The internet is awash with fantastic cycling deals these days, and on such choppy waters it's important that you find yourself a guide to lead you to the best deals around.

Here at road.cc we believe that the best thing you can do to avoid drowning in the dealy depths of the internet is to take our DealCatcher's hand and listen to what he has to say.

For example, rather than heading out and exploring the uncharted world of cycling retail, check out the deals we've found for you today.

Starting at Cycle Surgery, we've got a fantastic option if you're looking to upgrade your ride over the coming summer months in Specialized's Roubaix SL4 road bike.

Alternatively, if you're looking to use the sunny weeks ahead to give your training a boost, why not try out Science in Sports's range of Whey20 Protein Gels - the pack we've featured at a 37% discount is the perfect way to try them out.

Finally, if you want to ride in comfort this summer, Santini's Tempo short sleeve jersey is a great option. Plus, it's had a 52% discount!

Cycle Surgery

25% off Specialized's 2016 Roubaix SL4 Road Bike
WAS £1200.00 | NOW £900.00

Specialized Roubaix 2016.jpg

You'll be pleased to know that the DealCatcher doesn't endorse products based off of wild speculation alone. The selection of deals you see in front of you four days a week comes together via years of experience and expert advice - experts like our tech editor David Arthur.

Mr Arthur included the 2016 Specialized Roubaix SL4 in his buyer's guide to sportive and endurance bikes - and that was before it had seen a 25% discount.

While we've not had the Roubaix in for test, its mere inclusion in a buyer's guide indicates that the componentry - by way of the Shimano Tiagra groupset, AXIS 1.0 wheelset, and Specialized FACT 8r carbon frame - make for very attractive reading to a man who's seen many, many bikes over the years.

- Read more: road.cc's 2016 Buyer's Guide to sportive & endurance bikes

Science in Sport

37% off SiS's Whey20 Protein Gel 4-pack
WAS £8.00 | NOW £4.99

Science in Sport whey20.png

If you're put off adding protein to your post ride routine because of the hassle of protein shakers, powder, water, mess, and washing up, then these could be the perfect option for you.

SiS's Whey20 protein gels offer expedience and accessibility that's difficult to find in a very bloated protein market.

They'll aid you in recovery and muscle gains. You'll feel stronger and faster, and you won't have to faff around with protein shakes, washing up, and that horrble post-ride bloated feeling.

- Read more: road.cc's SiS Whey20 review

Wheelies

52% off Santini''s Tempo Short Sleeve Jersey
WAS £49.99 | NOW £23.99

Tempo-Short-Sleeve-Jersey.jpg

Finally, Santini's Tempo short sleeve jersey is made from a combnation of Santini's lightweight, breathable, and UV resistant 'Carezza' fabric over the vulnerable shoulder and sleeve areas, while a totally breathablbe polyester 'Rewind' fabric layer covers the front and rear of the jersey.

The result is a top that'll keep you incredbly cool on sunny days.

The jersey also features reflective piping and reflective logo features to help keep you seen if you stay out a little past your bed time.

- Read more: road.cc's Santini Beta Windstopper Short Sleeve Jersey review

In his quest for top quality cycling deals, the DealCatcher stumbled across two from Cycle Store today, and a particularly good one for those of you who are thinking about taking cycling more seriously from Tweeks Cycles.

The first deal of the day is Specialized's SpeedZone, which - over at Cycle Store - represents one of the most heavily discounted cycling computers we've ever seen; 80% is nothing to scoff at!

The second deal of the day also comes by way of Cycle Store - their Specialized S-Works Prevail Helmet's not only had a massive discount, it trumps the discount offered by the big players.

Finally, Tweeks Cycles enter the fray with their half price starter pack for cyclists looking to give themselves a mid-ride boost. Teaming up with road.cc-approved nutritionists High5, this bargain's perfect for anyone who's looking to do their first sportive or organised ride in the coming weeks.

Speaking of organised rides in the coming weeks. Are you in the South West? Fancy coming out for a free ride with a bunch of us road.cc-ers, some Cycle Surgery-ers, and a bunch of freebies?

Thought so. Sign up below:

- Come and ride with road.cc in Bristol next month!

Cycle Store

80% off Specialized's SpeedZone Sport Cycle Computer
WAS £24.99 | NOW £4.99

Specialized SpeedZone Sport Cycle Computer.jpg

Cycling computers are getting more advanced, smaller, and cheaper with every passing year.

Not usually this much cheaper though.

Specialized's SpeedZone measures your maximum speed, average speed, has an odometer trip meter, has auto-wake and auto-timer features - which mean you never have to press a button to measure your ride - and the whole ensemble fits neatly on your bars.

Cycle Store

40% off Specialized's S-Works Prevail Helmet
WAS £159.99 | NOW £95.99

Specialized S-Works Prevail Helmet.jpg

Specialized's Prevail S-Works Helmet is perfect if you're after a seriously light, well ventilated, comfortable helmet, with easy on-the-go adjustments.

