Pinnacle Arkose or Specialized Diverge

Just to add to my earlier post the Pinnacle Arkose does have a sloping top tube and when I asked Evans to get one in for a test ride the Large was too large, although being the right size on paper.  I'm 5'11'' and went for a medium.  I would certainly have a test ride first.

On paper, the Arkose 3 looks like a very sound choice. 105, hydraulics, Praxis sub-compact chainset and WTB wheelset.

I'd certainly choose it over the Arkose 2 (£150 for 105 is worth it). £1250 for a Specialized with (non-hydraulic) 10-speed Tiagra would leave me a little underwhelmed personally.

I imagine on both the Spec and the Pinnacle that you'd want to eventually change things like the seatpost and saddle - both Spec and Pinnacle tend to use less flattering finishing components...

If you like your Triban Decathlon have a disc-braked "adventure" road bike on the way.

If I was buying new for the purpose you suggest I'd look at the Fairlight Faran but might be out of your price range.

Also worth looking for 2016 model discounts on something like a Genesis CdF or CdA (the CdA is brilliant value and really nicely finished - takes wide tyres, mudguards, and has rack mounts).

Friend has a white and red painted one, looks great. Base model is Claris but there is a Tiagra build too.

I have a Arkose 3 since December 2016 and done about 2.5k on it.  When I was looking for a crosser I was coming from mountain bikes and a bike with hydrolic discs.  The brakes are great and a 105 group set not many or any other options out there with that spec.

I changed the saddle to a regal, I changed the bars to fsa shallow drop, I really didn't get on with the small block 8 tyres so I've changed those as well.  I guess these are quite personal things or things you would want to change anyway!

I've not used it with luggage but it has all the mounts so should work fine.  Handles well and I've done cyclocross races and off road with it, I am coming from a MTB background.

My only wish is that it had thruaxles, which the newer one has.

Oh, and I'm pretty sure that the SCS rear end can fit normal wheels if you change the replaceable dropout. A faff then, but not terminal.

Another happy Arkose rider here, A4 w. 105 & Hydros. Dunno about the chap up there but the brakes are streets ahead of the Ultegra rim brakes on my road bike. Using the Arkose for the Audax UK National 400 this weekend. Running it tubeless with gravel king 32c slicks at 60psi. Maybe the harsh feeeling comes from the stock tyres? I've never ridden mine with them.

I teat rode an arkose 3 (105 hydraulics), it was poop. Harsh frame and the 105 hydro shifters have no feel. The 105 Grade was so much nicer, more comfort and composure plus more feel with the normal 105 leavers and Hy-Rd brakes. Get a different rack for it, or use Apidura saddle bag.

I can't comment on the Specialized Diverge as I have never ridden one but I have owned a Pinnacle Arkose 3 for around two years and absolutely love it!

I managed to get the previous years model at a knock down price (I think I saved ~£150). It serves me well on my daily commute via tow path, park and road as well as working very well as a tourer and holding it's own on Sportives.

Changing the tyres over in the Summer to Vittoria Voyager Hyper certainly make the bike faster and the suppleness of this tyre soaks up the bumps in the road (and at ~£20 each at PlanetX are a steal). They are not the grippiest in the mud and snow though so I stick to the stock Kenda Small Block 8's in the winter which are great in these months.

When I had a similar choice I went for the Arkose 4, last years model reduced by a couple of £100.  I really like it and have a lot of fun riding it.  It is a little heavy maybe, but then I replaced a Dawes Galaxy with it which was even heavier.  Once you have pannier racks and mudgaurds on it then there is possibly little point in spending more to try and save a little weight.

I didn't go for the specialised bikes because of the wheels mentioned above (no longer an issue).  I also thought about a genesis croix de fer but the specs again don't look so good for the money as the Arkose.  

I ruled out some others due to lack of mounts, there is the work around mentioned above, but i liked the idea of proper mudgaurd mounts as well as pannier mounts.

Maybe you need to ride them both and see.

Goose, apologies if you knew this already, but you can make an absolutely rock-solid rack mount for a pannier rack as long as you have the right diameter P-Clip.

The lack of rack eyelets whilst not the optimal solution wouldn´t necessarily rule out the GT Grade for me.

Once again sorry if you were aware of that workaround.

I'm guessing a brand-new Diverge? I would not recommend the original first-generation model because Spez had that SCS lunacy going on with their first-generation disc brake road bikes. The long and short of it is, you're stuck with the SCS-compatible wheelsets (rear hubs specifically) and only Spez ever made them.

Additionally, Spez makes good components, but their bikes leave me a little cold - primarily because they're usually very poor value for money where I'm from.

I'd say go with the Arkose. You're not really losing much on Tiagra 4700 vs. 105 5800 especially since you're going the disc brake route - shifting is silky smooth on both. Only real difference is that 11th cog and the corresponding chain.