Most race bikes ask you to choose. Light, or fast in the wind. The Melee v2 was developed against both targets at the same time, and ENVE set them as conditions the project had to meet before it could ship: aerodynamics at the benchmark, and a size 56 that could be built to the UCI's 6.8kg weight limit on a SRAM RED groupset.
It clears both. The frame weighs 791 grams in a size 56 in the UL Black finish, and ENVE's own build sheets show complete bikes from 6.65kg with pedals, sealant, bar tape and a computer mount included in the figure.
Seventeen watts, measured the way you ride
The headline number is 17 watts saved against the original Melee at 50kph. What makes it worth trusting is how it was measured. ENVE ran development at the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS wind tunnel in Silverstone with aerodynamicist Simon Smart, and every configuration was tested with a real rider on the bike, bottles in the cages and ENVE's own SES rims fitted.
That matters more than it sounds. Your legs are the largest object in the airflow and they churn constantly, which means a tube shape that tests beautifully on a bare frame can be doing very little once you sit on it. Two full bottles, which is how most of us actually ride, change the picture again. ENVE built the bike around those realities instead of around a clean test.
The saving splits three ways. The frame, fork and seatpost account for 11.4 watts, and you get that however the bike is specified. The new cockpit and its bar tape are worth another 3 watts. The SES Aero Bottle Cages add the last 2.6 watts, and those are a separate purchase that will improve almost any road bike, including the Melee you might be replacing.
Worth knowing what the figure is measured against. The complete system drew 524.71 watts on the original Melee and 507.71 on the v2, so the new bike asks for a little over three per cent less power to hold the same speed. Seventeen watts is the number at 50kph, which is a hard race pace. Drag falls away quickly as speed drops, so at 40kph the saving is nearer nine watts, and the proportion of your effort stays about the same.
Lighter in the places that were carrying weight for no reason
The v2 is 59 grams under the original, and ENVE found it by revisiting four details rather than thinning the frame.
The bottom bracket is now a threaded BSA shell in the standard 68mm width, which ENVE put at 30 per cent lighter than the T47 it replaces. It is also the bottom bracket every workshop in the country already has tools for. The headset moved to a much smaller bearing, which is what let the head tube get slimmer, and it keeps proper LLU seals and permanent waterproof grease so the saving does not cost you service life. The seatpost is new, 28 grams lighter, with a two-bolt head that holds onto its own hardware while you fit a saddle. And the frame carries 7.5 per cent less surface area overall, which takes material out of the airflow and off the scales in one go.
Tyre clearance comes down from 35mm to 33mm, with 31mm as the optimum. That is a deliberate decision rather than a limitation. Building around a 35mm gap costs grams and drag, and 31 to 33mm is what road racing actually calls for.
Stiffer under power, and sharper through a corner
Losing weight and drag together usually costs stiffness. It did not here. ENVE measured frame deflection under load against the original and the v2 flexes roughly a fifth less, which you feel as a more immediate response when you stand on the pedals.
The geometry has been tightened for racing. Stack drops 5mm on the 56, 58 and 60, and the cockpit takes out another 6mm, so a taller rider sits 11mm lower at the front than on the old bike without resorting to a slammed stem. Five fork rakes are spread across the seven sizes, which keeps the steering consistent whether you ride a 47 or a 60. Small frames do not feel nervous and large ones do not feel slow.
Easy to live with
Race bikes are often quietly expensive to own. This one is not. The UDH hanger is the industry standard part, so a replacement comes from any shop rather than a distributor, and it opens the door to UDH-compatible drivetrains later. The threaded bottom bracket is serviceable anywhere. Cable routing runs internally through ENVE's IN-Route system and remains compatible with a mechanical groupset, which is rarer than it should be on an aero frame. Brakes are flat mount with 160 front rotor and 140 or 160 at the rear.
ENVE back the frame with a Limited Lifetime Warranty, and a separate Limited Lifetime Crash Replacement programme that gets you back on the bike if you exceed what the carbon can take.
Your cockpit, included and specified with you
The handlebar and stem are part of the kit whichever you choose, and that includes the new SES Aero PRO v2 at no extra cost. It matters more than it sounds: the 3 watts ENVE measured for the cockpit and tape comes as standard rather than as an upgrade, so 14.4 of the 17 watts arrives in the box. The PRO v2 is the cockpit those wind tunnel numbers were recorded on, and it ships with Aero Race Tape and the Aergonomic pads, in nineteen combinations of stem length and bar width. The SES AR one-piece is there if you prefer it, and a two-piece bar and stem is available if your fit falls between the one-piece sizes or you want width and length adjustable independently. Whichever you pick, we size it with you when you order rather than leaving you to swap it later.
Getting the size right
ENVE's Best Fit Calculator works from your body measurements rather than a frame size, and returns the size, stem length, saddle offset and spacer stack you need. Run it, send us the output, and we will sanity-check it against the bike you ride now before anything is ordered. As ever though - there is no substitute for a full fit if you haven't had one in the last 18 months.
What's in the Kit
Frame, fork, Melee v2 aero seatpost (400mm, zero offset - optional free change to layback), IN-Route headset, handlebar and stem to your specification, thru-axles and derailleur hanger. The SES Aero Bottle Cages and Aero Race Tape are sold separately, except where tape and pads come included with the SES Aero PRO v2 cockpit.