And who isn't?

Our tech editor David Arthur reviewed the Prevail a few years back and loved it - even at full price.

It rolled away with an 8/10 rating, and we stand by that opinion.

Taking this price tag into consideration, we've got half a mind to assume that the helmet would have scored even higher on our rating ladder.

- Read more: road.cc's Specialized Prevail S-Works Helmet review

Tweeks Cycles

50% off High5 Starter Nutrition Kit
WAS £6.99 | NOW £3.50

Tweeks High5 Nutrition Starter Pack.jpg

The final deal of the day: nutrition.

Those of you who are looking to head out on one of your first ever big rides are going to need a kick of energy half way through - believe us. You'll also need to avoid the encroaching tide of cramp that'll no doubt be hanging over your legs.

High5's energy gels are the perfect way of getting that energy kick. We should know, we've reviewed both of the High5 goodies you'll be getting in this bundle, and boy are they good.

The energy gels received a road.cc 8/10, and the comment from our reviewer David Else that the gels "taste good, slip down easily, and certainly deliver the energy you need on a long hard bike ride."

- Read more: road.cc High5 Energy Gel review

The High5 Zero Electrolyte tablets, on the other hand, performed even better. David Else again called the tablets an "excellent drink mix to help replace vital minerals and avoid cramp," and gave them a stunning 9/10.

- Read more: road.cc's High5 Zero Electrolyte tablets review

The deals just keep on coming here at the DealCatcher, and today Cycle Store are getting in on the act.

The selection of deals from Cycle Store today feature a number of excellent Specialized products - with discounts as high as 72%, as well as a great offer on a Cannondale helmet and a pair of bifocal Dual sunglasses.

So, without further ado, let's tuck in:

72% off Specialized's Starter Kit
WAS £49.99 | NOW £13.99

Specialized Starter Kit.jpg

First up is arguably the best value deal of the day.

Whether you've just joined the club and you're looking to equip your bike with some essentials, or you're suddenly finding yourself in the market for a saddle bag, travel pump, bottle cage, or tyre irons, the value that this deal offers should at least make you stop for thought.

At most, it should lead you to reach for your wallet, because £14 for Specialized's Airtool mini frame pump alone is a decent deal - you'll often find them priced at around £16 on their own.

On top of that you'll get Specialized's Mini-Wedgie bag which has a volume of 48.5 cubic inches and a water resistant upper and zipper, Specialized's Alloy Zee Cage which features easy 'in-and-out' with its side-loading design, and a set of EMT Pro tyre levers.

55% off Cannondale's Cypher Helmet
WAS £99.99 | NOW £44.99

Cannondale Cypher Helmet.jpg

Now, high quality, expensive helmets can often be difficult to justify. Close to £100 is a lot of money to shell out for something that can only be 'used' once.

We're not about to weigh in on the helmet debate, and you can't really put a price on your health, life, and wellbeing, but when you get a chance to get your hands on a top quality helmet for a cheap helmet's price, you've got to pay attention.

We can attest to this helmet's quality too. It got a 9/10 on road.cc review - well it's aero version did.

- Read more: road.cc's Cannondale Cypher helmet review

50% off Specialized's SL Elite SS Jersey
WAS £79.99 | NOW £39.99

Specialized SL Elite SS Jersey.jpg

Two options of Specialized jersey are also available in today's DealCatcher.

The first is the most season-appropriate jersey on offer today - the Specialized SL Elite jersey. 

The short sleeved jersey offers sensational comfort thanks to the highly elasticated SL 100 fabric which also has a Hydrofit finish and UPF +50 UV protection to keep you safe and dry.

50% off Specialized's Element Pro Racing Long Sleeve Jersey
WAS £84.99 | NOW £42.49

Specialized Element Pro Racing Long Sleeve Jersey.jpg

The other option today will feel like more of an investment than something you might be able to enjoy immediately - but we expect these jerseys to be a little more expensive come autumn.

Buying unseasonal clothing might seem mad to some of you, but we know plenty of you - and plenty of us in the road.cc office - tend to buy our clothes out of season to get the best price.

So, if you're planning on riding  a lot in the autumn and winter months, checking out this breathable yet water repellant Platino 285 polyester fabric jersey might be to your benefit.

40% off Dual's G5 Bifocal Sunglasses
WAS £49.99 | NOW £29.99

Dual G5 Bifocal Sunglasses.jpg

Chosing the right sunglasses can be tough for cyclists. Do you want a frame, do you want changable lenses, do they offer protection from UV rays, wind, rain, dust?

To help you make these tough decisions, we've put together a buyer's guide to help you and why we include a little bit of advice every time we write about sunglasses in the DealCatcher.

Buying a pair of bifocal sunglasses for cycling in is essential for those of you who have trouble seeing long distances, but want to also keep everything nearby in focus.

Dual offer a fantastic range of bifocal sunglasses, including these G5s at a +1.5, +2.0 and +2.5 magnification.

