I gave this bike a test ride at the bike shop and ended up coming home with it. The EVO-specific geometry changes are non-trivial. The bike is slacker than the regular Diverge and there is no toe strike. I have previously test ridden many of the regular Diverges and simply could not find a good fit. By contrast, the EVO geometry fits perfectly. It is not a hybrid and doesn't ride like one. The geometry puts the rider in a more aggressive position than a hybrid or even a comparable hardtail. The BB height is significantly lower--you can feel the difference in stability and the lower profile tuck on descents. I recently did a gravel grinder with two singletrack portions; it was great having the flat bar for control. Out-of-saddle ascents were also significantly easier. Because aerobars are fair game in gravel racing, I do not believe this bike is at much of an aerodynamic disadvantage compared to the drop bar version. The biggest concern with a flat bar + aerobar setup is safety: one loses the ability to draft safely in an aero position; one needs to be more mindful during descents. Other notes: As expected, the FutureShock 2.0 is wonderful. The bike is rig-able for bikepacking and performs admirably. The extra cog on the cassette is a nice touch. The stock Power saddle is fantastic. Some nitpicks: 1) The Expert is a tad heavy for the price point. 2) I would prefer a smidge more tire clearance so as to fit 2.25"" tires. 3) I'm not sure it needs a whole 750mm of bar. The off-road capabilities are limited first and foremost by the tire clearance. 4) Similar to #3, I'm not sure the dropper post is a must-have. It's nice, but doesn't feel necessary. Add more tire clearance, then we can talk about dropper posts. 5) The 10T cog on the cassette feels inefficient or ""grindy.""

The Diverge EVO Expert is the MTBer's answer to gravel biking. All the goodness of a gravel bike -- tire clearance, geometry, 1x chain ring, awesome 'future-shock' (tm) front shock -- but with the benefit of flat handle bars for greater control on rough terrain. Announced earlier this year the Diverge EVO Expert was heaven made for riders like me - long time MTBer's that just can't adjust to drop-bars when riding trails. Did I mention it comes with a carbon front fork, hydraulic disk brakes, thru-axles, and a 45-10T cassette? Excellent tubeless tires (Specialized own ""2Bliss"" branded) and tubeless-ready rims are standard. The relaxed fork angle ads stability, and therefore control, for aggressive trail riding and cornering. Combined with the future-shock, the EVO rides over obstacles rather than crashing through them. The Diverge EVO was announced in June with an August release. I put down a deposit and waited patiently. The release moved to end of August. About 8 days ago on a lazy Covid19 Friday afternoon came the email: a limited number were available for order from Specialized. I ordered it Friday, it arrived at Cognition Cyclery on Wednesday and was ready to ride on Friday, yesterday. All this during a pandemic which has led to a supply chain nightmare for manufacturers and a shortage of inventory of bike shops. First impression: high degree of control thanks to the slacker geometry, wider tires and the future-shock head unit. That future-shock totally delivers. I don't think I can ever ride a g-bike without it, meaning I'm committed to riding a Diverge, and that's a good thing. Overall very smooth riding in all conditions. A little heavier than a road bike at 23.6lbs for my Medium. So obviously more work on the climbs, but once I got to speed the momentum kept me going. Also, I can't speak highly enough about the click-and-ship on the Specialized site. Works flawlessly and the bike shop still gets credit like a direct sale. Highly recommend