ENVE goes against the grain with the new Melee v2: less tyre volume for a lighter, more aerodynamic bike

ENVE debuted as a production bicycle manufacturer in 2022 with the Melee, a competition road bike that surprised by combining performance with considerable versatility. Four years later, the ENVE Melee v2 arrives, a second generation that is now lighter, more aerodynamic, and much more focused on competition.

ENVE Melee v2: less than 800 grams and 17 watts faster

Until the presentation of the first Melee, ENVE was primarily known for its wheels, components, and some custom frame projects. The bike presented in 2022 thus represented a significant step for the American brand and even made it to the WorldTour with TotalEnergies.

Now ENVE has used everything learned over these four years to develop a Melee v2 in which practically every element has been revised to reduce weight and aerodynamic drag.

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One of the most striking facts is that the total surface area of the frame has been reduced by 7.5%. To achieve this, the front area has been redesigned with a smaller head tube, a new seat post has been developed, and the available space for tires has also been reduced.

Here ENVE has made an unusual decision considering the current evolution of road cycling. While the first Melee accepted tires up to 35 mm, the new Melee v2 reduces the maximum clearance to 33 mm.

According to ENVE, those 33 mm are still sufficient for current competition setups, and reducing the available space has allowed for weight savings and improved aerodynamics. It is a decision that clearly indicates that the new Melee no longer aims to cover as much ground and focuses even more on speed.

17 watts of aerodynamic improvement at 50 km/h

ENVE estimates the aerodynamic improvement of the setup compared to the previous Melee at 17 watts at 50 km/h. The tests were conducted using the same wheels and in the Mercedes-Petronas wind tunnel in Silverstone.

The brand breaks down that gain as follows:

• 11.4 W from the frame, fork, and seat post.
• 3 W thanks to the new handlebar and tape.
• 2.6 W through the new aerodynamic bottle cages with conventional bottles.

To achieve this, it was not only about major modifications to the frame. ENVE has worked on the Melee v2 as a complete system where seemingly minor elements also contribute to the final result.

The bike features the new SES Aero Road Bar, an integrated handlebar whose drops use an aerodynamic profile and can be equipped with specific inner pads to improve comfort. It also comes with an Aero Race Tape handlebar tape that is only 1.2 mm thick, designed to reduce the amount of material exposed to the air.

Additionally, there are the new SES Aero Bottle Cages, two bottle cages with different shapes for the down tube and seat tube. They are designed to work with conventional round bottles and reduce the aerodynamic losses that normally occur when adding bottles and cages to a bike.

ENVE claims it is faster than the Tarmac SL8 and the Trek Madone

ENVE has also pitted its new bike against some of the main aerodynamic references on the market. In its own tests, conducted at 50 km/h, with a rider and bottles installed, the brand claims that the Melee v2 recorded 507.71 W of average drag, compared to 510.79 W for the Trek Madone equipped with its aerodynamic bottles and cages, and 511.30 W for a Specialized Tarmac SL8 with conventional bottles (we remind you that Specialized already has the SL9 on the market and the tests were done with its previous version).

The previous Melee reached 524.71 W under that same protocol. These are, in any case, data provided by ENVE itself, so the comparison should be understood within the conditions and methodology used by the manufacturer.

A frame of 791 grams

Aerodynamics has not been the only goal. ENVE has also significantly reduced weight. In size 56 and with the UL Black finish, which leaves the carbon practically visible and uses an ultra-light transparent layer with minimal graphics, the frame has a declared weight of 791 grams.

The complete set of frame, fork, headset, seat post, thru-axles, and derailleur hanger weighs 1,442 grams. The new seat post alone saves 28 grams compared to the previous one and also adopts a more aerodynamic profile.

Another important modification, although less visible, is in the bottom bracket. ENVE abandons the previous internal T47 to adopt a threaded BSA, while the frame now incorporates a UDH hanger.

With a sufficiently light setup, including SRAM RED AXS or an equivalent build, ENVE claims it is possible to leave a complete Melee v2 at the 6.8 kg that the UCI sets as the minimum weight.

A more aggressive position in larger sizes

The geometry has also been revised to reinforce the competitive character of the Melee.

The range continues to offer seven sizes, from 47 to 60, but ENVE has particularly lowered the position in the larger bikes. Between sizes 56 and 60, the stack of the frame decreases by 5 mm, while the new cockpit allows for another 6 mm drop, resulting in a total reduction of 11 mm in front height.

Additionally, ENVE uses five different fork offsets across the seven sizes to try to maintain similar handling regardless of frame size. The length of the seat tube has also been increased in the larger sizes.

Stiffness has not been overlooked either. According to ENVE's internal tests, the new frame shows less deflection under load than its predecessor, meaning greater stiffness.

Complete geometry of the ENVE Melee v2

Measurements are in mm, except for the SA and HA angles, which are in degrees.

ENVE Melee v2: models and prices

The new Melee v2 will be available through ENVE's Spec’d for Speed program, which allows for complete bike configurations around the frame, wheels, and components from the brand itself.

ENVE Melee v2 Pro RED

• Group: SRAM RED AXS
• Wheels: ENVE SES 4.5 PRO or SES 6.7 PRO
• Cockpit: ENVE Aero PRO
• Tires: ENVE SES Road
• Price: €15,199

ENVE Melee v2 Premium RED

• Group: SRAM RED AXS
• Wheels: ENVE SES 4.5 PRO or SES 6.7 PRO
• Cockpit: ENVE SES AR
• Tires: ENVE SES Road
• Price: €14,199

ENVE Melee v2 Premium Force

• Group: SRAM Force AXS
• Wheels: ENVE SES
• Cockpit: ENVE SES AR
• Tires: ENVE SES Road
• Price: €11,999

ENVE Melee v2 Foundation Force

• Group: SRAM Force AXS
• Wheels: ENVE SES
• Cockpit: ENVE SES AR
• Tires: ENVE SES Road
• Price: €10,149

ENVE also offers a frame set for €4,999 for those who prefer to build a custom setup.

The Melee v2 thus represents a clear evolution from that first bike ENVE presented in 2022. While the original sought to combine competition with some capability for rougher roads thanks, among other things, to its tires of up to 35 mm, this second generation sacrifices some of that versatility to become a lighter, lower, and more aerodynamic bike.

And above all, ENVE seems to want to demonstrate with it that four years after debuting as a production bike manufacturer, it no longer settles for just having a competitive bike: it wants to place it directly against the major references in the segment.