IMO.

Thanks for the reply. I'll add aero bars as I purchased a set last year after my sprint tri. I used my Giant Roam 1 for the sprint tri and that's not going to cut it for the IM 70.3. I'd go with a gravel bike over a future tri back thinking about it right now. I can also see myself buying another bike if the tri bug sets in. What are your thoughts with the four bikes I'm currently looking at? They're all similar in price, and tire size. Thanks

I own a 2018 Diverge E5 and have raced it in tris, with solid middle of pack performances (for the bike leg). For context, I ride mostly road with a tiny bit of gravel each year. I like the Diverge for road riding because wider tires are useful on the variable terrain in my city. Overall, it's a very solid all-around bike.

If you get into triathlon, you will outgrow it pretty quickly. The handling can get pretty wonky with clip on aero bars. I even used a fast forward seatpost for one race, which I would not recommend. I'm planning on a TT bike purchase for next season.

That said, having a Diverge to pair with a TT bike should make a very capable quiver. Unfortunately I can't speak to the other bikes on your list, but hopefully I've provided some useful information.

Thanks slowchi. I'm really torn between the Giant Contend AR1 vs Specialized Diverge Elite E5. I'm not sure which one is "better". I know a premium is paid for Specialized bikes. The Emonda ALR 4 Disc has 32mm tires, same as the Contend AR1 so that is an additional thought I have. Thanks for your input

Road bike are certainly fun and versatile... but they will be slower on during a half or full IM. You will want a TT if you are getting competitive about triathlon... that is what n+1 is for.

IMO, don't try to do everything with a single bike, there are always compromise with bike and it will end up been crap at everything.

Pick a road bike that you want to use as a road bike (it will be +90% of your riding anyway)... your choice should be base on type of road you ride on (flat vs hill), type of riding (aggressive vs touring) and flexibility (not everyone fit on a race geometry). Once you figure out what kind of geometry you are looking for... most major brand will have something that fit your needs.... pick the one with the best pain job that fit your budget. (or what ever factor that will make you want to spend time on that bike...)

If budget is a concern, don't worry too much about triathlon, you will be able to do it on that bike and it will never be as fast as a TT bike.

One of the benefits of disc brakes is the wide range of tyres you can fit

What sort of gravel riding are you planning?
How much time will you spend on road vs on Gravel?

If you are talking mainly light gravel work, on good paths then I have an alternative suggestion: I use a Canyon CF SLX disc. It's normally setup as a road bike, with 24mm Specialized Turbo Cotton tyres, 11-30 cassette and 36/52 chainset. However, I have a spare set of wheels with Challenge Strada Bianca 30mm Gravel Tyres, they work brilliantly on the type of gravel that I ride on, what I like most is rides that combine Gravel and Tarmac, this is where these tyres realy stand out. I also have an XC Mountain bike for anything more technical.

It may be worth thinking about a disc brake road bike, with reasonable tyre clearance, that can also take a set of gravel tyres.... from what your description, this may suit your needs better

I’ve looked at my local trails and most are paved with the exception of one or two. I’m not opposed to the canyon, and I’m checking out the Giant Contend AR1 today. I think I’ll be hitting more paved roads/trails. Now I’m looking at the geometry between the bikes and I’ve noticed this process/rabbit hole is deep!