You had me at fender mounts: The Enve Melee reviewed

Making its WorldTour debut this season, the Enve Melee is so much more than just a race bike

The Enve Melee with Shimano Ultegra Di2
(Image credit: Anne-Marije Rook)
Cycling Weekly Verdict

Aerodynamic and light, equipped with fender mounts and wide tire clearance, the Melee is a race bike that blurs the lines in the best of ways. From Paris-Roubaix style cobbles to long arduous days of the Tour de France, the Melee is a capable companion for those that demand the most of their equipment. For enthusiasts, the bike’s well-roundedness and thoughtful design considerations adds comfort and conveniences uncommonly found in race bikes

Reasons to buy
  • +

    Room for 35mm tyres

  • +

    Integrated mudguard mounts

  • +

    Threaded bottom bracket

  • +

    Minimal branding & clean aesthetics

  • +

    Choice of stem, bar and seatpost at purchase

Reasons to avoid
  • -

    Limited color options

  • -

    I sold as a frameset or chassis rather than a full bike

  • -

    An integrated front end isn’t for everyone

You can trust Cycling Weekly. Our team of experts put in hard miles testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.

U.S. carbon component manufacturer Enve has been very busy in the past few years. Renowned for its carbon wheels, forks and components, the Utah-based company entered the frame manufacturing market in 2021 with its U.S.-made Custom Road bike. It has produced a new frameset every year since, and the brand now offers a full line-up of drop bar bikes ranging from a big-tired gravel bike to racing bikes and the newly unveiled Fray all-road model. With four bike models introduced in just as many years, the company is evolving from aftermarket wheel and component specialists to a full-service bicycle brand.

In professional racing, too, Enve has been growing its presence. Tadej Pogačar and his UAE Team Emirates have been riding Enve's SES line of wheels and aero cockpits –the latter specifically designed to meet the team's demands– to many race wins. Similarly, Ivan Basso and Alberto Contador's project, Team Polti Kometa, also continues to make use of Enve wheels and components. But when TotalEnergies lost Specialized as its equipment sponsor at the end of 2023, Enve stepped up to fill the void and supply the necessary bikes – a massive undertaking for a small brand that made its first bike frame only four short years ago. 

SHOP: The Enve Melee
£4,450 at competitivecyclist.g39l.net

SHOP: The Enve Melee
Frameset only: $4,450

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