Rose Backroad Force AXS vs Specialized Diverge 4 Comp Carbon - SRAM Apex AXS/S1000
Both are gravel bikes at a similar price. Here is what actually separates them.
The short answer
For a typical all-round rider the Specialized Diverge 4 Comp Carbon - SRAM Apex AXS/S1000 comes out ahead (69% against 67%). That is not a universal verdict — change the terrain or the priority and the order can flip.
What actually separates them
- Price
- The Rose Backroad Force AXS is £99 cheaper — £3,700 against £3,799.
- Weight
- The Rose Backroad Force AXS is 0.6kg lighter, which you notice on long climbs more than anywhere else.
- Riding position
- The Specialized Diverge 4 Comp Carbon - SRAM Apex AXS/S1000 sits you more upright (1.52 stack-to-reach against 1.47). The Rose Backroad Force AXS is the more aggressive of the two — quicker if you can hold it, harder work if you cannot.
- Tyre clearance
- The Rose Backroad Force AXS takes 53mm tyres against 50mm — the single most common thing buyers wish they had more of.
- Climbing gear
- The Specialized Diverge 4 Comp Carbon - SRAM Apex AXS/S1000 has the easier bottom gear (21 gear inches against 23), which matters more than weight on anything genuinely steep.
- Mudguards
- Only the Specialized Diverge 4 Comp Carbon - SRAM Apex AXS/S1000 takes mudguards, which decides whether it can be your winter bike.
Side by side
| Spec | Backroad Force AXS | Diverge 4 Comp Carbon - SRAM Apex AXS/S1000 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £3,700 | £3,799 |
| Weight | 9.1 kg | 9.7 kg |
| Frame | carbon | carbon |
| Groupset | SRAM Force XPLR AXS 1x13 electronic | SRAM Apex AXS with S1000 Eagle 1x12 electronic |
| Stack / reach | 1.47 | 1.52 |
| Tyre clearance | 53 mm | 50 mm |
| Lowest gear | 23 in | 21 in |
| Mudguard mounts | No | Yes |
| Comfort | 68 | 78 |
| Speed | 40 | 26 |
| Climbing | 67 | 62 |
| Value | 14 | 9 |
Neither might be the right answer
This page assumes an average rider. Tell us how you actually ride and we will rank these two against everything else at the price.
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