ENVE MTN Carbon Rigid Fork – Ride Impressions

ENVE MTN Carbon Rigid Fork (Project Singlespeed ’15) – Ride Impressions:  by c_g

Well a month into riding our Project Singelespeed bike and only now the first post on the fork? Yes, but no not for lack of use, as the Project Single Speed bike came together as a “total work of art” – The PIVOT LES is a bike that is almost perfect in total – regardless of the individual components, the riding experience could have scarcely been better.

Part of why it took me longer to come out with some real substance on the fork, had been the long winter here. Instead of stating the obvious, that the ENVE MTN fork is very precise steering fork, I wanted to wait for most trails to become open again and give you something more substantial

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Only when the trails were a little more accessible again, could the ENVE fork begin to show what it’s really made of.

So, let’s see how this latest interpretation of a carbon rigid fork performs on the trail. Simply put: The ENVE MTN fork is near perfect!
The only mild criticism I might add is that the mini-carbon fender to me seem to provide only a very minimal amount of protection from flung dirt. While it intercepts a (very) small part of the spray up, the majority will continue to be thrown against the frame and rider. The unique appearance with the fender is not to be discounted though and as such, many will like it just for the looks.

I removed the fender shortly before this report and replaced them with the individual clips. The routing of the brake hose in both cases is exemplary with either the mini-fender or with the individual clips. The recess in the fork  combined with the left bracket allowed the hose to mount easily and keep it wonderfully tidy and rattle free. It’s a great idea and in the ENVE MTN fork it is perfectly executed!
Although the 15 mm thru-axle requires a 6 mm Allen wrench to open and close it, it still works very well. So far I have not had any self-loosening issues (even with only a slight tightening) or any other abnormalities.

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Sunshine, the trails opening up again and this bike to ride … what else can one wish for?

As for the riding the ENVE fork MTN, I was very impressed both early on and as testing progressed. I am even more convinced now of its leading position among the rigid forks than I was when I introduced the fork … and this is , to a large extent, due to two features:

First off, the handling is absolutely awesome, which I attribute to the  forward position of 52mm offset, in which  I always ran the fork so far. You may recall that this is, as far as I know, the first and only adjustable offset rigid carbon fork on the market – in the front position with 52 mm and 44 mm in the rear position. As I said, I only ran it in the forward position, but it gives the fork and thus the whole bike a handling that is nothing more than inspiring. Neither in fast passages, nor in the technical trial sections, could I discover any weaknesses. Instead, the fork gives an impression of maximum safety and riding pleasure, while being beautifully playful and agile at the same time.

… Finally open trails! (at least in stages:-)).

The second attribute is one that I just recently got a better feel for – the damping behavior of the fork. You may recall that we had already repeatedly spoken very positively by the recent generations of Carbon Rigid Forks, lastly the NINER RDO. But the better is the greatest enemy of the good and that is true here as well. I do not know why or how, but when it comes to how fast I can go with the ENVE fork over certain rooty sections and how much fork vibration and impact and shocks gets passed to the driver … well the ENVE is more than the equal to the NINER fork. In combination with the ANSWER 20/20 handlebars, the bike runs almost as comfortable as a 29+ with its gigantic slippers.

The ENVE MTN rigid fork is the most comfortable carbon rigid fork which we have come across.

In order to distinguish how much of the damping comes from the handlebar and how much is coming from the fork, I briefly swapped to a SNYTACE Vector 7075 aluminum bar and can confirm it: Even without the help of the handlebar, the ENVE remains a supremely comfortable carbon rigid fork. Not to give the wrong impression: There is no miracles happening here – in the end it is and will always be a rigid fork – but for a careful and skilled rider, the benefit is quite remarkable ans even a not so sensitive rider will feel how much better it rides when compared to an older alloy or steel rigid fork.

Mid-Term Conclusion: My initial statement remains in place – the ENVE fork MTN is the most advanced carbon rigid fork that can be bought at this time. From the brilliantly simple and functional offset adjustment between two settings, the 15 mm thru axle, and the generous tire clearance, it is technically already a winner. But the riding behavior can not be topped either. In terms of handling it fits perfectly with the PIVOT LES and balances comfort with performance like no other.
In the next and last testing phase I’m going to experiment with the offset of the fork. I can not imagine that the fork could still be better, but I do like to be surprised :-). If things turn out as planned, the ENVE MTN is also going to make a transfer onto another bike … but that still is in the future. For now, it remains on the PIVOT LeSS where it  is spoiling me with her perfection for the time being.

RIDE ON,
c_g 

Note: This product was sent over for test/review at no charge to Twenty Nine Inches-DE. We are not being paid nor bribed for this review and we will strive to give our honest thoughts and opinions throughout.