The fact that the component brand Enve is now also active as a frame manufacturer is probably not known to many road bike fans in this country. The subsidiary of the Finnish Amer Sports Group has a global presence with carbon components ranging from wheels to seat posts. However, the first Enve Custom Road frame set, made to order and customised for a solvent clientele, is only marketed in the USA. With the Melee road bike, the Americans have also been competing internationally for a year now. Instead of being made in the home country, the frameset - like the frames of most competitors - is built by an Asian supplier. The usual monocoque construction method takes the place of customised production from individual tubes; there are therefore prefabricated geometries in no less than seven different sizes.
The Melee, which translates as "melee", is nevertheless not an off-the-peg racing bike. The frame set is offered with a seat post, stem and handlebars, the dimensions of which you determine yourself - so you are not dependent on the manufacturer's pre-assembly. The bike is assembled by the customer or by an authorised dealer; the Enve Melee is rarely offered as a complete bike.
Under 7 kilos possible
Our test bike comes with an Ultegra Di2 groupset from Shimano, which almost seems like an economy measure in view of the luxurious carbon wheels and numerous carbon fibre parts. Overall, the bike makes a discreet, tidy and extremely elegant impression; the shiny metallic Damascus grey paint finish is particularly eye-catching. The frame shapes reflect a sporty aspiration; a balance between good aerodynamics and low weight was recognisably in the specifications. The Melee has achieved this well; despite the rich paintwork, the frame is relatively light at just under 1000 grams, and with a top gear group, a complete weight of less than seven kilograms would be possible. In the wind tunnel test, the bike performs better than many all-rounders from larger manufacturers with 218 watts of pedalling power required for 45 km/h. This is also due to the fast but expensive carbon wheels. The bike does not come close to proven aero experts, but that is not its claim.
Entry-level road bike: can do a lot, costs a lot
The width of the tyres fitted already indicates that the Melee is not just limited to high speeds on well-paved race tracks. The tyres, which are nominally 29 millimetres wide, expand to a good 30 millimetres on the wide rims, which makes the already very comfortable bike suitable for long distances without restrictions. And that's not all:
With a permissible tyre width of up to 35 millimetres, light gravel tours are also conceivable, making the Melee quite unique. The integrated threads for permanently mounted mudguards are also something you won't find on other bikes with such a sporty design.
Predictable handling, sporty seating position
The steering behaviour is tuned to the wide tyres and with our set-up, the bike rides wonderfully balanced and predictable, even beginners can handle it with ease. The riding position is quite sporty, but not extreme, so the bike should appeal to racers as well as ambitious touring cyclists. A bike for a large customer base - in theory. The pricing will limit the circle to very discerning and, above all, solvent potential buyers. The frameset is priced at 5500 euros, which is ambitious despite the perfect workmanship and many well thought-out details. According to the manufacturer, the build of the test bike with Shimano's electronic Ultegra should be around 12,000 euros, depending on dealer conditions. With (even) more exclusive equipment and the assembly service of a specialist dealer, prices in excess of 15,000 euros are not out of the question.
Enve Melee in detail
- Price: 5500 Euro (frame set)
- Info: www.enve.com
- Weight frame/fork/steering bearing*: 982/432/83 grammes
- Frame sizes**: 47, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60
- Seat/top/head tube: 490/555/161 millimetres
- Stack/Reach/STR***: 580/391 millimetres/1.48
- Wheelbase/caster: 995/57 millimetres
Equipment
- Drive/gear shift: Shimano Ultegra Di2 (2x12; 52/36, 11-34 t.)
- Brakes: Shimano Ultegra (160/140 mm)
- Wheels/tyres (weights)****: Enve SES 3.4/Enve SES 29 mm (f./h.: 1,151/1,583 g)
Measured values and individual scores *****
- Weight of complete wheel 7.3 kilos 2,3
- Steering head stiffness 96 Nm/° 1,3
- Lateral stiffness fork 43 N/mm 2,7
- Bottom bracket stiffness 57 N/mm 1,7
- Seatpost spring stiffness 149 N/mm 1,7
- Aerodynamics****** 218 watts 2,7
*Weighed weights
**Manufacturer information Test size bold.
***Stack/Reach Projected vertical/horizontal measurement from the centre of the bottom bracket to the top of the head tube; STR (Stack to Reach) 1.36 means a very stretched, 1.60 an upright riding position.
****Impeller weights including tyres, cassette, quick release/threaded axles and brake discs if necessary.
*****Single noteswhich are weighted differently in the overall grade, are only partially printed for reasons of space. The grades are calculated with all decimal places up to the final grade; however, for the sake of clarity, all grades are shown with rounded decimal places.
******Aerodynamics Theoretical pedalling power required to overcome air resistance at 45 km/h, measured in a wind tunnel with one leg pedalling.
Jens Klötzer
Editor
