Enve has always emphasised that it’s the interaction between a bike’s frame and components, and how the rider fits on top of them, that ultimately determines aerodynamic efficiency. So it’s little surprise that the US brand, best known for its wheels and cockpits, is now making framesets. If anything, the surprise is that it has taken it this long to dive in.
‘Whether we recognised it consciously or not, in hindsight bikes have been thought of from the beginning,’ says Kevin Nelson, Enve’s chief engineer. Enve is world-renowned for the quality of its composite components, but despite its reputation the company remains comparatively small, preferring to focus on quality above volume.
‘We’ve been trying to grow, but it is imperative we stay good while we’re doing that,’ says Nelson. ‘Until now we’ve opted to focus on wheels and components so as not to spread ourselves too thinly. Now we’re at a point where we can handle it.’
Evidently so, for the Melee is Enve’s second frameset in less than a year. ‘The pandemic did us a favour there,’ says Nelson. ‘The lockdowns and remote working cut out unwanted distractions, so a small pocket of us on
