Tour Examined, Actual World Accepted: ENVE Melee Lengthy-Time period Assessment

The ENVE Melee is the model’s mass-produced street race body, and it received its first Tour de France stage final weekend. WorldTour professionals demand most energy switch, minimal weight, and the least aerodynamic drag.

So it was a complete shock after I unboxed the body and found it had threaded fender mounts, huge tire clearance, and shockingly low-profile tubes. What? Why would ENVE do this? After just a few rides, I knew.

The ENVE Melee didn’t journey prefer it was laser-focused on successful races. It felt like ENVE instilled some enjoyable and day by day usability into the bike’s DNA. This turned clearer because the months and miles tallied up because the ENVE Melee did obligation as my long-term mule for testing wheels and different parts for over a yr.

In brief: The ENVE Melee possesses the data-driven and performance-oriented attributes WorldTour opponents require. However it had the extra endearing means to ship a enjoyable and surprisingly sensible journey. The Melee delivered a tantalizing combination of velocity, consolation, and usefulness that belies its Tour de France stage-winning pedigree. If you wish to go quick however don’t need the negatives that include a full-aero race bike, the ENVE Melee delivers.

The GearJunkie ENVE Melee Check Mule

Unboxing the Frameset

ENVE launched the Melee in the summertime of 2022, surprisingly deviating from its Made in Ogden, Utah, story. The model has lengthy held this distinction with its premium carbon wheels and Customized Street body.

ENVE mass produces the Melee body in Asia and, on the time, solely supplied a single colour: Damascus silver. It appeared like a really distant cousin to the Customized Street frames, with every buyer’s desired geometry and paint scheme.

My first clues to the Melee’s deviation from the single-mindedness of pure efficiency had been the threaded fender mounts and clearance for 35c tires. I puzzled if the professionals on the Group TotalEnergies Biking scoffed on the fender mounts once they acquired their bikes.

These body options had been “un-race-like” to me, leaving me questioning what ENVE’s goal was. The Melee can also be appropriate with each digital and mechanical groupsets, the latter changing into much less widespread in high-end street frames.

ENVE presents what it calls a “chassis” for an MSRP of $5,500. As an alternative of promoting the body, fork, headset, and probably the seat submit and axles because the frameset, ENVE goes one step additional because it has been manufacturing carbon wheels (for nearly 20 years) and parts.

An ENVE chassis additionally consists of an ENVE Aero stem and a alternative of handlebar. The body is totally built-in for inside hose, cable, or wire routing. A number of retailers provide solely the body, fork, axles, and headset for an MSRP of $4,500.

Since its launch, ENVE has added two extra colour schemes: Aegean Blue and ENVE Black. All ENVE Melee frames have virtually no seen branding and, from a distance, appeared virtually generic to me.

Outfitting the ENVE Melee

I selected to outfit the Melee with as many ENVE merchandise as doable. The model is finest recognized for premium wheelsets, and I selected its self-proclaimed most versatile mannequin.

The SES 3.4 straddles the center floor between aerodynamic effectivity, weight, and vertical compliance. It was a logical alternative for the Melee’s giant tire clearance and fender mounts.

I selected the WorldTour-proven Shimano Dura-Ace groupset. Once more, this appeared prudent, given the Melee’s premium stature and chassis MSRP of $5,500. Chris King contributed a T47 ThreadFit backside bracket. I used to be lucky to accumulate a 4iiii Precision 3+ Professional dual-sided energy meter to assist me proceed enhancing my left-right steadiness following a number of knee surgical procedures.

I rounded out the construct with ENVE SES Street Tires in 700 x 29, ENVE Handlebar Tape, an ENVE Adjustable Pc Mount, and a pair of ENVE Water Bottle Cages. Though I ran by a number of saddles, I settled on the Selle Italia SLR Boost 3D Equipment Carbonio Superflow.

So as to add a bit bling and assist the bike stand out in pictures, I added a Stikrd graphics package for each the body and the wheels in a surprising holographic colour scheme.

This pro-level construct would retail round $12,000-13,000 with out the ability meter. Sure, that is a lot cash, however it’s on par with different pro-level street race bikes. As described, with Shimano Dura-Ace pedals, the take a look at bike in dimension 56cm weighs a verified 16.9 kilos.

However Is It Aero?

