# Diverge vs. Roubaix



## msg98 (Oct 27, 2011)

Does anyone have a sense about how much slower the diverge will be vs. roubaix assuming similar/same tire setup? 
All other inputs on the decision b/w the 2 would be welcomed. 
thanks

mg


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## tednugent (Apr 26, 2010)

without going into the nitty gritty details that can actually account for something.... the difference would be miminal, since both would have similar cranks and cassettes.

it goes back to the motor.

if the diverge used a 36/46 crank, yes, there would be a difference.


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## roadworthy (Nov 11, 2011)

Perhaps you are considering both great bikes.
Each of us want the fastest, lightest bike for the job.
So...if you ride say 80 road/20% dirt, get the Roubaix. It will be faster on the road if that is where you are going to spend most of your time.

However if 50/50 road/dirt, the Diverge gets the nod because you can run fractionally wider tires on it. The Diverge will be a faster bike on rutty dirt or gravel with suitable tires. Weight difference matters more if climbing than flat riding so also a consideration. And there maybe a slight aerodynamic difference as well...but not enough to quibble about if set up similarly.


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## shelbye (Mar 8, 2015)

With same type wheels and tires ... not slower at all. Maybe sprinting a bit.

I own a Specialized Roubaix S2, a Specialized Crux Expert and just bought a Specialized Diverge Elite A1. I will soon be getting rid of my Roubaix and my Crux and staying with the Diverge. All bikes use same ST and HT angles and have the same seat tube and top tube lengths but the standover on Crux is about an inch taller due to bottom bracket height. The wheelbase on the Diverge is about 10 mm longer than the Roubaix but about 10 mm shorter than the Crux.

The wheels I use on the Roubaix are Mavic Aksiums with Vittoria Rubino Pro 25's. On the Diverge I am using the Mavic Aksium One disc (disc brake) wheels with Vittoria Rubino Pro 25's also. I notice virtually little, if any, difference between bikes as far as acceleration or handling. I can't really say that I have felt the added 10 mm of wheelbase on the Diverge, either in added comfort or lacking responsiveness. I do notice a bit of added comfort level on the Diverge due to the fork rake/trail.

Now, where I have noticed a difference is frame weight ... maybe 1/2 pound. The frame/fork on the Diverge is aluminum/carbon fork while the other two are all carbon. I upgraded the drivetrain groupo to all Ultegra on the Diverge so I lost some of that weight back but that is all rotating weight while the frame gain was static. I will take rotating weight loss any day compared to static (frame) weight gain as the legs don't differentiate between rider weight and frame weight and I can always lose a pound or two . I also upgraded to cable actuated hydraulic disc brakes.

I am selling the Crux because it was a great cyclocross bike but is overkill for gravel grinders. I am selling the Roubaix since it and the Diverge rides are so similar and I am migrating to disc brakes on everything. I stuck with the Diverge Elite A1 because I wanted to do the drivetrain switch (Ultegra) and still came in less that the next level of Diverge (Smartweld Aluminum) with 105. I will still have other bikes but I anticipate that the Diverge will become the go to bike.

Hope that helps.


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