Specialized today unveiled the Diverge STR, the latest model from the brand that has long been a leader in gravel bikes.

The DivergeSTR features an all-new rear futuristic shock that offers 30mm of travel with hydraulic damping.

The STR's suspension system is impressive with bare metal dampers and alloy tendons that attach to the seatpost, but Specialized assures us that the bare components could not be more robust. [Chris D'Aluisio, Specialized's creative specialist and the brains behind the project, explains, "They just fail due to fatigue. 'We've been testing the same thing for a long time. We've gone through millions and millions of cycles. That's why we have great confidence in this material"

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Although the suspension system appears to be entirely contained within the top tube, the suspension is actually activated by the seat tube flexing from the bottom bracket.

Behind the scenes, the design has gone through many iterations since its initial conception in 2018, but in this final version, Diverge's seat tube is essentially free floating from the bottom bracket.

This free-floating leaf spring design may remind some of the Trek Madone 9 Series released in 2015. However, Specialized emphasizes that the lack of pivots and the damper on the rear futuristic shock are very different from Trek's system, and Specialized claims that it does so in a way that provides compliance for a wider range of riders.

Trek has recently backed away from IsoSpeed on the Madone, and in fact, some have argued that IsoSpeed is better suited for gravel-specific bikes. [Like the front futuristic shock, Specialized offers tunability for the rear futuristic shock, which is adjustable from the seat collar and can be twisted into one of three positions. The open position is the most active and the closed position is the most rigid. The damper is also adjustable, but usually only set once.

The frame of the Diverge had to be modified considerably to accommodate rear-future shocks, but there is significant continuity between the previous generation Diverge and this one.

The "frame posts" around the bottom bracket required considerable redesign, but the tube design in the front of the frame is similar, and the carbon grade of the Fact 11r follows the previous generation Diverge.

The introduction of rear flex required some fine-tuning of geometry, increasing BB drop from 80mm to 85mm and chainstay length from 425mm to 429mm compared to the previous generation Diverge. The seat tube angle was also 0.5° steeper to offset frame post sag under load.

All STR models use carbon Roval Terra wheels with Specialized Tracer Pro 2BR tires.

The Diverge STR is available in three tiers: S-Works Diverge STR, Diverge STR Pro, and Diverge STR Expert; the S-Works version includes SRAM Red eTap AXS 1x shifters and Sram XX1 Eagle rear derailleur, and a cassette with a "Mallet" 1x setup.

Meanwhile, the Pro steps down to SRAM Force eTap AXS 1x shifters and Sram X01 Eagle derailleurs; the Expert swaps the Force shifters for Rival and the X01 derailleurs for GX Eagle derailleurs.

The Diverge STR has the same 47c tire clearance and progressive handling geometry as the previous Diverge, with the SWAT downtube storage system.

There are then minor downgrades in terms of finishing kits, tires, and components as you move down the product range, but basically, the three bikes appear to use very similar frames (all adorned with Specialized's Fact 11r carbon badge) and S-Works to Expert level, and Terra wheels in CLX, CL, and C specs.

The Diverge STR is more expensive than Specialized's 2022 series, partly due to inflation pressure, but the extra technology no doubt plays a role: £13,000.00 / €15,000.00 / $14,000.00 for the S-Works tier, Pro is £9,000.00 / €9,500.00 / $9,500.00, and Expert is £7,500.00 / €7,500.00 / $7,500.00. The S-Works tier is not as expensive as the top-of-the-line S-Works Tarmac SL7, but the series as a whole is, most expensive bike Specialized has ever produced.

Check out our first ride review of the S-Works Diverge STR to see if the expense is worth the performance.