- Read more: road.cc's 18 best cycling sunglasses

30% off Specialized's Expert Road Shoe 2016
WAS £159.99 | NOW £111.99

Specialized Expert Road Shoe.jpg

Finally, Specialized's Expert Road Shoe offer incredible stiffness, fantastic weight, and brilliant performance for a - now - very reasonable price.

Specialized trademarked Boa dial adjustability and their FACT carbon/composite fibre soles offer excellent comfort and efficient power transfer, while the light supple thermobonded upper keeps the fit close to perfect.

The SL Pro Jersey is Specialized's flagship top. It has some good features and performs well on warm days, but the sizing is slightly odd so make sure you get it right when buying.

According to Specialized's size chart, girth-wise I'm a Small but length-wise I'm a Large or Extra-Large, depending on whether you believe the US or International size charts. Specialized does a 'Tall' version in S, M and L, which could be the one for you (or me). With the SL Pro being cut to 'provide a precise, second skin level of fit that's ideal for hard days out, aggressive training, or top-level racing', getting the right fit is critical as there's not much forgiveness.

> Find your nearest dealer here

> Buy this online here

The SL Pro in Medium on me felt restricted across the shoulders/arms (remembering I'm supposed to be a Small), had a perfect sleeve length and grip mid-bicep, and could be a bit could be longer at the rear (it's not me in the photos). Standing up, it was very tight under the arms and across the chest; on the bike it felt better but still a bit tight. Ironically, the chest fabric then felt too loose, flapping at speed. Standing tall, the front ended just below my belly button, which felt OK bent over on the bike. So very much a mixed bag on the fit front. Try and buy with care.

Specialized SL Pro Jersey - riding.jpg

I'm a sucker for sleeves that are the correct length, that don't bunch up, and allow the maintenance of a proper tan line. The SL Pro's do just that, with their welded (not stitched) edges.

The pockets are deep enough to completely swallow a hefty mini-pump, a mobile in a waterproof case, and a rolled-up shell, and the zipped valuables pocket is side-opening, zipped from the bottom up with a subtle yet effective reflective trim, to match the trim on the outer edges of the left and right pockets. It's apparently 'sweat-proof', but I wouldn't bet a £500 smartphone on it.

Specialized SL Pro Jersey - back.jpg

As befits a 'Pro' jersey, inside the valuables and central pocket there's an aligned headphone/earpiece hole so you can stay in touch with your DS on that HC climb when the road narrows and everyone else on the sportive is blocking their line to get you that critical gel or bidon. Or, more likely, so you can get Google Maps directions to the Sunday morning cake stop. Inside the jersey there are three cable loops to keep wires in place. The pocket corners are reinforced, a necessity when the fabric across the back is so light and breathable.

Specialized SL Pro Jersey - pocket.jpg

The lightness of the fabric does mean if you load the pockets it pulls back on the rather high-fronted collar, making its presence felt around the neck in my case. The jersey already felt tight across the chest on me, though this might not be the case for other body shapes. The zip's presence was exacerbated by there not being a zip garage – an omission on a £100 top. Likewise, construction lacks flatlocked seams, which seems a bit stingy, but overall it's a well-finished garment that has survived a few months' washing to look like new.

Specialized SL Pro Jersey - collar.jpg

During a two-hour ride in overcast, muggy 24°C weather, wearing a Lusso Dryline baselayer and the matching SL Pro Bibs (review to come), I didn't feel the need to unzip – even with repeated one-minute uphill all-out trips to maximum heart rate.

During this throwing about the place, the sleeves held fast. I had the very good Endura SL Pro shell in the left pocket, pump/tools in the centre, a Pocpac with cards/cash in the zipped valuables, and finally my mobile in the right. All this cargo was forgotten, and I didn't need to pull down the back at any point.

> Check out our guide to the best summer jerseys

That said, I was aware of the tightness across the shoulders and the high-fronted collar pulling backwards. This was less obvious when not carrying a shell in one pocket, and I did also pause during a ride to pop the pump into the frame bracket to lighten the pocket load, transferring the tool pouch to the left pocket to better relieve the issue of the collar pulling backwards. Having worn other lightweight high-end jerseys where pocket weight has not been an issue, I can only surmise it's the combination of a high collar and sub-optimal shoulder/chest fit making this an issue here.

Specialized SL Pro Jersey - chest.jpg

Overall, the build quality of the SL Pro is high and it has good features – especially the sleeve length and pockets – going a long way to justifying its £100 premium RRP. You do need to make sure you get the fit right, and with the 'Tall' option available that shouldn't be hard to do.

Verdict

Get the sizing right and this jersey should do you right for fast, warm rides

Specialized's SL Pro Bib Shorts are up there with the most comfortable bibs I've ever worn. They feel great and feature top-notch construction. Well worth every penny of their top-shelf £140 price tag.

I have a history of disagreement with bib shorts. More often than not there's something amiss – strap length, leg length, pad placement – that makes this most critical of cycling apparel fit borderline-penury after a few hours aboard. So when a pair of bibs arrive that are perfect in every way – for me – the act of review becomes one of repeated eager anticipation rather than dread. This was my experience with the Specialized SL Pros.

