Hey All,

I've been mountain biking for a couple of years now but wanted to purchased another bike to add to the stable to take on casual riding duties.

I am not entirely convinced that I will need a road bike to bum around town but I am looking for the best bang for the buck. Not sure if I am ready to employ the N+1 rule yet so looking for a bike that might do a little bit of both (canal paths, city riding, maybe a century?).

I've been looking at the Specialized Diverge, seems like the bit does a bit of everything and could be a good complimentary bike to a Mountain bike for everything but serious trail riding.

Thoughts?

Yup, great idea.

Thank you! Seems like a great bike. Local LBS is getting a new delivery soon.

Are you looking at the A1 models or the higher end ones? Seems to me if you are going to drop $3000+ on a bike, at that range you might as well go custom and get a perfectly fitted bike for you.

any bike you do not have one of is a great idea, if you already have one like it, it is only a good idea.

No, I was looking at the entry level bikes. $1.5k is my budget for purchasing bike--my other alternative would be a used road bike with a decent frame to build up in the future.

for 1.5k look into used markets. You can get a ridiculous nice used roadie for 1.5k or a kinda nice new roadie for same 1.5k. I would go road bike all the way. you get all options with drop bars, don't be afraid. Most riders only use the drops 10% of the time anyway. I ride my main ride in town, on trails, on group rides, on long rides, to get groceries, etc etc. My budget was 1.2k, I paid 600 for it then used saved cash for upgrades like bars and stem that fit better, new saddle, and high end tires. I still had money to use for a pair of cycling shorts, extra tubes, a multi tool, a handlbar bag, etc etc. This is a lot more bike than what you'd get for 1.5k new. food for thought. use ot or not, no biggie, i understand consumption.

For that money, I would like recommend the All-City Space Horse. It's gonna be heavier, cause it's a steel frame, but if you're looking for an all around city to century riding bike, I love my purchase.

Here's a commentary on Diverge. Not really an evaluation from a technical standpoint. But it is something to consider

Specialized Diverge review | CyclingTips

But if you want to spend a whole lot of money, then you can go "over the top" with Unbeaten Path by Open Cycle.

Where do you live? That would help in giving a recommendation of a LBS.

Also, what is your height, bike inseam, and weight. Along with location this would help to recommend a used bike on Craig's List.

If you want to do a century and ride just on paved roads/paths, then you're probably looking for a bike with an endurance geometry.

Don't look at the Specialized Diverge, road test it. And road test several other brands of endurance bikes in your size. It might not hurt to road test a couple of bikes with more agressive geometries, just to see if you like them. And go to several LBS's to road test.

GH

Hey GH,

I am 5'8, 185#, and my bike inseam is around 30.25. I planned on taking out the diverge, synapse, and Defy--I think those all have a more endurance based geometry.

I also just noticed that you are from Raleigh. My GF lives in Raleigh and I am moving there next summer. There seem to be a lot of great areas to ride.

There's a couple of parks (Lake Crabtree, Umstead) that have MTB trails. I'm not really that familiar with them as I'm doing road biking. And I'm fairly new at that. There are good trails and roads to ride around the region. Maybe by the time you move here, I'll be more familiar with both types of trails.

From the review, will the Diverge be too close to the MTB's that you ride, now, and you might be better with a road bike?

GH

So I was test riding this weekend and really liked the Giant Defy. My LBS had the defy 1 and 3 from 2014 reduced by 15% to make room for the 15s. Both felt a little more responsive than the diverge.

The price difference is around $370 between the 1 and 3. The 1 brings a 105 group set and a slightly lighter frame using their Aluxx Sl process (And a black frame compared to white on the 3)

I couldn't really tell the difference when test riding both bikes. The 105 seemed to shift a little smoother compared to Sora but it didn't really seem like Sora would be a deal breaker.

Oh the decisions.

Look at Fuji bikes for the best bang for the buck!!

I don't know what state you live in, hence the culture of setting personal bicycles in stables.
Where traditionally horses are to reside in.
Many in my area, who have clean bikes --- the bikes are a member within our home.

Ended up purchasing the Defy 3 in white last week for $807 out the door. What a great value, nothing about this bike really feels entry level. Frame seems high quality and worth keeping for a long time and upgrading components as needed.