ENVE Releases the Fifth Generation M Series Wheel Line

I rode the new M6 wheelset from ENVE for a few days prior to launch and gathered some impressions during my brief time aboard the wheelset. Intended for light trail applications, these are maybe not the first option that comes to mind when looking for wheels to pair with a 170mm enduro bike. Still, they provided some great contrast to my usual ENVE AM30 wheelset. 

• In hand, the wheels are incredibly light, and the dedicated front and rear rims have distinct profile differences. What you see on the outside with tires mounted looks very similar, but the tire profiles are very different from the 32mm front and 29mm rear internal profiles.
• The new Innerdrive Mountain Hub sounds amazing; it's like Chris King and DT Swiss collaborated to bring the best of both worlds to your bike's acoustics. The 80t ratchet drive option that ships with all wheelsets provides engagement at 4.5 degrees and felt plenty quick for me but does come with a notable level of drag. I think it's really cool that ENVE publishes this info for all engagement options, which are listed in the press release below.
• Losing half a pound of rotational mass was certainly noticeable, going from my 1852g AM30 wheelset to the 1589g M6 wheelset. Right off the bat, I noticed the wheels spun up easier, and the return of power input felt like no energy was lost through rotation. The tradeoff of this was the wheels seemed to lose speed a bit easier from the decrease in rotational mass, which was rather subtle, and the effect of braking was more prominent; my brakes felt more effective, but I also found myself braking less.
• Cornering the bike revealed a higher level of lateral compliance, especially with higher levels of input, which resulted in a slight knifing or binding feeling at the front wheel. This seemed more related to the slack head tube angle of my bike creating a bit of a "wheel flop" sensation which essentially accelerates side loading into the front wheel at speed, I doubt this would be an issue on a more appropriately spec'd bike with a more central contact patch at the front wheel.
• Running into things became more comfortable, which is not how I would typically feel about riding a lightweight wheelset, but the increase in vertical compliance was welcomed on the longest of the three rides I went on. The additional absorption of square edges at the front wheel increased my overall comfort and made riding at higher speeds more welcoming.
• I enjoyed trying out a sort of "Enduro SL" wheelset. I think mounting some lighter tires instead of my usual DH casing tires would further increase the benefits of running something like this on a bike like mine. They will undoubtedly be appreciated on my actual trail bike back in Arizona. The fact that ENVE was able to increase impact protection by 47% in the M6 wheelset compared to the previous generation wheel will open these up as an option for aggressive riders who are more weight conscious or lighter weight riders with long travel trail bikes.

Full press release below to learn the new ENVE lineup

Fifth Generation M Series Mountain Bike Wheels Set the Standard for Ride Quality and Durability

October 10th, 2024 – Ogden, Utah, USA – ENVE releases their fifth generation M Series wheel line following a four-year development project with the world’s top athletes. The result is a complete line from cross country to downhill models that feature unique front and rear rim shapes, new front and rear specific carbon layups, and ENVE’s own INNERDRIVE mountain hubs, raising the standard for ride quality, reliability, and toughness.

Four new wheels create the M Series line, spanning from XC to DH race:

 

 

“With each new generation of M Series, we set objectives to improve upon the performance that the previous generation delivered. The theme and focus of this new M Series is ride quality without sacrificing the foundation of reliability and toughness that the M Series wheel products are known for,” stated Jake Pantone, VP of Product.

 

 

“Simply put, every detail and opportunity has been explored to ensure that this latest generation M Series, is the best riding wheel on the trail or between the tape.”

COMPLIANCE, DURABILITY, AND FLAT RESISTANCE

New rim shapes were developed with ENVE’s professional athletes, including downhill World Cup team Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction, with input from champions Amaury Pierron and Myriam Nicole.

“They wanted the damped ride feel of alloy rims, but without sacrificing the durability of carbon. Specifically, they wanted assurance that they would never lose a practice or race run to a tire or rim failure,” stated Sports Marketing Director, Neil Shirley.

“This was accomplished thanks to the new shapes, carbon layups, and ENVE’s patented Protective Rim Strip. The results speak for themselves, as ENVE riders have accomplished over 19 World Cup downhill wins on the new M8 and M9 throughout the development project.”

These learnings informed cross country development, where improved traction, durability, comfort, and power transfer were all targeted. ENVE engineers incorporated the shape and layup principles learned in downhill to create the best balance of these attributes for world-class XC racers. This led to wins in both World Cup and Lifetime Grand Prix events.

Each wheel model features unique front and rear rim shapes and carbon layups. The external widths are nearly identical front and rear, but internal widths trend wider in the front and narrower in the rear. This optimizes tire shape and volume for traction in the front with more forgiveness in the back. Additionally, the carbon layup of the rim itself is unique front to rear, with the front providing more vertical and lateral flex to contour to trail features and provide vibration damping for the rider. The rear rims trend slightly stiffer and stronger, delivering efficient power transfer and impact toughness. Going to shallower rim depths throughout the line was also critical in achieving the desired improvements in compliance. Because of the change in rim depth, moving to an external molded spoke hole and external nipples was necessary.

 

 

The M5 Pro, M6, and M8 all incorporate ENVE’s patent pending Wide Hookless Bead technology to prevent pinch flats and rim damage. Rear rims feature a wider hookless bead design due to the impact forces that are typically higher compared to the front wheel. The M9 Pro uses ENVE’s patented Protective Rim Strip, which replaces rim tape with a polyurethane strip that protects the rim and creates a tubeless seal independent of the rim structure.

M SERIES INNERDRIVE HUBS

All wheels are built to ENVE’s new and proven INNERDRIVE mountain hubs, which feature an oversized ratchet mechanism that maximizes power transmission and system reliability. By designing around an oversized ratchet, ENVE delivers four ratchet options – 40t (9°), 60t (6°), 80t (4.5°),100t (3.6°), allowing riders to customize their hubs to their desired engagement. All M Series wheel models will ship with the 80t ratchet installed. INNERDRIVE mountain hubs feature premium grade full stainless-steel bearings for low maintenance and high performance regardless of riding conditions. M5 and M6 wheel models feature straight-pull center lock hub shells, while the M8 and M9 use a j-bend hub shell with both center lock and 6-bolt options (110x15 Center Lock only).

MANUFACTURING EFFICIENCIES

In addition to the INNERDRIVE Hubs that deliver increased performance, reliability, and value, ENVE continues to refine their manufacturing processes, resulting in cost savings that are passed on to the customer. A new bladder material is used that eliminates the need for bladder patches on the rim, which reduces material and labor costs. This allows ENVE to reduce the cost across the entire line compared to the previous generation. Like all ENVE rims, the new M Series line is handmade at their Ogden, Utah facility. The new M Series is available now and shipping worldwide to ENVE retail and distribution partners as well as ENVE.com. All M Series models will be retailed in the U.S for $2,300 USD.

For more information on the new M Series wheels and the rest of the ENVE lineup, please visit enve.com