> Find your nearest dealer here

As with the matching top-end SL Pro jersey, Specialized does the SL Pro bib shorts in a 'Tall' option for Small, Medium and Large. With no 'Tall' body dimension guide it's very much up to you to try on the options: Specialized says 'Tall sizing offered with additional inseam and bib strap length for larger riders'.

Specialized Pro Bib Shorts - side.jpg

Starting at the bottom, the generous leg grippers with their silicone treatment stayed firmly in place. The length on my 6ft frame was between mid-thigh and top of the knee – perfect, as I don't like 'short' shorts. 

Specialized Pro Bib Shorts - gripper.jpg

The flatlock-stitched thigh and lower back panels fitted perfectly, the UV50-rated material in red being ever so slightly translucent so baselayers were visible underneath, but not modesty-defeating. Small reflective tabs are sewn into the rear of each thigh, and the lower back and bibstrap material is mesh for cooling/wicking.

Specialized Pro Bib Shorts - back.jpg

The bibs are supportive, with welded folded seams and a large cutout in the back to aid cooling. The front dips reasonably low to aid meeting calls of nature.

Specialized Pro Bib Shorts - straps front.jpg

The Body Geometry SL Pro Chamois features 'multi-density padding to strategically reduce pressure on soft tissue and nerves, leaving you comfortable for long stretches in the saddle'. What I found was, after hours in and out of the saddle, the pad felt sublime. No movement, no bunching, no pinching. No feeling of anything other than support, just where it's needed.

> Read our guide to the best cycling bib shorts

On a warm, muggy multi-hour redline training session, the SL Pro bibs let me get on with the suffering, the leg grippers staying put and I didn't once feel the need to get out of the saddle and adjust the pad.

This no-care experience was repeated on more relaxed rides of varying lengths and temperatures – I just could not fault the performance or fit of these bibs. Which makes for a short review, but hey – if they work perfectly across a range of rides, what more can you say? The rather in-your-face branding might put off some folks, but you'd be missing a potentially great fit and riding experience.

Verdict

Simply brilliant bib shorts, even at their top-shelf price

The 'deal'iciousness doesn't stop here at road.cc. The DealCatcher's back again with some more spectacular savings on top quality bike bits for you.

Today's selection features Specialized's Allez E5 Sport 2016 Road Bike which has seen a quarter of its asking price sliced away over at Hargroves.

Following the Allez we've got Shimano's road.cc rated 8/10 RP5 Road Shoes at a 27% discount over at Evans Cycles.

And finally, Cycle Surgery are offering Gore Bike Wear's Oxygen Jersey with a rather tasty 45% off for one day only.

Hargroves Cycles

25% off Specialized's Allez E5 Sport 2016 Road Bike
WAS £749.00 | NOW £562.00

specialized allez e5 sport blue 2016.jpg

If it's made our list of the best bikes money can buy - between the prices of £500 and £750 - you know it's gunna be good.

And that's exactly what Specialized's Allez E5 Sport has done.

Our tech editor Dave Arthur has included it in his 2016 list of the best bargain road bikes for a few reasons. He says the the Allez "would make an ideal weekday commuter" and the E5 Premium aluminium frame and Specialized Espoir Sport tyres and excellent Shimano Sora groupset means it'll handle Sunday morning leisure rides just as comfortably.

- Read more: road.cc's best-bikes-between-£500-and-£750 guide

Evans Cycles

27% off Shimano's RP5 Road Shoe
WAS £89.99 | NOW £64.80

Shimano RP5 Road Shoe.PNG

A road.cc 8/10 is high praise, as far as we're concerned; and high praise is exactly what the the Shimano RP5 shoes received when they came in for test.

They're built for endurance events, according to Shimano, which indicates they'll be comfortable, and they look the part too - the synthetic leather upper giving the shoes a polished look.

Our man Jez Ash thoroughly recommended these shoes when he filed his review of them earlier this year.

He called them"very comfortable and smart-looking road shoes for a decent price."

Well, Jez, the price of these shoes just got even more decent. What do you have to say about that?

- Read more: road.cc's Shimano RP5 road shoe review

Cycle Surgery

45% off Gore Bike Wear's Oxygen Jersey
WAS £109.99 | NOW £60.00

Gore Bike Wear Oxygen Jersey.jpg

Finally, we've got a stunningly priced summer jersey that's only available at this price for one more day.

Cycle Surgery's sale is due to end today, so if you're after a top quality windstopper summer jersey, you better hurry.

There's no denying the quality of Gore Bike Wear's Oxygen line. We've already reviewed the Oxygen jacket here at road.cc and it jacketed away with a stunning 9/10.

While we haven't got our mitts on the jersey yet, from what we've read it's got the same caliber of design features as its shell layer counterpart.

