New Specialized Diverge STR goes full-sus

Specialized’s do-it-all gravel machine gets 30mm of rear-wheel travel in a radical overhaul

- Simon Smythe

The Diverge STR's built to handle the rough stuff without slacking on the smooth

Specialized’s strapline to accompany the launch of the reimagined Diverge STR is “Suspend the rider, suspend belief.”

The new full-suspension Diverge STR gets 20mm of adjustable travel at the front via Specialized’s Future Shock 2.0 under-stem system that already features on existing Diverges, but it also gets an all-new 30mm at the back with Rear Future Shock, a clever-looking design that permits and controls travel using a hydraulic damper fitted in the top tube and attached to the ‘frame post’, a sort of sleeve that can flex.

A lever on the damper provides three levels of compression damping, while rebound speed can be adjusted with a hex key through a hole in the base of the top tube.

The Diverge STR’s other top-line features include a frame that weighs a claimed 1,050g and is made from Specialized’s Fact 11r carbon, like the existing S-Works Diverge. Specialized claims the STR frame is only 100g heavier (minus the hardware) than the existing S-Works Diverge frame.

There’s clearance for 47mm tyres, also mirroring the current Diverge, and SWAT internal storage in the down tube.

What and who is the Diverge STR for? “Climb it, race it, or load it down with bags and gear for the long haul, Diverge STR does it all faster and smoother without any excess baggage,” says Specialized.