CyclistSpecialized Diverge vs Crux: The best Specialized gravel bike in 2024The Specialized Diverge has been the gravel bike in the brands line-up since 2014, when the gravel category was in its infancy. Its gone through a series of iterations since, gradually gaining in off-road competency, so that the current bike is a fully fledged modern gravel bike with the requisite wide tyre clearance, mounting points and go-anywhere gearing.That evolution went through a step change in 2023 with the introduction of the Diverge STR though. This bike adds rear Future Shock suspension to the standard Diverges front Future Shock, for a fully suspended bike with 30mm of rear and 20mm of front travel.At the same time, the Crux, another long-time Specialized model, has morphed from a cyclocross race bike to a lightweight gravel racer very light in the case of the S-Works model. Its pared-back relative to the Diverge, without extra mounts or comfort features, but offers the same 47mm tyre clearance.So if youre considering Specializeds bikes for your next gravel bike, which should you choose?Here, well compare the key features of Specializeds gravel bikes and how the specs vary as you go down the ranges. Well then run through the whole Diverge STR, Diverge and Crux bike ranges and finally suggest some key pointers to help you to choose the best Specialized gravel bike for you.Specialized Diverge vs Crux: Key features at a glanceSpecialized Diverge STRFront and rear Future Shock suspension with 20mm and 30mm travel1,400g claimed frame weight including rear damperDowntube storage compartment and full set of bag mounts47mm tyre clearance, 650b compatibleSpecialized DivergeFront Future Shock suspension on all but the Diverge E51,100g claimed frame weight (carbon)Downtube storage on most carbon frames47mm tyre clearance, 650b compatibleSpecialized CruxNo added suspensionNo frame storageNo mounting pointsClaimed frame weight of 725g for S-Works and 825g for FACT 10r carbon framesClaimed frame weight of 1,399g for DSW alloy frame47mm tyre clearance, 650b compatibleSpecialized Diverge vs Crux: suspensionUnlike the Crux, the Diverge STR and all except the base model Diverge offer suspension, front only in the standard Diverge and both front and rear in the Diverge STR.Diverge and Diverge STR suspension optionsThe Diverges range of suspension systems fitted across the different specs is pretty confusing, so weve set out the different front and rear Future Shock suspension options for the whole Diverge range in this table, then explained what each does and doesnt do.Diverge specFront Future Shock modelDampedAdjustablewhen ridingTuneableRear Future ShockS-Works STR3.3YYYYSTR Pro3.3YYYYSTR Expert3.2YNYYSTR Comp3.2YNYYComp Carbon2YYNNSport Carbon1.5NNYNComp E51.5NNYNE5NNNNNDiverge front suspensionFront suspension comes from Specializeds Future Shock system. There are various grades of front Future Shock represented across the Diverge range, all offering 20mm of travel at the handlebars and featuring hydraulic damping. Future Shock has gone through three generations and all three are represented in the different specs of the Diverge.The latest Future Shock 3.0 system (of which there are multiple grades) has improved sealing over previous generations for better weatherproofing and improved serviceability. It allows you to swap out the spring if you want a softer or firmer ride. You can also add or remove preload spacers to tune the travel to the way you ride. All bikes with Future Shock 3.0 are sold with the springs and spacers needed to change suspension characteristics.The Future Shock 3.3 fitted to the Diverge STR S-Works and Pro models is the most sophisticated. It allows on-the-go adjustment via a dial on the headtube top cap. Its the same system as found in higher specs of the Specialized Roubaix SL8.The Diverge STR Expert and Comp include Future Shock 3.2 front suspension. Although this isnt adjustable when riding, its still hydraulically damped and tuneable.The (non-STR) Diverge Comp Carbon incorporates the previous generation Future Shock 2.0. This has less robust weatherproofing and a single spring rate, so its not tunable. Rather than allowing you to vary the damping as you ride, the top cap dial acts as a lockout and is on or off.Theres a further swap-out with the Diverge Sport Carbon and Diverge Comp E5, which include Future Shock 1.5 and dont have an adjustment dial or a lockout.Its only the base model Diverge E5 which has a fully rigid