The jersey's lightweight mix of materials will keep you cool and fresh, while windstopper inserts will give you a bit of protection should the weather turn while you're on your ride - as it probably will, we're in the UK after all.

- Read more: road.cc's Gore Bike Wear Oxygen Jacket review

The road.cc DealCatcher has a special guest today. All the way from their Cheshire home, the folks at Cycle Store have brought a selection of spectacular savings to the door of road.cc towers, so we're sharing those savings with you.

Starting with the gang's selection of Specialized products - which have seen discounts as high as 67% off - today's DealCatcher's got Rbx Sport jerseys, Rib bottle cages, and Romin Expert Gel Saddles.

To round up the day's deals the discounteers at Cycle Store are offering 40% off their selection of Panaracer tyres.

What are you waiting for?

50% off Specialized's Rbx Sport Ss Jersey
WAS £49.99 | NOW £24.99

Specialized RBX Sport SS Jersey.jpg

If you're after a great jersey option for easy Sunday rides, Specialized's short sleeve comfortable fit, elasticated RBX Sport is a perfect option.

The comfortable SL 130 fabric has integrated UV protection and a hydrofit finish to aid in water evaporation.

At under £25 too, you'll struggle to find a better deal on a jersey of this quality.

67% off Specialized's Rib Bottle Cage
WAS £14.99 | NOW £4.99

Specialized Rib Bottle Cage.jpg

We're all about big discounts here at the DealCatcher, so when a deal rolls past the deal desk that's well over the 60% mark lights and sirens start going off in the office.

Here's today's discount alarm culprit - Specialized's minimalistically designed Rib cage is all about weight saving and sleek looks.

If you're after a bit of an education in what bottle cage to choose for your bike, check out our selection of reviews below.

- Read more: road.cc's selection of bottle cage reviews

30% off Specialized's Romin Expert Gel Saddle
WAS £84.99 | NOW £59.49

Specialized Romin Expert Saddle.jpg

Our final Specialized product from today's DealCatcher is the Romin Expert Gel Saddle.

This year's model, the Romin Expert saddle offers excellent comfort without letting any of the gains you'd expect from a performance saddle fall by the wayside. 

The bodygeometry channel you can see in the middle of the saddle helps maximise blood flow to your legs, while the saddle's shape and gel insert helps optimise power transfer and keep you comfortable.

- Read more: road.cc's buyer's guide to saddles

40% off Panaracer's Race Duro Evo 2 Road Tyre
WAS £39.99 | NOW £23.99

Panaracer Race Duro Evo 2.jpg

On to the Panaracer tyres.

The Panaracer Duro tyres are designed for all-season training and sportive riding. Somewhat unsurprisingly, the 'Duro' in the tyre's name comes from the word  durable, and that's exactly what these tyres are.

When we reviewed a pair of the Panaracer Duro tyres our man David Else called them "Good quality tyres, nicely striking the balance between light and tough; ideal for winter training."

- Read more: road.cc's Panaracer Race Duro Evo 2 Tyre review

40% off Panaracer's Race Light Evo 2 Road Tyre
WAS £39.99 | NOW £23.99

Panaracer Race Light Evo 2.jpg

While the Duro tyres were durable, we'll let you guess what the Race Light Panaracer tyres are.

You got it, they're light and race-ready.

Back in 2013, we reviewed Panaracer's Race A Evo 2 tyre, which was given a similar pegging to the Race Light Evos on offer here.

Panaracer say that their Race Light Evo's "improved casing and EVO2 compound improve this light weight high performance tire made for hill climbing and TT. Outstanding light race day tire also."

Our esteemed tech editor said that the Race A Evos were a"durable, quick tyre with good grip."

- Read more: road.cc's Panaracer Race A Evo 2 Tyre review

If you've been suffering from hydration problems this summer, if you're looking for a new bike, or you're watching the evenings encroach warily, you've come to the right place!

In today's DealCatcher we're helping you find solutions to all sorts of problems, whether they're late evening commute concerns, keeping yourself fresh while you're in the saddle, or those unmanagable n+1 urges for new wheels.

We get things started with Specialized's excellent 2016 Diverge Comp Carbon - which we ran through its paces in April - which is available at Cycle Store for £1874.99, which amounts to a 25% discount.

BTwin's 700 Hydration Pack is our second deal of the day. As usual with the folk's at Decathlon, their in-house BTwin products - which are generously priced at the worst of times - blow the competition out of the water when they apply their crazy discounts. This pack's available at 60% off.

Finally, Ribble Cycles has a great offer on sets of Lezyne Micro Drive lights. 41% discounts certainly aren't anything to scoff at.

Cycle Store

25% off Specialized's 2016 Diverge Comp Carbon
WAS £2499.99 | NOW £1874.99

Specialized Deverge Comp Carbon 2016.jpg

There aren't many people more qualified to wax lyrical about Specialized's Diverge range's capabilities than our own Jo Burt, so we'll let him do the talking:

"The remit of the Diverge is to travel the path less travelled and then turn off it. It’s built for long days in the saddle over whatever terrain you might encounter, tarmac, rough roads, dirt tracks, a little bit of that current buzz-word gravel."

