The latest Specialized Diverge was my weapon of choice for the 2017 Dirty Kanza 200Josh Patterson / Immediate Media
The Diverge Comp complete with many Kanza modificationsJosh Patterson / Immediate Media
Ugly, but effective: my tri-geek inspired bottle systemJosh Patterson / Immediate Media
Webbing pulls made it easy to pull the hair ties back over the bottlesJosh Patterson / Immediate Media
Lights are required at Kanza, since many racers finish late into the night. I ran a Bontrager Ion 700 upfront on a BarFly mountJosh Patterson / Immediate Media
The 48/32t gearing worked well for this long raceJosh Patterson / Immediate Media
Enough to take the edge off: Specialized’s Future Shock provides 20mm of suspensionJosh Patterson / Immediate Media
Easton’s very comfortable EC70 AX handlebarJosh Patterson / Immediate Media
This aged Ergon SMC3 saddle is still my go-to for endurance eventsJosh Patterson / Immediate Media
Shimano 105 might lack the sex appeal of Dura-Ace but it’s no less effectiveJosh Patterson / Immediate Media
Bontrager’s Flare R tail light is my go toBen Delaney / Immediate Media
Specialized’s 700x38mm Trigger Pro tires are fast and sturdyJosh Patterson / Immediate Media
All my repair items fit snugly into Specialized’s Tool KegJosh Patterson / Immediate Media
I like the Speedsleev Endure Top Tube Case because it stays in place without a strap around the steerer tubeJosh Patterson / Immediate Media
#Analog Strikes Back
Done and dusted. Freestate Brewing’s Dirty Kanza Kölsch is a superb recovery drinkJaime Patterson / Immediate Media
There are gravel races that are longer than the Dirty Kanza 200, but few combine massive fields, scorching speeds, rough terrain and capricious weather.
It was my seventh time toeing the start line at this legendary race. After many years of tinkering with gravel race strategies, I came away from last year’s event pleased with my set-up. But, being a tech editor, I know that there’s always room for improvement.
Early this spring, I caught wind that Specialized was developing a purpose-built gravel race bike. Riding 200-miles of lonely flint roads in the heart of Kansas seemed like the perfect way to put it to the test.
Diverging
The latest Specialized Diverge was my weapon of choice for the 2017 Dirty Kanza 200Josh Patterson / Immediate Media
Specialized’s Diverge was a bit of an odd model when it was introduced in 2014. It was a bit more capable than brand’s endurance road bike, the Roubaix, but only by a matter of degrees.
Rear clearance was limited to around 35mm-wide tires without much mud clearance, so it wasn’t an ideal candidate for gravel riding. Despite its introduction, the company’s cyclocross bike was still the preferred weapon of privateer gravel racers. In fact, it was my DK200 bike of choice last year.
The gravel category has rapidly evolved from niche to mainstream. Specialized was quick to take note, shift gears and redesign the Diverge accordingly. The new Diverge has a clear purpose: to be the fastest gravel race bike the company can produce.