fork assembly.All grades of front Future Shock can be upgraded to the latest 3.0 system.Diverge STR rear suspensionJoseph Branston / CyclistThe Diverge STR models incorporate rear Future Shock as well as front Future Shock.Rear Future Shock provides 30mm of travel at the saddle, with the fore and aft movement of the seatpost controlled by a damper housed in the top tube. You can adjust the amount of damping as you ride and also tune its rebound off-bike.The Diverge STR is supplied with two different stiffnesses of frame post (which houses the seatpost proper) and each can be mounted in two positions, allowing fine-tuning of the ride characteristics.The system has built-in sag when theres a rider aboard, but preserves a constant distance from the saddle to the bottom bracket, for optimum pedalling despite the suspension. Stand on the pedals and theres no rear-end bounce either.Crux suspensionThe Crux range is easier: none of the bikes are equipped with active suspension, relying on the tyres to smooth the ride. Although the frame provides clearance for 47mm tyres, Specialized fits 38mm wide tyres to all specs, offering plenty of mud clearance, although too wide for use in officially sanctioned cyclocross races. Related Posts Gravel groupsets reviewed: Shimano vs SRAM vs Campagnolo How and why the Specialized Diverge STRs wild rear suspension came to be Gravel bike gearing: Everything you need to know The best gravel bikes 2024 reviewed Specialized Diverge vs Crux: geometryDiverge STRDivergeCruxFrame size565656Seat tube length500500546Seat tube angle7473.573.5Head tube length130133147Head tube angle71.7571.7572Effective top tube length570573568Bottom bracket drop858072Chainstay length429425425Frame reach392392397Frame stack609610578Wheelbase104410421033Trail576164Front centre629630618All measurements in millimetres unless indicatedA major difference between the Crux and the Diverge family is in their geometry, which reflects the difference between the Cruxs gravel racing focus and the Diverges wider-ranging objectives. Above, weve taken the size 56 bikes as an example.The Crux has a lower stack and slightly longer frame reach than the Diverge, so riders are going to be in a longer and lower ride position, which along with less bottom bracket drop should give a more racy ride. The wheelbase is shorter too, thanks to a shorter front centre measurement than the Diverge. Theres a longer seat tube, so there will be less free seatpost length.Turning to the Diverge, the standard bike and the STR are similar in geometry. Theres a more upright seat tube in the STR, reflecting the sag to the bikes rear suspension once a rider is aboard.Specialized says that the small differences between the Diverge and the Diverge STR are due to the STRs rear suspension layout. The relatively low trail figure suggests that the Diverges steering should be a little faster than the Crux though.Specialized Diverge vs Crux: frame grades and weightsTheres a wide array of different frames on offer across the Diverge and Crux, everything from premium carbon fibre, usually the preserve of top spec road bikes, to E5 alloy.The S-Works Crux gets the cream of the carbon, with FACT 12r, also seen in the S-Works Tarmac SL8, Specializeds pro-level road race bike, and the Aethos lightweight road bike.In fact, the S-Works Crux has much in common with the Aethos, with similar tube profiles and carbon lay-up, just adapted for gravel riding. This leads to a 725g claimed frame weight, which Specialized says makes the bike the lightest gravel bike you can buy.The rest of the Crux carbon range swaps to FACT 10r carbon, although the 825g claimed frame weight is still low.The Crux DSW is claimed to be the lightest alloy gravel bike frameset in the world, with an unpainted frameset said to weigh 1,399g.It uses Specializeds dAlusio Smartweld tech, a patented process which Specialized says reduces tolerances in the joints, so that less welding material is needed. The Crux DSW frameset also has a single-piece downtube and bottom bracket shell, again lowering weight and improving frame strength.All the Crux range now uses the SRAM UDH rear derailleur hanger standard, which Specialized says has been coupled to a further weight decrease.All specs of the Diverge STR use the same frameset, made with FACT 11r carbon. Specialized claims a frame weight of 1,400g, including the rear suspension system.Further down the range, the (non-STR) Diverge Comp Carbon is made of FACT 9r