Jo took the Diverge Comp Carbon for a spin in April and seemed pretty impressed. We're fairly sure he'd be even more impressed with the bike at this price too.

- Read more: road.cc's Specialized Diverge Comp Carbon first look

Decathlon

60% off BTwin's 700 Hydration Pack
WAS £24.99 | NOW £9.99

BTwin 700 Hydration Pack.jpg

It may feel like we're coming to the end of the summer, but hydration is pretty important all year round. And hey, we may well have a few summery days left before autumn really rains on our parade.

BTwin is making your life easier - and saving you a ton of money - with its 60% discount on the six litre capacity hydration pack.

- Read more: road.cc's 10 best cycling rucksacks

Ribble Cycles

41% off Lezyne's Micro Drive 400XL light set
RRP £74.99 | NOW £43.50

Lezyne Micro Drive Set.jpg

Finally, when it comes to bike lights convenience and simplicity are often the biggest factors in finding a product that suits your needs.

Lezyne's Micro Drive are both simply - and beautifully - designed, as well as superbly convenient.

They're small, they secure themselves incredibly securely, and they lightweight and easy to use to boot.

- Read more: road.cc's Lezyne Micro Drive review

The Diverge is part of what Specialized call their Adventure range, a bike that's designed for the road less travelled and long, all-day rides over rough roads with an endurance-focused geometry and clearance for up to 35mm tyres should you wish. And that's something it does incredibly well, fast and with a silly grin on its face.

Specialized Diverge Comp Carbon - Cables.jpg

The Diverge comes in a range of models, in both carbon and aluminium. The Comp may sit at the bottom of the carbon range but shares the same FACT Carbon frame and forks as the other plastic models but with componentry more suited to its price.

What we have here is the 2016 model, but the 2017 version doesn't see many changes. It's had a visual overhaul with a carbon/darksilver colour scheme that verges on stealthy, and it has DT Swiss wheels that are very similar to the AXIS 4.0 wheels here. The £2,400 price up there is for the 2017 version, but if you're a middling size (54, 56 or 58) Specialized dealers  we've checked on line are listing 2016 bikes for £1,875. 

Buy Specialized Diverge Comp Carbon 2016
Buy Specialized Diverge Comp Carbon 2017
Find a Specialized dealer

Frame

Specialized Diverge Comp Carbon - BottomBracket .jpg

It's a tidy looking frame with bolt-thru axles front and rear and all cables routed internally, although that kink in the top-tube ahead of the seat-tube is a bit of a grower. There are water-bottle bosses on the down and seat tubes, the former being a set of three bolts to give you a choice of cage position, or to use Specialized's MTB SWAT storage box. There are discretely hidden holes front and back of the frame for a full complement of mudguards and racks should you wish. The front and rear mech cables have in-line adjusters by the bars for handy on the fly adjustment too.

Specialized Diverge Comp Carbon - Seatstay Zertz Insert.jpg

The fork and seatstays have Zertz inserts incorporated into them, a feature designed to absorb road buzz that's been a distinctive element on those Specialized bikes destined for all-day comfort for some time now, so they must be convinced it works.

Adding to that comfort is the flexible Specialized CG-R FACT carbon seatpost, which cossets your bum both on the road and for the off road riding that's the Diverge's real purpose. Designed to flex under the force of an impact from the road without changing the cockpit dimensions of the bike it has, let's be frank, the kind of looks that only its mother could love. Someone quipped that it looked like that it was squatting to have a poo on the top-tube, which is a little harsh, but it does actually work, and work well, and despite its chunky looks it's not a heavy component that would cheerfully save a pound if you binned it. It really does isolate your arse from a lot of road buzz and much more noticeably, gravel vibration, adding greatly to the comfort of bike, noticeable over the course of a long day in the saddle.

Specialized Diverge Comp Carbon - Diverge Badge.jpg

It can make the rear end feel a little woolly if you're a rider that likes a bit of feedback, and there are times, especially when you get tired, that it feels like you might have a slow puncture. Another more tangible downside is that it does such a good job of isolating you from the road or bumpy track that you're somewhat divorced from the potential severity of what's going on under your wheels and smacking into your tyres, so over-excited pinch punctures are a hazard. Swapping it for a standard alloy post immediately highlights the CG-R's effectiveness and definitely gives the Diverge a more 'riding by the seat of your chamois' feel which you may or may not prefer. The clam-shell seat clamp is a pain to adjust by the way.

The Specialized Body Geometry Phenom Comp saddle is comfortable enough, although well cushioned all over it's done so quite firmly so has little squish to it. Even with its cut out hole and channel which are posterior features I never usually get on with, care for or even feel the need I didn't want to immediately swap it, but of course your bum may feel differently.

