ENVE makes its gravel bike debut with the MOG

The ENVE MOG is the brand’s first fully fledged gravel bike, and the third bike it has released.

Sitting alongside the Custom Road and the Melee in the brand’s range, ENVE says the MOG is designed for those “who push the boundaries of distance and rolling exploration”.

Although both the road-oriented Custom Road and Melee can accept up to 35mm tyres, the MOG kicks things up a notch with its 50mm gravel bike tyre clearance.

The MOG will only be offered as a ‘chassis’ kit, which includes the frameset, handlebar, stem and seatpost, for £5,500 / $5,500 / €5,995 / AU$9,999.

The bikes are expected to be available from mid-March.

A versatile and rugged frame

ENVE says the MOG is constructed from “lightweight and durable” carbon fibre and it has optimised the fibres in specific zones for toughness, stiffness and compliance.

The brand claims a 950g frame weight in a size 56cm, 90g more than an equivalently sized Melee.

BikeRadar asked ENVE for further details on the carbon construction, with the brand replying it is intentionally coy about the specific types of carbon used “as it is somewhat irrelevant to what drives performance of a part”.

Carbon frames use a variety of different moduluses to promote stiffness in certain areas and comfort or light weight in others. The brand claims it's looking to strike the “ideal balance of performance, weight savings, comfort and durability” with the MOG.

The gravel bike frame is only compatible with 700c wheels and the brand doesn’t recommend running tyres narrower than 35mm because it will “deliver an unsatisfactory handling characteristic”, with the lower resulting bottom bracket height.

There are eyelets on the top tube and fork for carrying luggage, as well as mudguard mounts at the rear.

The MOG is compatible with both mechanical and electronic groupsets in both 1x and 2x permutations. However, it isn’t compatible with SRAM or Campagnolo 2x mechanical groupsets because the MOG requires continuous cable routing from the shifter to the front derailleur.

The MOG uses a round 27.2mm seatpost standard and ENVE says it's compatible with dropper posts.

The frame is built around a T47 threaded bottom bracket standard.

There’s an integrated rubber cover under the down tube as it meets the bottom bracket junction to protect against rock strikes, as well as chainstay protection.

Fully integrated, of course

As you might expect, the MOG fully integrates its cables and hydraulic hoses using ENVE’s ‘IN-Route’ system and components.

This sees the cables and hoses pass through the handlebar and stem before being routed through a cover above the upper headset bearing.

ENVE uses 52mm upper and lower headset bearings, with a tapered and round 1 1/8 to 1.5in steerer tube.

Compatible handlebars in ENVE’s range include the G-Series, SES AR, SES Aero Road and the Compact Road. You can use a third-party handlebar if you wish, provided it has a hole in the back of the bar to allow for the internal cable routing.

For now, the only stem option is ENVE’s Aero Integrated model. However, the Utah-based brand has said an Aero Integrated Positive is coming later in the spring.

ENVE jumps on the frame storage bandwagon

The MOG is the first ENVE frame to feature down tube storage, which it calls the ‘Cargo Bay’.

In-frame storage is starting to become more popular on some of the best mountain bikes and gravel bikes, such as the Specialized Diverge STR and Trek Checkpoint.

According to ENVE, the Cargo Bay has a 600ml capacity.

The MOG will come with two ‘Cargo Bags’, which ENVE says are constructed from neoprene to help prevent rattling in the down tube. The bags can be run alongside each other in the down tube.

The Cargo Bay also features a retention strap that secures the hoses and cables to the inside face of the down tube to stop them from rattling.

ENVE MOG geometry

ENVE will be offering the MOG in six frame sizes from 49 to 60cm.

The fork is offered in three rake options across the six sizes, which ENVE says ensures optimal handling regardless of frame sizes.

The head tube angles are between 71 and 71.5 degrees across the size range, with the seat tube angle ranging between 72.75 and 74.5 degrees. All sizes use 420mm chainstays.

A size 56cm bike has a 73.5-degree seat tube angle and a 397mm reach.

BikeRadar asked ENVE if the geometry was designed around a specific stem length, with the brand replying it wasn’t.

These figures position the MOG at the more progressive end of the gravel spectrum, seemingly striking a neutral balance between not being overly relaxed or race-oriented.

A BMC URS in a size large has a longer 419mm reach with a slightly steeper 74-degree seat tube angle and slacker 70-degree head tube angle. Although more progressive than the MOG, the URS is designed around an 80mm stem length.

A Specialized Diverge STR in a size 56cm uses a shorter 392mm reach with a 71.75-degree head tube angle and 74-degree seat tube angle.