Fortunately, because the Diverge is designed to be ridden on far rougher terrain, the spring in the Diverge’s FutureShock is a bit stiffer and I have rarely noticed any brake dive on the Diverge and no bob when standing up. Also, when standing up and dancing on the pedals, the shock compressed and bobbed slightly, but not by much. It wasn’t really a problem, but the sensation bothered me. The only downside that I noted when riding the Specialized Roubaix FutureShock was that there was some brake-dive, with the suspension compressing noticeably under light to moderate braking. ![]() Here is a video that I made when exploring the Savoie region of the French Alps last autumn with my carbon Specialized Diverge FutureShock bike: Having a small amount of front suspension is a real game-changer for a gravel bike. I can’t imagine any other single bike that is more suited to this kind of varied riding. In comparison, the Diverge feels reasonably fast on smooth surfaces even with 35mm gravel tires and doesn’t lose much to a mountain bike on most of the trails that I ride (and with my cautious MTBing style). ![]() I’ve done similar rides on regular road bikes and on hardtail mountain bikes, each of which are more adept for certain sections of these mixed-terrain rides. I received one of the first Specialized Diverge FutureShock bikes in mid-207 and almost immediately set it up in bikepacking mode and took it on trips into the Swiss Alps across every kind of surface imaginable (paved roads, gravel roads, dirt paths, Alpine hiking trails, etc.). For suspension that can be retrofitted to standard road and gravel bikes, see the sections below on aftermarket stems and forks. ![]() The FutureShock consists of a special fork and headset, so it cannot be retrofitted to other bikes. The Specialized Diverge gravel bike was due for an update and the previous version already offered mounting points for a rack and fenders on some models, so I waited until the Diverge FutureShock was available. I was sold on the FutureShock system, but the Roubaix wasn’t the bike I wanted, I knew it would be even more of a benefit on a gravel bike that could take wider tires (the maximum tire width on the Roubaix is about 32mm). The additional weight of the FutureShock system is only about 200 grams, so that certainly isn’t going to make a significant difference to overall speed (see the Weight page in the Determinants of Speed section) and is more than offset by the advantages. You can read more about it at or watch their video below.Īn unexpected bonus of the Roubaix’s suspension is how much it improves stability and confidence on rough downhills – instead of the front wheel bouncing over small bumps, I noticed how the wheel stayed in contact with the ground, giving better stability and more consistent braking and overall control. The shock absorption and damping is handled by an internal spring, pictured on the right, which is contained inside the catridge that is also shown. The FutureShock operates by the upper section of the fork that the stem is clamped to compressing into the main part of the steerer column that the headset top-cap is clamped to. I was immediately impressed because despite giving only 20 mm of front suspension, it massively improved the front-end comfort of the bike. When Specialized added a ‘FutureShock’ suspension fork to their Roubaix road bike in late 2016, I was finally interested in test-riding a new bike. That’s partly why I normally don’t bother test-riding bikes before buying them instead, I look at the geometry chart to know whether I can obtain my desired position and I look at the specifications to know about compatibility of the components and accessories that I want to mount. I’ve ridden a fair number of road bikes from several brands, made of various frame materials and have never noticed a major difference in comfort between different frames once I matched my riding position, the contact points (saddle, bars/tape/grips and the tire model and pressure). Using Wider, Lower Pressure Tires to Give Suspension. ![]()
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