Components

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Shifting and braking are controlled by non-series 685 STIs and disc calipers. The shifting when matched to the long cage 105 rear mech is a little clunky, especially if you're used to the quiet 'schnik, snick' of higher-end and tighter cogged Shimano groupsets but it hasn't skipped a beat out of the box. The discs come fitted with finned pads and Ice-Tech rotors to help with heat dissipation and the feel, modulation and power of the brakes is absolutely spot on.

Do we need to have the discussion about disc brakes on road bikes still? I'm ambivalent to the whole thing, I have a variety of bikes with both rim brakes and disc brakes and can easily adjust accordingly but the level of control that discs allow you in all conditions is what makes them so special. On a bike like the Diverge that will find itself in a wider range of situations than just mooching along a bit of smooth dry tarmac, it's not about power. There's enough of that to go around and the brain soon adapts to how much to pull the lever (here's a tip – not much) for the desired effect. Rather, it's about predictable control: fingertip predictable control. Especially useful when heading into a gravelly corner at full chat.

A small component highlight is the Praxis Works TURN Zayante chainset. The cranks come with hollow forged arms and Pro-Compact 50/34T rings. With the 11-32t Shimano 105 11-speed cassette, that gives a wide spread of gears and should mean you can winch up most things, even off-piste. These are linked together by a KMC X11, 11-speed chain with a reusable MissingLink. There are a few large gaps in the gear range that can get annoying if you're trying to maintain a steady cadence on the road. That's the trade off for a gear range that comes into its own away from tarmac, if you've bolted racks and panniers to the bike, or strapped trendier more rugged bike-packing gear to it.

Specialized Diverge Comp Carbon - Axis Rim.jpg

The remit of the Diverge is to take the road less travelled and then turn off it. It's built for long days in the saddle over whatever terrain you might encounter: tarmac, rough roads, dirt tracks, a little bit of that current buzz-word gravel. The Diverge caters to the increasing number of people who are venturing away from tarmac on their road bikes and riding the burgeoning events that mix together on and off road sections for a fun and challenging day out. The UK might not have the vast web of gravel roads that these bikes are aimed at in the States but get your map out and you'll find there are enough off-the-beaten-tracks to keep you busy with a hint of imagination and trust in your tyres. And there are more than enough poorly maintained roads to keep you busy in the meantime.

To this end the Diverge has what Specialized call endurance-focused geometry, so you might expect things to be just a little bit more relaxed than your road bike, settling somewhere between that and a cyclo-cross machine, head angle a little slacker than normal, higher bottom-bracket, longer wheelbase, a slightly taller head-tube, that sort of thing. In Specialized's case it means transferring a lot of numbers from their Roubaix road bike across to the Diverge; the size 56 stack and reach numbers of 590mm and 387mm are the same for both models, as is the effective top-tube of 565mm and the wheelbase is identical too.

Specialized Diverge Comp Carbon - Turn Zayante 50:34.jpg

The Diverge head and seat angles are also the same as the Roubaix but the head tube length is shorter, the same as Specialized's racier Tarmac. So it's not some casual heads-up all day cruiser; on the contrary it's quite sprightly and happy to canter about a bit should the need arise. Despite this the Diverge still manages to find clearance for cyclo-cross friendly 35mm tyres should you want to put some on, or room for mudguards over road tyres.

One of the ways they've managed to do this, more specifically at the back is with their SCS design concept. SCS stands for Short Chain Stay and it's Specialized's way of fitting a standard width road disc brake thru axle hub into a rear end that isn't several post-codes long and still juggle a decent chainline, heel clearance and Q-factor on the cranks in the mix. It all fits in nicely and it doesn't feel like you're dragging the rear wheel behind you, unfortunately it means that you're forced into accepting a new 'standard' of rear wheel – hooray – but adapters that come with the bike let you fit a standard quick release road disc wheel in the bike should you wish to swap.

Specialized Diverge Comp Carbon - Phenom Saddle Side.jpg

Not that you should. The supplied AXIS 4.0 Disc SCS wheels have taken a hell of a hammering. They've handled roads, gravel tracks, roads that were more like potholed gravel tracks, Strada Bianche and Alpine forest tracks and have come out the other side remarkably unscathed. The only scar's been the rear one requiring the tiniest bit of a tweak to massage it back to true. They're not the lightest wheels you could strap on, and their weight can sometimes be felt on a climb, but for rugged reliability and the sort of use the bike cries out to be used for they get full marks.

They come with Specialized Roubaix Pro 700x25/28mm tyres, which come up a full 28mm on these rims. With 120TPI sidewalls, a folding bead and BlackBelt protection they're good for anything you might want to throw at them. On the road they feel fast enough, a little more sedate than your race rubber and more than happy to keep up with the Sunday ride, but sturdy enough to take a sharp right down the gap in the bushes and embrace what you really probably shouldn't tackle on road bike. You do have to display a certain amount of finesse, though; these aren't a cyclo-cross tyre. These have done a goodly amount of 'stuff' and they're holding up remarkably well with little in the way of wear, holes or nicks.

