How Compliance Wins Races

Spanning from 2019 to 2024, this development process took thousands of man hours from the engineering, product, and marketing teams to accomplish. There were multiple test camps in the off season to dial in the products before race season began. During the season, changes to the rim shape and layup were performed constantly. Because ENVE owns the entirety of the rim production process in-house, new shapes and layups could be designed, cut, laid up, and shipped out within weeks. This compares to months from other manufacturers. 

2018: Launch of the 4th Generation M Series

ENVE launched the fourth generation of the M Series, setting the stage for future advancements.

2019: Collaboration with ENVE

In a significant partnership, ENVE signed with the Commencal/Muc-Off Team. The team had a successful racing season with the M930 wheels but began to express a desire for improvements in ride quality.

2020: Focus on Compliance

During the January team camp, specific feedback highlighted the need for enhanced compliance. Although the racing season was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, development on the new M8 concept began, utilizing the AM30 shape for its shallow profile and existing molds.

2021: Prototyping the M8

Asymmetric prototypes of the M8 were introduced, resulting in increased comfort and promising race results. However, durability issues arose, prompting further development focused on toughness and longevity.

2022: Refining Ride Quality

In response to ongoing feedback, wheels with enhanced durability were supplied, yet ride quality still needed improvement. A comprehensive competitor ride test during training camp helped identify stiffness targets, leading to the launch of the symmetric M8/9 project. This initiative aimed to improve ride quality while maintaining durability, employing new testing procedures to analyze the impact of spoke selection, tension, hole count, hub geometry, and rim geometry.

2023: Success of the M8 Prototypes

At the 2023 team camp, blind testing of the new M8 prototypes against top competitors revealed unanimous approval from team athletes. The "no lost run" theme was successfully established, meaning that no training, qualification, or race runs were lost due to wheel issues, showcasing the reliability of the M9. 

2024: A winning season

This work translated into wins and podiums for not only the Commencal/Muc-Off team, but all of ENVE’s downhill teams, including Frameworks Racing and The UNION. ENVE Riders were on the podium at every race, and on multiple weekends, were on every podium of the weekend. ENVE riders won the Junior Men's category every weekend. In total there were 10 wins and 27 podiums, and a World Championship win under Asa Vermette.

In a world of marginal gains like the cycling industry, sometimes a 5% change in a metric represents a large improvement. The new 5th generation M Series had as high as a 77% decrease in vertical stiffness, a huge number for a product generation update. The new generation makes a large departure from the 4th generation, adapting for the new bikes and components of today that are stiffer and burlier than ever before. 

Vertical and lateral stiffness are metrics we can measure in the lab that quantify the flex in a rim in impacts like rock gardens and harsh landings. As we tested and improved, these values very evidently were the levers we could pull to create the differences Amaury and the team were looking for.

ENVE finds these values with a specific procedure done in our test lab. The rim is placed in a fixture where it is pressed on at a set pressure from the side and the top of the rim. This allows us to benchmark where we want our performance to hit. This metric is done for both rim-only tests, as well as fully built wheels, as spoke and hub stiffness and geometry contribute to different stiffness properties. The Fifth Generaiton M Series were noticeably less stiff, both laterally and vertically, with up to a up to 77% reduction.

Vertical Stiffness Reduction

- M5 Pro vs. M525: 25%

- M6 vs. M630: 50%

- M8 vs. M730: 73%

- M9 Pro vs. M930: 77%

Lateral Stiffness Reduction

- M5 Pro vs. M525: 52%

- M6 vs. M630: 48%

- M8 vs. M730: 47%

- M9 Pro vs. M930: 64%

How can you, a fast and confident rider, benefit from the time the ENVE team took to develop these new rims? Increased compliance allows the rim to absorb vibrations in impacts, keeping the tire stuck to the ground. This increases grip in times when it's needed most, like in braking bumps, blown out corners, or rock gardens. The decrease in vibrations also lessens rider fatigue, allowing for longer and more competitive riding. 

For marathon and cross country riding, riders can know their bike is absorbing the impacts that will wear them out and slow them down over time. Gravity riders can feel confident going full speed into rough sections, knowing that the rims will absorb impacts and allow them to keep their hands on the bars and their feet on the pedals.

With each generation of M Series, the commitment to enhancing ride quality and durability has not only led to impressive results on the racecourse for the ride experience for our customers. This project was a massive undertaking from our engineering team, but we’re confident this development will prove invaluable for all riders on the new M Series wheels.