carbon, with a claimed 1,100g frame weight.The Diverge Sport Carbon is made of FACT 8r, while the Comp E5 and the E5 base model both use Specializeds E5 alloy. The proliferation of different carbon grades and materials dont have a huge effect on the complete bikes weights however.Specialized Diverge vs Crux: groupsetsJoseph Branston / CyclistAlmost all Specializeds gravel bikes are 1x, although theres a 2x option for the Diverge.Both the Diverge and Crux ranges offer a choice of SRAM or Shimano groupsets. The S-Works Crux includes the 13-speed Full Mount SRAM Red XPLR groupset with a power meter.Further down the Crux range, there are SRAM Force, Rival and Apex XPLR 1x options, as well as a Shimano GRX 112-speed bike.The Diverge is heavily specced with 12-speed SRAM mullet builds, providing gear range of up to 10-50t. Diverge STR bikes include a Shimano GRX 112-speed option, while the standard Diverge has the Shimano GRX 212-speed Sport in its range, as well as SRAM Apex 111-speed on the Comp E5 and Shimano Claris 28-speed on the base model Diverge E5.Specialized Diverge vs Crux: sizingThe Crux is available in frame sizes 49, 52, 54, 56, 58 and 61, accommodating rider heights from 155cm to 198cm.More sizes are on offer for some specs of the Diverge, with a size 44 and 64 added at either end of the range, which Specialized says should cater for riders from 142cm to 205cm tall.Specialized Diverge vs Crux: wheels and tyresTheres a progressive downspec of the wheels fitted to Specializeds gravel bike ranges as you descend through the specs.Both the Diverge and Crux go through the same range of options, starting off with the top spec carbon Roval Terra CLX II and going via the Terra CL and C models before Specialized offers DT Swiss G540 alloy rims on its own hubs or its own-brand Axis wheelsets on lower specs.The Roval Terra wheel range has a 25mm internal width carbon rim with hooked beads, while the DTG540 rims are 24mm wide, so both offer good support for wider gravel tyres.Specialized specs quite narrow (by current gravel bike standards) 42mm tyres on the Diverge and 38mm tyres on the Crux, although the wider rims should add a couple of millimetres to this stated width.Theres plenty of scope to go wider though, with the Diverge STR, Diverge and Crux frames all offering 47mm clearance.Specialized Diverge vs Crux: ranges comparedNext, well run through the entire ranges for each of Specializeds gravel bikes, from the most expensive to the entry spec for each, with a brief spec run-down including frame grade, groupset and wheelset, along with Specializeds claimed weight for a size 56 bike.Specialized Diverge and Diverge STR bike rangeJoseph Branston / CyclistS-Works Diverge STRFrame: Diverge FACT 11r with front and rear Future ShockFork: FACT carbon with Future Shock 3.3Handlebars: Roval Terra carbonGroupset: SRAM Red/Eagle XX1 AXS 40t, 10-50t 12-speedWheels: Roval Terra CLX II carbonSaddle: S-Works Power with MirrorClaimed weight: 8.88kg, size 56Price: 12,000Diverge STR ProFrame: Diverge FACT 11r with front and rear Future ShockFork: FACT carbon with Future Shock 3.3Handlebars: Roval Terra carbonGroupset: SRAM Force/Eagle X01 AXS 40t, 10-50t 12-speedWheels: Roval Terra CL carbonSaddle: S-Works Power with MirrorClaimed weight: 9.18kg, size 56Price: 8,000Diverge STR ExpertFrame: Diverge FACT 11r with front and rear Future ShockFork: FACT carbon with Future Shock 3.2Handlebars: Specialized Adventure Gear Hover alloyGroupset: SRAM Rival/GX Eagle AXS 40t, 11-50t 12-speedWheels: Roval Terra C carbonSaddle: BG Power ExpertClaimed weight: 9.93kg, size 56Price: 6,250Diverge STR CompFrame: Diverge FACT 11r with front and rear Future ShockFork: FACT carbon with Future Shock 3.2Handlebars: Specialized Adventure Gear Hover alloyGroupset: Shimano GRX RX822-SGS 40t, 10-51t 12-speedWheels: DT Swiss G540 rim on Specialized hubsSaddle: BG Power SportClaimed weight: 9.88kg, size 56Price: 4,500Diverge Comp CarbonFrame: Diverge FACT 9r with front Future ShockFork: FACT carbon with Future Shock 2.0Handlebars: Specialized Adventure Gear Hover alloyGroupset: SRAM Apex/X1 Eagle AXS 40t, 11-50t 12-speedWheels: DT Swiss G540 rim on Specialized hubsSaddle: BG Power SportClaimed weight: 9.98kg, size 56Price: 4,000Diverge Sport CarbonFrame: Diverge FACT 8r with front and rear Future ShockFork: FACT carbon with Future Shock 1.5Handlebars: Specialized Adventure Gear Hover alloyGroupset: Shimano GRX RX820/RX610 46/30t, 11-36t 12-speedWheels: DT Swiss G540 