If you want to get your hands on the new Campagnolo Ekar gravel groupset, Specialized has just the bike for you with the Diverge Ltd, one of the few gravel bikes to feature Ekar at the groupset’s launch.
Based on the 2021 Specialized Diverge gravel bike launched earlier in the year, Spesh has pulled out all the stops for this Campagnolo spec.
As well as being one of a limited number of Ekar-equipped bikes available for now (3T, Pinarello, Ridley and Wilier are also expected to introduce bikes), the Diverge Ltd Carbon is the only Specialized bike currently available with a Campagnolo groupset.
The rest of the brand's range features either Shimano or SRAM groupsets but Spesh says it’s had a long-standing relationship with Campagnolo, which suggests there might be more to come in future.
Ekar meets the Diverge
The Specialized Diverge Ltd Carbon lives up to its name, with a run limited to just 100 bikes worldwide. It comes with a special one-off gloss maroon-to-black fade paint-job and is priced at £6,400.
For that you obviously get the Ekar groupset, with the 1x13-speed gearing coming via Campag’s 38-tooth chainring paired with a 9-42t cassette. That provides a gear ratio below 1:1 at the bottom end, useful for climbing steeper off-road gradients.
Beyond the headline-grabbing 13-speed drivetrain, Ekar is said to be the lightest gravel groupset available at 2,385g.
Other key features include Ergopower levers with a redesigned thumb lever to aid shifting from the hoods or the drops, a clutched rear derailleur, and a four-arm carbon chainset.
Future Shock 2.0
Like Specialized's other Diverge Carbon bikes, the Diverge Ltd features Specialized’s Future Shock 2.0 suspension headset, with 20mm of adjustable vertical travel and a built-in hydraulic damper.
The new Diverge’s geometry includes a longer reach with a slacker head tube and a greater 55mm fork offset.
That’s paired to shorter stems of between 80mm on the size 49cm bike and 110mm on the largest 58cm and 61cm frames for a similar overall cockpit layout to its previous Diverge gravel bike.
Specialized says this leads to off-road stability, while still feeling responsive and nimble on tarmac.
There’s all the clearance you need, regardless of whether you run 700c or 650b wheels (the Diverge is specced with 700c wheels). There's room for 47mm 700c tyres or 2.1in 650b rubber.
The Diverge Ltd runs on Roval Terra CL carbon wheels (32mm deep with a 25mm internal width) and 38mm Specialized Pathfinder Pro tubeless-ready tyres.
Multi-day bikepacking and adventure ride capability comes from mounts on the fork and top tube, a third set of bottle mounts under the down tube and Specialized's SWAT internal storage in the down tube for kit, with a SWAT jacket an option.
Specialized Diverge Ltd Carbon spec
- Frame: Specialized Diverge FACT 9r carbon
- Fork: FACT carbon with Future Shock 2.0
- Groupset: Campagnolo Ekar 13-speed mechanical
- Ratios: 38t chainring x 9-42t cassette
- Brakes: Campagnolo Ekar, hydraulic
- Wheels: Roval Terra CL carbon 700c
- Tyres: Specialized Pathfinder Pro 2Bliss Ready, Transparent Sidewall, 700x38c
- Handlebar: Easton EC70 AX Carbon, 16-degree flare
- Stem: Future Stem Pro
- Saddle: Specialized Body Geometry Power Pro
- Seatpost: Roval Terra Carbon Seatpost, 20mm offset