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The bars and stem are Specialized branded again, alloy and unfancy, but they do the job. The bars have a now pretty much omnipresent shallow drop of 125mm and a 70mm short reach keeping drops and controls close for off-road control and on road comfort. The Roubaix bar tape is nicely textured and grippy, although it does soak up rain quite well. Sticking with the comfort brief of the Diverge the tape has gel strips hidden underneath it to keep your palms isolated from buzz and bumps, but it crosses the line between comfy and vague once in a while.

It seems like everyone's got a bike that sits somewhere between an cyclo-cross bike and a road bike at the moment, be it an Adventure Bike, an All Road bike, a Gravel Bike, Beyond Road, Gnarmac weapon or whatever new genre it is they want to call a bicycle that has road DNA but can take in a bit of rough and tumble as well. It didn't take long to work out that the Diverge is great for Dicking About, although we suspect the Specialized marketing department might baulk a little at that, how about 'Hooligan Road'? That sounds more like the Diverge's personality and potential advertising tag line.

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On the road, thanks to it's Tarmac-esque low head-tube and Roubaix angles it pretty much feels just like a normal road bike, but more comfortable. Despite being promoted as all all-day endurance bike it's not an easy-going relaxed cruiser, push and it will eagerly push back. And unlike your scrawny road bike you can happily smash the Diverge through potholes and power over crappy roads without any compulsion, or getting beaten to bits. Put some mudguards on, winter bike, done.

It's not a race bike, although with some quicker rubber on you could make a reasonable fist of it, its Roubaix and Tarmac parentage will see to that. It's not a cyclo-cross bike but you can fit cyclo-cross tyres in there and point it off-road. It's not an Adventure Bike or whatever it is you want to call it but you can strap bike-packing bags to it and head towards any horizon. It's not a touring bike but, oh, you get the idea. And, whisper it, its all-day endurance tag makes it a spectacular audax bike. It's rare that a bike can be adapted to so many uses and not be compromised somewhere but somehow the Diverge manages to do it, and do it very well.

Specialized Diverge Comp Carbon - Turn Zayante BB30 Chainset.jpg

Conclusion

You may have figured out that I like the Diverge, but I actually bloody love it. I like my road bikes but I also like my cyclo-cross bikes and I like my mountain bikes, and because of this I often find myself on my road bike bouncing around on inappropriate terrain. The Diverge makes this stupidity a lot easier without your riding jollies being jeopardized by the bike being a tedious slug on the road. A friend who borrowed it said it's the sort of bike that makes you want to move house because it opens up a vast web of riding possibilities. Bit of Flanders, section of Strada Bianche, poxed tarmac, random 'where does that go' moments? Bring it on.

Verdict

Fast and fun bike that's good for much, much more than just sticking to tarmac.

In today's DealCatcher we've got one of our pics for the best aluminium road bikes of 2016 at a discount price, alongside a couple of other bits and bobs that will be very useful as the weather continues to deteriorate.

From Hargroves Cycles comes a Specialized Allez with a tasty little 25% discount attached to it. If you follow the link below our listing of the Allez in today's article you'll notice it's the second entry in the round-up we made of 2016 aluminium bikes to look out for.

Second up is Castelli's vaguely named Toe Thingy, which is as cheap as we think you'll find it at the moment over on Ribble Cycles' website.

Finally, your bike's going to get mucky over the next few months, so ask yourself now: are you equipped? If the answer is no, check out the great deal on Muc-Off brushes over at Tweeks Cycles.

Hargroves Cycles

25% off Specialized's Allez Elite 2016 Road Bike
WAS £949.00 | NOW £712.00

Specialized Allez Elite 2016.jpg

Specialized introduced its SmartWeld frame technology to the market via the super expensive £7500 Allez a few years ago. Over the last few years though they've managed to bring the technology to cheaper and cheaper models.

This Allez Elite features that same tech alongside Shimano's newly revised Tiagra groupset. It's a bargain, plain and simple.

- Read more: road.cc's 11 best aluminium road bikes of 2016

Ribble Cycles

14% off Castelli's Toe Thingy
WAS £14.00 | NOW £12.00

Castelli Toe Thingy.PNG

Granted, Castelli's Toe Thingy hasn't got the most descriptive name, but it's a great little bit of kit that'll do wonders for autumnal rides.

Our tech editor Mat Brett says that the Toe Thing "provides a little extra warmth on days that are cool but not so cold that you want to go with full overshoes."

Mat also goes on to call the name "class," we can't help but agree.

- Read more: road.cc's Castelli Toe Thingy review

Tweeks Cycles

31% off Muc-Off's 5-Piece Brush Set
WAS £26.00 | NOW £17.99

Muc-Off five piece brush set.jpg

Finally, Muc-Off's brush set covers all of the basics if you want to keep your bike clean this winter.

Our man Shaun Audane ran the brushes through their paces and liked what he saw, for the most part.

If you're brushless at the moment, this is the perfect place to start, and at this price they're quite a bargain.

- Read more: road.cc's Muc-Off 5-Piece Brush Set review