Gravel

The road goes on forever and the party never ends. When the Stigmata was resurrected in 2015, we fused a number of MTB standards and design features to create our spin on the modern CX bike. Something must have clicked, because within months of launch it raced to victory at the legendary Three Peaks, and has continued to contend at elite cyclocross races around the world. Nowadays, the internally routed disc brakes, generous tire clearance and thru-axles approach that made the Stigmata famous have become more of a norm, so we took a fresh look at which standards the riders of tomorrow wanted access to today. Threaded bottom brackets remain a perennial favourite across our entire line thanks to their proven robust, cost-effective and compatible design. "If it ain't broke…" ...and it never is. Fender mounts add a bit of CYA, and highlight the Stigmata's ever-widening scope of purpose. We added to that with three bottle cage mounts so that the frame can still hold at least one normal bottle even when running a front triangle bag. Deeper adventures, bigger tires perhaps? The frame now clears up to a 45mm 700c or a 2.1" 650b tire. Marry the latter to our Force/X01 AXS mashup kit and you've got yourself the kind of drop-bar singletrack and gravel rallycat we can all get onboard with. And when it comes to good old-fashioned off-road etiquette, the Stigmata's had some coaching at the Highball school of stiffness, handling, and offroad feel. The carbon layup borrows knowledge gained from not just the Highball, but also Danny MacAskill's trials bike, to produce a ride so law-abiding you'd think HR had sent it on a compliance training course. Geometry plays a big part here too, so we've made tweaks to improve handling for smaller riders and reduce toe overlap. The reworking of the 52/54cm frames means the Stigmata now comfortably suits riders from 5'3" and up. Meanwhile different fork offsets—50mm for the 52-54cm sizes, and 45mm for the 56-61cm sizes—help ensure your little piggies don't go to market on the front wheel. Topped off with tidy details like 12mm front axle, flat mount brakes and build-specific Reserve wheel packages, the Stigmata is designed to let you decide whatever the heck you want this category to be.

Now lighter, smoother and more adaptable to variable terrain, this all-new, ready-for-anything gravel bike combines ultra-efficient performance with next-level control. This gravel crusher is built on a lightweight Advanced composite frameset with updated geometry, so you can tackle long, hard rides with greater efficiency and control. It's now more adaptable to your riding style and terrain, with a new flip chip feature on the rear dropout to adjust the wheelbase and tire clearance (up to 53mm). You can also choose a standard D-Fuse seatpost for maximum compliance or a 30.9mm round or dropper post. A new, lighter weight composite fork eats up bumps, and the Contact SLR D-Fuse carbon handlebar minimizes fatigue by further absorbing shocks and vibrations.

This thing called 'gravel riding' is still evolving, still being defined. What's next? Hop on the new Diverge Expert EVO and you tell us. It's designed to get aggressive, to push the boundaries of what we thought was possible on a gravel bike. With flat bars and geometry even more progressive then the new drop bar Diverge you better hang onto your flannel. We've significantly increased the reach, slackened the head-tube, and lowered the bottom bracket, to put you 'in' the bike for a super planted feeling. From sending technical single track to ripping flowing fire road descents, if you're looking for a partner to take your gravel riding to new levels, nothing's faster, more fun, or rowdier than the Diverge EVO. With a Premium E5 Aluminum frame and our latest Future Shock 2.0 with an adjustable hydraulic damper offering 20mm of travel, the Diverge Expert E5 is uniquely qualified to tackle aggressive trails at high speed. The bike's build is MTB-inspired, with SRAM GX Eagle 1x12 shifting and extra stopping power thanks to SRAM Level TLM brakes. A TranzX dropper post is standard, as well as our latest gravel tire designed for incredible traction, the new Rhombus Pro 42mm, on DT Swiss G540 alloy wheels. - Our Premium E5 Aluminum frame provides a stiff, light, and durable platform. When mated to our full carbon FACT fork, the Diverge EVO becomes a light, lively and versatile bike ready to tackle the most technical gravel and dirt as aggressively as you could wish. - Speed, control, and confidence - Future Shock 1.5 is ideal technology for the gravel rider. With 20mm of axial compliance, Future Shock 1.5 is progressively tuned specifically for gravel riding. This keeps you confident and in control, able to keep the power down and stay off the brakes over rough dirt roads and in thick loose gravel, all while keeping your hands, arms, and neck fresh. - With the Diverge EVO, we took our new progressive gravel geometry to new levels. We've lengthened the frame 30mm over a drop bar Diverge (Size Medium), lowered the bottom bracket, and slackened the head tube. This gives the Diverge EVO more confidence over technical terrain while keeping the cockpit comfortable with flat bars. It also allows for a short stem to make all that stability feel nimble and quick at the bars. - Nothing unlocks a bike's capability like tire clearance, so we gave the Diverge EVO a whopping 47mm of tire clearance with a 700c wheel and 2.1" with a 650b wheel. Thanks to a drive-side chainstay utilizing a machined alloy beam behind the chainrings we've created clearance without using a fragile dropped chainstay design or increasing chainstay length.

Some roads are smooth, others are rough. This smooth-riding all-rounder handles it all, taking you from the main route to more adventurous options with confidence and control. Contend AR combines a smooth, responsive ride quality with an ability to handle adventurous new routes. Disc-brake integration and generous tire clearance (up to 38mm) put you in control, even on rough roads. A D-Fuse composite seatpost dampens road vibrations, giving you a smoother, more enjoyable ride experience. This is a true all-rounder for road riders who have a thirst for adventure.