First Gravel bike. Diverge vs Breed

Equipment
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Salsa warbird. Best multipurpose bike if you want to run xc singletrack, gravel and road group rides.

Can run 650b 2.1 inch mtb tires or throw on some 28 mm road tires. Geometry super close to my roubaix road bike.

Not really great for cyclocross and can’t do crits well but if you want one bike this is it.

Open UP is also a great bike.

I love my specialized mtb bike and road bike but diverge is sh*t

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I’ve been eyeballing the updated Warbird for a while. Glad to hear you think it is a great of bike as it sounds like!

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If we’re lucky, we should see the debut of the 2020 WB’s this week. Sounds like several GRX builds at different prices too.

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Yes, mine is too (as you can see from the graph) which puts me 35mm higher than my road bike.

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Yes, I went ahead and bought the Felt Breed 20.

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Thanks for that. That is good validation that I am on the right track. I sort of just accidentally fell into those ranges that you suggested.
Thanks again.

If someone else also agrees, then I’ll feel confident I am on the right track.

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You’re suggesting I buy another gravel bike? :man_shrugging:

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Awesome! I was wondering when/if those were going to drop. Right now my plan is to pick up the frameset and build it up with GRX di2 shifters paired to an XT rear mech, but maybe it would make sense to just get the full GRX di2 build and switch to the XT mech.

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Yeah, I suspect you’d be better off with a complete and then swap the RD. But we will see what the specs are. You might have different preferences for wheels and such that would make a build more likely.

I will add my release date is speculation based on recent closeouts on several models. I may well be off, but I think they have to issue something soon.

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For anyone following, here is a look at the 2020 Warbird Models

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I am all in on the pink Di2. I like the basic spec in the cable model, but I am in an…

“Anything but black is the new black” phase.

I just have to decide if I want the Salsa or take a chance and go with a Ti bike…

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Dave -

  1. On paper those 47c WTB tires aren’t going to be the best rolling on the road. That said, it can be quite tough to tell sometimes. SOmething like this with a better rubber compound and softer casing should roll faster - https://www.vittoria.com/us/terreno-dry-cx-and-gravel.html
  2. 45psi is too damn high for those tires, especially if you’re tubeless. mid-30’s would be better especially off-road. On road, mid-30s might be bouncy. https://gravelcyclist.com/bicycle-tech/gravel-bike-tyre-tire-pressure-guidelines-by-enve-composites/ . 45psi is really hard on your rims with that kind of volume, and may not be OK depending on the rim. Alex doesn’t publish max values, but they can be quite low. DT Swiss has pretty high pressures. https://dycteyr72g97f.cloudfront.net/uploads/WXD10000000866S/MAN_WXD10000000866S_WEB_ZZ_001.pdf
  3. Modern AL frames are hydroformed, which give designer more freedom to shape tubes. This makes a HUGE difference. Any major brand AL road bike after 2012 or so will be load better than one made even 5 years earlier. On a fat tire bike, with tires bigger than 28mm, CF won’t make a bit of difference of AL. Handlebars and seatpost will though.
  4. bottles, the downside to that config is getting the bottles out. Looks like you’re using the fabric no-cage setup. If that doesn’t work out, side exits are the way to go. Running a bottle under the downtube lets you use a framebag, which is nice for snacks and warmers. It will also help cushion the frame on rock strikes.
  5. Fit - this is tough because the up, in, and out along with the new saddle is going to throw everything off. You need to measure hood hand position to hand position as your new bars are going to tilt your hands a bit and have a different reach. Your seat may also need a different position as the BB height is different.
    Maybe try to get your back and upper arm and lower arms in the same angles as your road bike on the hood, then figure out stem, bar tilt, and hood adjustments based on your wrist. Get a box-o-stems going from your friends and spend a night in your garage adjusting. If you use your trainer, take care to get the axle height level front and rear. If you know what you like, I’d do it yourself. Maybe go for a ride with your allen keys, a digital level, and a few stems.
  6. The new bars probably won’t help hand comfort with those tires. On road tires, yes. If you’re hands are cramping up, maybe the place you’re gripping is too thick or thin, giving you a bag clinch. You might also need more elbow bend. Lowering the tire pressure will give you a lot more cushion and and traction here.
  7. Handling- it’s the tires. It’ll feel exactly like a road bike with road tires on. The long seat stays/wheelbase also play here. . This bike has a pretty agile fork setup. Mostly this will be felt at low speeds though
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That’s interesting. I have owned both a Warbird and Diverge and much prefer the Diverge. It rides more like a road bike, meaning snappier feel and more nimble.

