Coming as part of an overhaul to its whole wheel range, ENVE’s M6 is built to be the most versatile option in the lineup. The result is an impressively resilient wheelset that provides a direct, yet smooth and compliant enough ride. As expected of a wheelset worth £2.5k, it's finished to a high standard too, however, it can feel a little harsh through specific high-frequency chatter, and the noise of the freehub can be a bit much.
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ENVE M6 wheelset - Technical details
Earlier this year, ENVE worked to simplify its wheel lineup, introducing the M5 Pro, M6, M8 and M9 Pro, with each wheel being built to suit genres from cross-country to downhill. The M6 is perhaps set to be the most versatile wheel in the range that’s built for cross-country, down-country and trail riding.
Throughout the new range, and found on the M6, are front and rear-specific rim designs. Up front, there’s a 32mm internal rim width with a narrower 29mm measurement at the rear. As such, the front gets a lighter construction that’s slated to achieve compliance, traction and tyre stability, whereas the rear is said to boost power transmission and durability, says ENVE. Although each wheel gets a slightly different construction, both employ 28 straight pull spokes.
Of course, coming from ENVE, these are carbon rims and they boast wider rim beads in a bid to better dissipate impact forces to reduce the risk of pinch flats by 50%, says the brand. ENVE also claims that the compliant design helps with this.
A final point on the rims, they use a new version of ENVE’s moulded spoke hole tech, which uses external locking nipples, each of which gets a Nyloc insert to assist with keeping spoke tensions and trueness.
The M6 wheelset gets the brand’s new Innerdrive hubset, which uses a ratchet drive technology that’s not too dissimilar from what you’ll find on a DT Swiss freehub. As standard, there’s an 80t ratchet, but riders can choose from 40, 60 and 100t alternatives with kits available aftermarket. The Innerdrive system also uses a ‘Perfect Preload’ system that’s said to prolong bearing life.
ENVE claims an overall weight of 1,550g, whereas I weighed the wheelset to be 1,530g. I won’t complain about them being lighter!
ENVE M6 wheelset - Performance
Although I’m a dab hand at bending an alloy rim, I’m generally fairly light on wheels, so I chose to test the M6 over the enduro-going M8 for their lighter weight, hoping that I won’t wreck them throughout the test. During my time with the M6s, I’ve ridden mostly natural trails, but they’ve also seen use through harder going bikepark efforts, and throughout, the wheelset has performed very well indeed.
To start with durability, that’s where I’ve been pleasantly surprised. Granted, I’m not expecting a wheel to explode at the mere sight of a rock, but even while chattering through chunky Bike Park Wales rock and bottoming out tyres on the rims, neither wheel is showing any signs of such. Of course, there’s the odd scratch, but given that these wheels are designed for downcountry to all-mountain use, they can certainly put up with a good deal of punishment.
Additionally, ENVE’s choice to build the wheelset with front and rear specific rims is one that ups general reliability, too. Again, when rattling through rocks, the rear’s wider hookless beads have kept the wheel rolling after bottoming out the tyre, and I’ve not suffered a pinch flat. Though, thanks to their differing internal widths, there is a small difference in tyre profiles, with tyres seated. The front sits a little squarer, while the rear is a bit rounder. In theory, this should reduce rolling resistance at the rear, but in reality, any gain is certainly marginal. That said, it’s not a design that upsets me for any reason.
Given that strength, the M6’s ride quality is excellent too. ENVE has made moves to encourage more compliance within the rims, and that is clear. Through general riding scenarios, there has been little in the way of harshness. The wheelset manages to promote vertical compliance, making for good comfort, but without sacrificing lateral stiffness. With that, these hoops still provide a solid and direct character while generally offering a comfortable, smooth, and easy-going ride.
However, there is a scenario in which I’ve found noticeable harshness, and that’s through more severe high-frequency hits, like rock gardens that you’ll hit at high speed. Even while running a handlebar built for vibration damping, plenty of suspension travel, and a good high-volume tyre, a lot of feedback was transmitted through the front of the bike from the front wheel. We are talking bike park speeds here, so perhaps I’m pushing the wheelset out of its comfort zone a touch, and it’s certainly something that occurred at very specific times.
Though, thanks to the on-the-money weight, the M6 wheelset provides a spritely and lively ride feel with the acceleration that you would expect of a carbon rim of this weight.
ENVE’s wheel range overhaul has introduced the brand’s own freehub dubbed Innerdrive. As such, the M6 wheelset utilises the Innerdrive Straight-Pull hub that works in a similar way to DT Swiss’ freehubs with a pair of ratchet rings that mesh together. There are four engagement options on offer with the 80t ratchet coming as standard, and for almost all scenarios, that’s plenty. Hub pick up is prompt, with little delay between initiating a pedal stroke and the movement being translated into forward momentum. Additionally, it’s a simple system to maintain with fewer moving parts.
It is an incredibly loud freehub, though, and that’s not going to please everyone, and it’s not something that went down too well in my books. It is very well sealed, however. Despite the exposed cartridge bearing poking out of the freehub body, the internals are squeaky clean and each bearing spins like new. The rims run true, too.
ENVE M6 wheelset - Verdict
Although it’s mad to say, with its new wheel range, it’s brought prices a little more down to earth, down from around £3,000 to £2,500. It goes without saying that the M6 is still a premium wheelset, and you’ll have to pay for it. As you might imagine, there are a lot of contenders at this price for weight, and for value, with one being Reynolds’ Blacklabel 309 Enduro Pro wheelset. Yes, this is an enduro-focused wheelset, but impressively, it’s similar in weight. This wheelset gets Industry Nine’s Hydra hubset, and it better balances all-out compliance with strength. Despite its price, I really got on well with the Reynolds wheelset, and is well worth considering for the cash.
Though it must be said, the freehub is of a more traditional design and it’s not as kind to its bearings as ENVE’s. It also doesn’t get that front/rear specific design, if that’s something that appeals.
To be honest, despite ENVE’s products being USA-made and built to a staggeringly high quality, it’s all too easy to find better value from other brands. Reserve’s 30|SL wheelset comes in at £1,600, and it’s as light as a claimed 1,750g. It uses DT Swiss’s DEG 72 Ratchet, so it won’t engage quite as quickly, but I doubt you’ll notice the difference.
But with that in mind, ENVE’s option comes in cheaper than Chris King’s £2,900 MTN30 wheelset. Granted, this does get Chris King’s infamous hubs, and it’s claimed to be lighter at 1,665g.
Although cheaper than before, the ENVE M6 is still a serious investment and one that’s tough to justify against a raft of great-performing hoops that come in cheaper. But it does provide an excellent, low-weight, fast-engaging ride quality that effectively balances vertical compliance with lateral stiffness. It’s surprisingly strong, too, so for the money, you’re getting a near-flawless wheelset. But, push the wheels a little too hard and hardness can rear its head, and the seriously loud freehub can be a little obnoxious for some.
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