Street race bikes are all about aerodynamics. On the world stage, it’s crucial, given the competitors and very slim margins that separate the victor from the also-rans. Regardless of having truncated tube shapes, ENVE claims that the Melee possesses aerodynamic effectivity worthy of races just like the Tour de France.

ENVE is not any stranger to aerodynamic optimization as a consequence of its 17 years of labor with aero wheels and associated patents. The model states that it balanced aerodynamic effectivity and weight on the Melee and shaped tube shapes to enhance its SES wheels.

Additionally, ENVE used “regular bicycle owner” speeds of 20 and 30 mph for wind tunnel testing. Bicycles are sometimes touted to be aerodynamically superior at speeds solely succesful by the elite.

Surprisingly, ENVE admits that the mass-produced Melee is quicker than the built-in-the-USA Customized Street body. The monocoque development permits narrower tube widths and refined shapes in comparison with the lug-and-tube construct of the Customized Street.

ENVE’s wind tunnel testing exhibits that the Melee saves a handful of watts at -15 to +15 levels of yaw angle at each 20 and 30 mph. The most important distinction is 5 W at +5 levels of yaw at 30 mph.

As said, ENVE designed the body tube shapes to enhance its SES line of wheels. Per the model, the bike will be prioritized for these totally different attributes by matching it with the suitable wheel. Riders ought to select the SES 2.3 wheels for climbing, 3.4 (as examined right here) for all-road versatility, 4.5 for a street race, and 6.7 for a triathlon or dash lead-out.

WorldTour groups completely need to prioritize aerodynamics. For this yr’s Tour de France, the TotalEnergies crew thought the Melee’s aerodynamics had been on par. On the time of writing, the crew was awarded at the least one stage win from a breakaway (the place aerodynamics matter extra).

ENVE Melee Journey Impressions

Damping Traits

Response to Street Surfaces

The shallow-ish body tubes gave me the sense that the Melee wouldn’t journey as harshly as full-aero race bikes, which was true. On chip seal roads widespread in rural Central Texas, the body mixed with the “non-full-aero” ENVE SES 3.4 wheels felt fairly luxurious in comparison with different aero street race bikes I used to be testing concurrently.

Admittedly, on clean, flat roads in calm circumstances in Austin, the Melee felt perceptibly slower than devoted aero bikes with tall body tube profiles and matching deep-section aero wheels.

Many race bikes with deep body tubes and wheels really feel “lifeless” on surfaces like chip seal. However then they really feel harsh when the tires hit a sq. edge. It’s like listening to muffled music, after which all of the sudden the quantity is full blast every time the drummer hits a cymbal.

The lifeless feeling makes it onerous to discern grip when the pavement is wanting good or moist. And the harshness makes me stiffen as much as put together for the hits, in the end costing me vitality and detracting from enjoyment.

The Melee transferred sufficient street feeling for me to stay assured cornering and descending when gravel or different points affected traction. On the identical time, it blunted simply sufficient of the impacts with edges to maintain me relaxed (together with the SES 3.4 wheels and ENVE tires). This steadiness was a vastly vital consider my enjoyment of the bike.

Response to Rider Inputs

This identical lifeless feeling can occur on devoted aero street race bikes when accelerating, standing on the pedals, and different maneuvers that require making use of physique English. The deep body tubes and rims could also be environment friendly concerning airflow and switch of pedaling energy, however in addition they reply in a method that detracts from the knowledge coming again to me from the bike in response to those efforts.

The Melee had fast sufficient rebound to really feel energetic when standing on the pedals and felt attentive to different inputs, which I recognize coming from ferrous bike frames. It walked the road between feeling unresponsive and being inefficient or “unfastened.” Once more, this hard-to-describe attribute drastically influenced the quantity of enjoyable I had on the Melee.

Body Geometry Results

The geometry delivered a pointy and crisp cornering really feel whereas nonetheless being steady on quick descents on less-than-ideal street surfaces. It additionally wasn’t as twitchy in crosswinds as different race bikes (albeit partially as a result of shallower body tubes and wheels). I’d really feel super-confident on the bike in a good pack in a criterium, however I wouldn’t need the steering up entrance to be any extra aggressive.

The rear triangle was tight sufficient to ship a direct-to-rear-wheel-connected feeling when climbing or sprinting. Nonetheless, the body proportions gave the Melee a accurately balanced really feel between the entrance and rear tires. The entrance tire felt very planted with out intentionally including load, which I typically do on slacker or longer street bikes.