rim on Specialized hubsSaddle: BG Power SportClaimed weight: 10.05kg, size 56Price: 3,200Diverge Comp E5Frame: Diverge E5 alloy with front Future ShockFork: FACT carbon with Future Shock 1.5Handlebars: Specialized Adventure Gear Hover alloyGroupset: SRAM Apex 1, 40t, 11-42t 11-speedWheels: Axis Elite DiscSaddle: BG Power SportClaimed weight: 9.94kg, size 56Price: 2,500Diverge E5Frame: Diverge E5 alloyFork: FACT carbonHandlebars: Specialized Shallow Drop alloyGroupset: Shimano Claris, 50/34t, 11-34t 8-speedWheels: Axis Elite DiscSaddle: BG BridgeClaimed weight: 10.24kg, size 56Price: 1,200Specialized S-Works Diverge STR framesetYou can, in addition, buy the top spec S-Works Diverge STR frameset and build your bike yourself. The size 56 frameset has a 2.98kg claimed weight, including fork, seatpost, bearings and suspension, with the price of 4,750 reflecting the frames sophisticated engineering.Specialized Crux bike rangeS-Works CruxFrame: S-Works Crux FACT 12rFork: S-Works FACT carbonHandlebars: Roval Terra carbonGroupset: SRAM Red XPLR 40t, 10-46t 13-speed with power meterWheels: Roval Terra CLX IISaddle: S-Works Power with MirrorClaimed weight: 6.94kg, size 56Price: 11,500Specialized Crux ProFrame: Crux FACT 10rFork: S-Works FACT carbonHandlebars: Roval Terra carbonGroupset: SRAM Force XPLR AXS 40t, 10-44t 12-speedWheels: Roval Terra CLSaddle: Power Pro with MirrorClaimed weight: 7.63kg, size 56Price: Coming soonSpecialized Crux ExpertFrame: Crux FACT 10rFork: S-Works FACT carbonHandlebars: Specialized Adventure Gear alloyGroupset: SRAM Rival XPLR AXS 40t, 10-44t 12-speedWheels: Roval Terra CSaddle: BG Power ExpertClaimed weight: 8.07kg, size 56Price: 5,500Specialized Crux CompFrame: Crux FACT 10rFork: S-Works FACT carbonHandlebars: Specialized Adventure Gear alloyGroupset: Shimano GRX RX820-GS 40t, 10-45t 12-speedWheels: DT Swiss G540 rim on Specialized hubsSaddle: BG Power SportClaimed weight: 8.53kg, size 56Price: 3,500Specialized Crux DSW CompFrame: Specialized E5 alloyFork: S-Works FACT carbonHandlebars: Specialized Adventure Gear alloyGroupset: SRAM Apex XPLR mechanical 40t, 11-44t 12-speedWheels: DT Swiss G540 rim on Specialized hubsSaddle: BG Power SportClaimed weight: 8.53kg, size 56Price: 2,300Crux framesetSpecialized sells the Crux as two different framesets. The carbon S-Works Crux frameset has a claimed weight of 1.43kg including the fork and seatpost and a price tag of 4,500.Theres also the alloy Crux DSW frameset on offer. This has a 1.98kg claimed weight and a more reasonable 1,500 sticker price.Specialized Diverge vs Crux: which should you choose?Although this looks like a binary choice, the two different Diverge framesets make it a three-way decision. So first, you need to decide whether you want suspension and more all-round capability, or if youre content to let the tyres do the work and handle the bumps yourself.If so, the Crux range provides a simpler, cheaper solution which saves you over a kilogram in weight across the range at comparable price levels to the equivalent Diverge models. Its a more racy bike with edgier handling though.You can potentially add significantly to the Cruxs ride-smoothing with a swap-out from the narrowish (for a gravel bike) 38mm tyres to something closer to the frames 47mm clearance, although at the expense of space for mud build-up.If you do want suspension, youre going to have to decide between just front-end or full suspension. The latter comes with a hefty price tag, but does deliver a super-capable gravel bike, able to add a dose of comfort to the roughest gravel rides.The alloy bikes provide a more affordable entry point into both the Crux and Diverge bike ranges.If your gravel riding is more about exploring trickier terrain and multi-day rides, then the Diverge is likely to be for you. The Crux is geared more towards fast gravel riding, gravel racing and cyclocross use and lacks the mounting points that a gravel adventurer might prefer.Now youve got through all that, you might be ready to buy one from specialized.com.Read our full reviews of the Specialized Diverge, Diverge STR and Crux for more details to help you to choose. Related Posts Gravel groupsets reviewed: Shimano vs SRAM vs Campagnolo How and why the Specialized Diverge STRs wild rear suspension came to be Gravel bike gearing: Everything you need to know The best gravel bikes 2024 reviewed The post Specialized Diverge vs Crux: The best Specialized gravel bike in 2024 appeared first on Cyclist.