"Riding on Air!" Specialized's Next-Gen Diverge STR Is Unlike Any Gravel Bike I've Seen

Folks, if you've checked out the image gallery, you may have noticed a photo that's a little out of place: that's me and my reaction to seeing a Diverge STR for the first time. Never heard of the STR? As you can see, you're not alone.

What is the STR? Simply put, it's Specialized's freshest gravel bicycle design and one that 'exposes' all that magic they've been working on for the last few years, culminating in one fresh and gravity-defying ride.

Why would I use "gravity-defying" to describe the STR and what it can do? Well, that's precisely what we're here for, and all this magic starts off with Specialized's newfound idea of "Suspend the Rider."

What is Suspend the Rider? It's nothing more than the mechanism or dynamic of basically placing riders on nothing more than a pillow of air, -ish, all the while being perfectly connected to their gravel-crunching machine.

How is this achieved? Well, this is where the look on my face comes in. I'm sure you've noticed that funky construction connecting the seat post to the top tube. This is Specialized's Rear Future Shock, and with it, riders can transfer all the power they have into the rear wheel while bumps from the road are absorbed by the seat post and the damper.

It's a forward and backward-down sway that counteracts the wheel's travel path after it takes a hit, in the process "suspending the rider." Oh, and above all, it's completely tuneable to each rider's weight and style. In all, 30 mm (1.1 in) of travel is what gravel riders will be looking forward to, and that's just amazing if you ask me.

Personally, I imagine it as a sort of shotgun that's cocked right after each hit the bike takes up, helping you blast your way through whatever the road throws at you. We live in beautiful times for cycling.

Part two of the "Suspend the Rider" story is found at the front of the Diverge lineup. Here, Front Future Shock is in place, and if you've never seen this system in place, you can compare it to the rear setup, only with the action taking place vertically rather than horizontally.

Here, 20 mm (0.8 in) of dampening has been integrated into the fork steerer tube and helps 'float' the cockpit. With a combination of preload washers and three different types of springs, each with different tension, rider customizability is granted. That tension can also be adjusted on the fly, so there's no need to stop, whip out your toolkit, and have to chase down the gang.

Now, the remainder of each Diverge STR is defined by the version you ultimately choose, and this is where most folks might have problems with what they see. The least expensive variation on the manufacturer's website, the STR Comp, starts at $4,200 (€3,900 at current exchange rates), and as we head up the ladder, we meet the Expert at $5,500, the Pro at $8,500, and the hang-on-your-wall S-Works version is spotted at $12,500.

The least expensive and newest addition to the lineup, the Comp, sports a Shimano GRX drivetrain with a 12-speed cassette with a 10-51T range. Brakes are also from the same manufacturer, and once the Comp has been loaded to the brim with all the extra goodies, we're looking at a bike that weighs just 9.88 kg (21.8 lbs) for a size 56.

All that's great and all, but one important aspect of what an STR can do is based on the idea that you'll be taking the longest of rides. With that in mind, take a close look at the frame and fork yet again and tell me what you see. If you answered cargo carrier and water bottle mounts, you'd be correct.

Not only will you be able to stay hydrated on those long rides with the group, but if you ever wish to outride your daily limit, grab yourself a lightweight cargo rack, throw on a small sleeping bag, some clothes, extra water, some food, and even a tent, and turn an afternoon ride into an evening under the stars on the edge of town. If you've loaded the STR to the brim, don't forget about the integrated storage bay found in the down tube.

Oh, and it's not just to the edge of town and back that you'll be able to ride this bike. Because of the presence of 42c tires, riding over cracked city streets should also be on the menu. That same tire cross-section is bound to add even more comfort to the long rides I mentioned.

All that's really left to do now is to skip out on lunch for the next few months in the hopes that I manage to put enough cash aside to possibly hop on my own Diverge STR; it's got to be one hell of a smooth ride, and plenty of folks agree.