You could be forgiven for thinking bike designers must by now have run out of different ways to make things squishy. Surely every possible combination of flex, springs and dampers has already been tried?
Specialized’s Chris D’Aluisio – he of the Allez Sprint’s funky welds – begs to differ. Hence the Diverge STR, which is his concerted effort to ‘isolate riders from the chaos of the trail below’ without losing the ‘double diamond snap’ of a conventional rigid frame.
Soft at heart
The outgoing Diverge was already a thoroughly accomplished gravel bike. Its steerer-based Future Shock front suspension set it apart from rivals while thoughtful features such
