![]() ![]() This is where the art of designing carbon fiber laminates comes into play and also why carbon is a superior material for handlebars.Įnve has both "trail-rated" and "DH-rated" handlebars. In terms of ride quality, we're looking for a bar that is both compliant, but also sharp and responsive in terms of handling and reacting to rider inputs. For example: you want an 810mm bar with "X" stiffness profile and strength rating at 225g? You'll either have to make it less strong, more narrow, or add weight and sacrifice the 225g goal for, say, 250g. There are always tradeoffs, so it is our job as a design team to prioritize the goals and make those decisions. In developing a handlebar, what is Enve's ideal balance between weight, stiffness, strength, and ride quality? ![]() We always will do what's best for the product and ultimately, the end rider. We never have to deliberate what path we'll take. ![]() You could also knowingly hate them and go to market anyways with them. ![]() If you hate them, then it will cost you time and money to change them. You can take some samples for testing where you may ride them and love them, if you do, you go to production. They'll test it for strength, tell you how stiff it is, and say that it's good to go. You can send a drawing to the factory and they'll produce you a bar that meets those requirements. You can say it needs to be 800mm wide, 6-degree sweep, 250g.whatever you want. For example, let's say you want to produce a handlebar. We always take the approach of, "How do we get the absolute, no holds barred, best combination of characteristics that we want from the product," which ultimately results in a component that is more expensive to produce. When we were developing our first line of DH bars, we took delivery of 200 bars that met our weight and safety/impact requirements, but through the test riding process, we collectively decided they rode awfully and proceeded to cut them all up and go back to the drawing board. We'll have several different laminate designs/stiffnesses and after they pass safety requirements, we'll send them out to our teams and other test riders for feedback. So, initial testing happens in the lab, of course. For example, the M9 handlebars were developed initially with the Syndicate and then with our current WC DH team, Intense Factory Racing. The main reason we sponsor athletes is to collect feedback and validate the paths we are taking with product development. Jake Pantone: Enve's development process always involves riders. What is involved in Enve's engineering process? What about it is unique to Enve? So, I reached out to Jake Pantone, Enve's VP of Product and Consumer Experience, with a few questions that may be helpful and clarifying. I'm sure there are plenty of people wondering exactly why they should even consider spending $450 on a bar and stem, among other things. The 230g handlebar sells for $170 USD and the 92g stem (50mm) sells for $280 USD. The stem comes in 35mm, 50mm, and 65mm lengths. It's made to pair with the M7 bar for the all-mountain/enduro rider looking for the "best in class cockpit" - at least according to Enve. The M7 carbon stem is designed to be lightweight, strong, and appropriate for gravity applications. The M7 bar is 800mm wide and can be cut down to 780mm and is available with 10mm, 25mm, or 40mm of rise. With the M7, the objective was to create a 35mm bar for aggressive all-mountain/enduro riding that has the same flex tune as the M9 - Enve's DH bar. Just like with their wheels, Enve make several different carbon bars, each with a different construction that is engineered and tuned for an intended application. The M7 series handlebar and stem are new additions to the lineup, the first components from Enve with a 35mm clamp diameter. Enve are best known for their American made carbon wheels, but they also manufacture carbon bars, stems, forks, and other accessories at their Ogden, Utah, facility. ![]()
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