ENVE makes use of 5 totally different fork rakes to make sure that dealing with traits stay constant throughout all seven body sizes (from 47cm to 60cm).

Part Package deal Efficiency

Shimano Dura-Ace

There isn’t a lot to say in regards to the Shimano Dura-Ace groupset that graced the ENVE Melee apart from “bravo.” No street groupset I’ve examined rivals Dura-Ace in each part efficiency metric.

Shifting

Shifting was fast, constant, and telepathic. I by no means needed to “pre-shift” on the base of a climb or winding up for a dash. I hit the corresponding Di2 shifter button with out considering, and the chain hopped up and down the cogs or chainrings with out fear each time.

Even when I shifted below full load at a low cadence, the Dura-Ace executed the shift with out complaints. SRAM digital drivetrains are additionally superb, however Shimano edges SRAM eTap Crimson AXS out for shifting velocity, smoothness, and reliability.

Braking

For me, braking on street bikes doesn’t get any higher than Shimano Dura-Ace. From preliminary chew to development in braking energy to full-panic halts, the Dura-Ace calipers and Ice Applied sciences Freeza rotors delivered the stopping energy and management that I need from each brake set.

I really feel that Shimano has a big benefit over SRAM Crimson eTap AXS in braking. (I’ve not examined the most recent model of SRAM Crimson AXS, which was simply launched, or Campagnolo street groupsets.)

Ergonomics

The one fault I can level out on the Dura-Ace groupset based mostly on private desire is the Di2 shift button configuration. I a lot want the single-shift levers of SRAM digital drivetrains and the logic. The appropriate lever shifts up, the left lever shifts down, and each levers concurrently shift the entrance derailleur.

Though Dura-Ace is extremely customizable, you ultimately have to make use of the smaller of the 2 shift buttons on every brake hood. No matter circumstances, they simply didn’t ship the safe feeling of the bigger SRAM levers. I’d have been golden if Shimano allowed the double-tap operate to shift the entrance derailleur.

ENVE SES 3.4 Wheelset

As per ENVE, I discovered the SES 3.4 a good selection for all-around street using which will embrace bouts of tame gravel or grime roads. That is widespread within the space the place I stay and journey most. The center floor of aerodynamics, weight, and stiffness didn’t depart me wanting extra from any of those attributes.

If I had modified to a extra aerodynamic wheelset, I’d have suffered way more on the gravel roads. And being a heavier street bicycle owner, I appreciated the lighter weight (sub-1,400 g per set) on the steep and punchy climbs.

If I lived within the metropolis and didn’t need to ever journey on something however well-maintained tarmac, I’d select taller profile wheels just like the ENVE SES 4.5 to reap the benefits of the aerodynamics. And the riders on ENVE-sponsored groups, like multiple-time winner UAE Emirates, appear to be on the identical observe. They’ve been sporting (and successful) on the SES 4.5 wheelset, even on climbing phases.

Nonetheless, as a “regular” street bicycle owner, except the roads had been tremendous clean, I felt the better vertical compliance of the SES 3.4 completely matched the compliance of the Melee body to ship a way more fulfilling journey.

Conclusions on the ENVE Melee Street Bike

In the end, this street race bike was extra enjoyable than some other I’ve ridden for fairly some time. It’s not a full-aero or pure climbing bike. So, I obtained one of the best of each worlds. The Melee was nonetheless aerodynamically environment friendly and light-weight. And the best way the body responded to street surfaces and my physique’s inputs put a smile on my face.

I didn’t get beat up. I nonetheless felt quick on the flats and climbs. And the suggestions from the bike stored me in tune with accessible traction. The Melee made me recognize that ENVE didn’t go all-out “race.” However then once more, it simply received a stage within the Tour de France.

It was additionally super-practical for a street race bike. I might have shod 35c tires on it and tackled lots of my native gravel bike loops. I’ve acquired fenders to placed on it for this winter.

Now that I give it some thought, perhaps the Melee is the primary bike with fender mounts to ever win a Tour de France stage. And, as a long-term take a look at mule, I can grasp virtually each groupset on the body.

The easiest way I can say it’s this. If I had to decide on one street race bike as my private bike, then the ENVE Melee can be it. It’s a do-it-all street bike for many who nonetheless want velocity. And so it’s. I solely personal one street bike, and that is it.