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Love my Diverge too…it’s fast on the road, and nimble on gravel, and I’m amazed at how much less beat-up I feel after long bumpy rides. I’ve not tried the Warbird, but have heard great things about them from my serious gravel buddies.

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I Have an aluminum 2018 diverge with 105. Only issue is widest tires that can be used are 37’s Its almost the same as my 2018 Roubaix with 105. Love both bikes. No issues at all. Also love the future shock.

My buddy has a 2019 Giant revolt and loves it as well.

Good luck in your choice.

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77

Any thoughts on how the current Trek Checkpoint compares to some of the other popular choices? I have a really great local Trek dealer who I enjoy working with and would probably build on up with them.

Searching around, the main issue I saw with the current Checkpoint is that Trek has changed the stated tire compatibility size on multiple occasions. While initially listed at 45c, this has since been scaled back. The discrepancy seems to be related to whether the bike is set up 1x or 2x. In some 2x configurations the front derailleur is creating clearance issues. While a 2x Shimano GRX Di2 groupset would be my group of choice, but not if it limited tire clearance on a Checkpoint.

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I have a 2015 Trek Boone, which is the Papa of the Checkpoint. My Boone is a great bike with limits on tire size of 38mm max, and 35mm if you want some decent mud clearance (rear is the real limit, while the fork will likely clear one step wider).

The CP is a great and capable bike, IMHO. Geo is a bit “sporty” like a CX bike vs more lax like some gravel bikes. But the adjustable rear dropouts do give some ability to make it more stable in the long position.

Sadly, Trek kept to the regular road groups for the 2020 models instead of the newer GRX groups. I think this was a timing and availability issue, but may be at the root of some of the clearance confusion.

We haven’t had a chance to try wide rubber in them yet, but we have an SL7 headed our way and I plan to check out the chainstay clearance.

I think the CP is a worthy consideration overall, with the notable exception of the group issue when compared to other models. I am currently shopping and likely leaning towards the new Salsa Warbird, GRX Di2 (vs the CP SL7) or the GRX mechanical (vs the CP SL6). I like the lower spec model options, but the black/gray colors are lame, and I may end up with spending more to get the pink or red frames.

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I’m very interested to hear what the clearance will be with GRX groups on the CP - both 1x and 2x.

I’m not in a huge rush to pick up the bike, as the only major gravel event I’m currently signed up for is Big Sugar next October. My local Trek dealer was suggesting building the bike up from a frame to get the parts that I was after, rather than going with a stock build. We didn’t get into pricing but they felt they could be competitive with what a pre-build direct from Trek would be. We’ll see. First step if figuring out the groupset and tire clearance.

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What tire size and model are you wanting to use, if you could pick your perfect setup?

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Ideally would want clearance up to 45c using Enve G23 wheelset. For the specific tires, I’m not certain at the moment, but would base it on events and local terrain. I don’t have a probably switching out tires based on what’s best for local conditions rather than compromising with a one-size-fits-all model.

I would likely need a 56 for the frame (same as my Emonda) for a CP. Ideal group for maximum versatility would be 2x GRX Di2 (when available) but likely could also make 1x SRAM or GRX work. I’d be building the bike to be able to participate in long distance gravel events like Big Sugar. For rougher XC riding, I’d stick with my HT or FS mountain bikes.

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