The Lab: ENVE M735-Wheels Review
In the “The Lab” we present the latest products and put them through their paces for you. Some undergo long-term tests, while we check others out only briefly. This time we reveal how the ENVE M735 Wheels fared.
Nothing shouts bling more than twin ENVE stickers spinning around the hubs, but can any wheelset be worth over €3000? UK Tester Trev has been running the 35 mm internal width 29er M735 model for the last six months to find out, everything from DH trails and enduro races to big trips into the mountains. The M735’s incorporate ENVE’s new patent pending Rim Strip technology, a flexible strip sits between the carbon rim bed and the tyre, buffering impacts and providing a flawless tubeless seal.
ENVE claim to have almost eliminated pinch flats, if so, this would be the best innovation in wheels since making them round. ENVE also claim the strip holds pressure should you crack the rim, alright if you are a racer, but if you’re not sponsored you will likely not be able to ride from all the tears after nailing a 3.5k wheelset. Does the rim strip work, well, yes! Punctures are strange voodoo and Trev will possibly now be cursed with a million punctures, but so far, he has not punctured once on the ENVE’s, impressive indeed. His rims are built onto Chris King hubs, the Rolls-Royce of hubs they look and sound beautiful and engage faster than an X-Factor winners musical career, but they do require constant pre-load adjustment.
Trev has been impressed “You can feel the difference as soon as you fit them, that same distinctive ENVE feel. Your bike instantly feels firmer, more taught, hunting out tighter lines”. They’re still an absolute bastard to get a tyre on, but Trev has not had to fit a tube on the trail yet. The lateral stiffness of the wheels is insane, especially noticeable in fast catch-berms or compressions, you could hang an elephant off these and they would still stay true. ENVE claim the ride has been improved too, but they still feel race car firm.
The positive of this is that you can hold onto obscene lines if you are going fast enough, the negative if is you want a mellow cruise they are not as forgiving as more balanced wheels. At 600 g a rim they are not light, but the 4.5 mm thick carbon layup is proving bombproof, one ill-chosen direct line saw the wheels take a whopper of a hit onto a rock, the cut sliced the rim and tyre and the noise was wallet shaking, but in the end the damage was only superficial, tough stuff indeed.
Conclusion
The new ENVE M7 wheelset is the most potent wheelset Trev has tried. If you like pinpoint accuracy and savage cornering they really are the ultimate. However, at €3500 they are certainly not twice as good as some of the excellent premium offerings costing half the price.
Strengths
- Insanely accurate
- Feel like nothing else
Weaknesses
- Hard to fit tyres
- Unforgiving and harsh
Tester: Trev
Duration: 6 months
More info: roeckl.de
Price: € 3,500
Weight: 2,114 g (29″ Chris King-Hubs)
