ENVE

ENVE Composites is far from the only manufacturer of carbon fibre bicycle components, but there are some very good reasons that their wheelsets, handlebars, stems, and seatposts adorn the bikes of the most selective riders. One of those reasons is passion. Passion that led Jason Schiers to found a composites company that would focus on manufacturing bicycle components, and to keep it local by doing it in-house in Odgen, Utah. The other is ride quality, which is immediately apparent when you ride a bike dressed in ENVE.

The team at ENVE is comprised of dedicated cyclists with backgrounds spanning nearly every competitive discipline, from enduro to triathlons, and that breadth of experience is key to developing better components. New products are tested rigorously in the lab, but they don't get the stamp of approval until rider feedback confirms that they meet ENVE's ride tuned standards. After all, a product can be strong and light, but if the ride is harsh, or flexy, or not quite right, ENVE isn't afraid to scrap it and start fresh. The upshot is that you can trust that ENVE components provide benefits that you will feel, and not just see when you hang your bike on a scale.

ENVE built its reputation on road forks, which employ a superior one-piece construction method that has made them a top choice for racers and frame builders. A similar approach was taken to building rims-employing moulded spoke eyelet holes, instead of drilling the holes as is the industry standard. This approach was essential in building the world's first World Cup Downhill-proven carbon fibre rim, which had previously been considered an impossible dream.

The lessons learned in that process have been applied to make the M-Series mountain rims arguably the strongest rims on the market, despite their impressively svelte weights. Conversely, ENVE's partnership with renowned aerodynamics wizard Simon Smart is resulting in its fastest, most stable wheels to date, which are identified by the SES (Smart ENVE System) moniker.

The patented spoke bed moulding process is time consuming, but builds a much stronger, safer rim, as it will maintain its shape in the event of a failure. Then again, with durability being one of ENVE's four paramount engineering goals, the odds of experiencing a failure are extremely slim-a fact that is backed by a class-leading five year warranty on their rims.

The remaining engineering goals, namely lightness for fast acceleration, stiffness for precise tracking, and aerodynamics to maximise your efficiency, collectively account for the fact that ENVE considers their wheels to be a bigger upgrade than a carbon frame. Of course the same obsessive attention to detail finds its way into every component bearing the name. Whether you ride on the road or the trail, ENVE represents the pinnacle of construction, making it the perfect upgrade for your own dream bike.