I’ve really enjoyed owning Enve wheels due to their customer service. Also I love how they’re made in USA. I can’t wait to get a set of the M5 Pro’s
I have always had great support from Enve, great group of people afaict!
As an owner of a set of weight-weenie XC wheels, I don’t think comparing Enves to a weight-weenie setup is an appropriate comparison. I have no doubt that Enve could produce a rim that weighs <300g but that doesn’t seem to have been their intent here. I’m a big fan of super light wheels, but you do have to ride them accordingly. Enves, on the other hand, have an excellent reputation of putting up with a serious beating and coming back for more.
This is obviously N=1 but my set of M525 have been on multiple bikes for ~5 yrs and ridden on everything you’d care to take a 120mm bike on with no issues. I also have (30mm wide) that feel great and are much lighter, but I’ve managed to break 3 rims in 2 years on the same trails. Each has a place in my opinion.
I think more direct comparisons of these would be the Zipp 1zero SW, Reserve 28XC (DT 180), DT XRC1200, Roval Control SL. Slightly burlier wheels than weight-weenie builds and substantial warranties.
Definitely not a knock on Nextie as they seem like a great deal for the performance, but I see them vs Enve (and others listed) as generally addressing different concerns/priorities for users.
These actually ended up cheaper than I expected given the price of their wheels in the past.
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@Jonathan did an Insta live on the wheels this afternoon. His theory is that the sideknobs dig in more with a wider rim, so he is thinking more traction on the front with the 29 ID and better rolling resistance in the rear with 27 ID.
I’m still puzzled by the 27/29mm with XC tires now being 2.4 at a minimum and having new ones like Spec Captain coming at 2.5, don’t really get it why 27mm, but also not really sure how much of a difference it would make, I’m sure it must ride fantastic
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What’s Apple going to call their next chip now?
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I appreciate you taking the time and providing a response like this. It is always good to have someone give their perspective with a brand and how it has performed for them.
That being said, I would like to keep the conversation open and my biggest holdback is that I cant seem to find any real data from Enve about the strength of the rims/wheels or why they chose the IW they did. It is very expensive to open/start a new mold so maybe it was a capability/accounting battle?
They published this document;
The thing with it though is they don’t mention what the strength really is on the rims. What if the M5 is no stronger then the Nextie Supreme XC 280g rim?
Nextie publishes the actual force required to break the rim and associates a video with it and the testing data;
The XC 280g rim is rated for 105j with a pointed hammer and 25psi in the tire. Here is their official results;
Experimental Rim: NXT29VM36U Cross Country 285g
Tire Pressure: 25psi
Drop Hammer: 21.5Kg
Drop Height: 498mm
Experimental Result: 105J (=21.5x0.498x9.8)
The Enve article above just says 10" at so many repetitions - but we do not know what 10" represents (Unless I missed it) and they also don’t state what the tire pressure is (although a image says 32psi!!!). If that is the case the Nextie rim is rated at 19.6" at only 25psi!
We could maybe debate if the testing protocols are not similar or even done correctly but Nextie states exactly how they are doing it while Enve is a little fuzzy.
If we still think the Enve M5 is stronger than the light weight Nextie option then Nextie has a AM rim that is 350g and has a rating of 130j
- There is a wheelset option that can be a total weight of 1226g and $1686
- There is another wheelset option that could be 1292g for $1530
- Either wheelset could be cheaper if using inhouse “nextie” style DT swiss hub
- The Nextie AM wheelset still has more advancements in modern wheelset technology than the Enve counterpart.
While going through some career changes during covid I really had to dig into what I am spending my money on and I absolutely love wheels. Nextie for the record is a OEM manufacture.
I am not exactly hating on Enve, I also am not showing them true love. I have owned a few sets of Enve wheels, Roval and Aeolus over the years and it is great/amazing that the rims are being manufactured in the USA - I just really like to see data.
I believe at the end of the day - Enve is a premium “marketed” name in our industry and they are looking for maximum profits while trickling new technology in to keep its customers interested. The new Enve wheels as I mentioned above are just not what I was expecting and I feel there are great other options. I would never judge someone for owning or buying a set and think the still do offer a premium or good product - they are just a little behind IMO.
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I placed an order for the M5 Pro’s last night. After listening to @Jonathan IG live on the wheels, I felt confident pulling the trigger on them. I’ve been using ENVE wheels and products dating back to the older AM’s, and a wide range of their road/gravel wheels as well, and I haven’t been let down yet.
I’ve got Big Sugar coming up next week which I’ll be using ENVE 4.5s with Conti Race King 2.2s, but hopefully the M5 Pro’s will arrive to get out for some fall XC riding after that.
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I think the challenge for a lot of people is that Nextie is still a low-cost Chinese wheel, and it’s harder to get actual real-world feedback on them and there are concerns about a vendor standing behind their product.
When you have people on this forum (@Jonathan) who’ve been riding the M5 Pro for a year and a half, multiple tires, multiple inserts and have provided their experience on them, combined with an American company like Enve with warranties and customer service - that means a lot to people. Then you have people like Alexey who’s been riding them for a year and a half too.
I know you’re a fan to put it mildly, but I still have some reservations about a brand like Nextie, and personally lean towards Enve, Reserve, We Are One, etc because they’re known quantities.
Talking about testing methodologies and forces is a little bit of a red herring because it’s not real world testing and experience. Sort of like BRR vs. how a tire performs in actuality.
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The VP of Product Dev was on Blister podcast recently and went into this a bit. Ultimately it was a target weight goal balanced with strength/durability.
You could be right in that the Nextie 280g are stronger than Enves rims, I’m just suggesting it seems unlikely and doesn’t align with my own personal experience, but again, I haven’t tried Nextie.
As was noted, I think the fact that Enve (and other brands mentioned) are a known quantity and openly stand behind their wheels with a broader guarantee than Nextie is a big selling point for them.
Since I’m in the process of needing new wheels, maybe I’ll pickup a Nextie rim and build a new rear so I can speak more directly with experience.
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Great points - I just want to point out that Nextie offers a 5-year warranty with there wheels also and my expeience is 1-2 business days return in communication (email).
This isnt Enve sucks or Enve vs X thread so im trying to keep it civil and already feel like im a sore thumb or broken record…
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I guess we should probably differentiate between a limited warranty and a crash/damage protection or guarantee. The warranty/guarantee I’m talking about with the “big names” is a crash replacement in case you damage them while riding. I know that Zipp, Reserve, Berd all offer lifetime, Roval for 2 years and Enve has some amount of discount/protection but it’s not specified.
I assume the Nextie warranty is for defects or does it cover damage as well? That would make a big difference.
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Taken from the Nextie Site:
If we confirm that the product is not a manufacturing defect (such as exceeding the product’s own use strength, etc.), during the warranty period, you can also obtain a new product at a discounted price for crash replacement. The specific discount is based on the official retail price, 15% off for wheel products, 30% off for other products including rims.
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Here is the official warranty from them;
I’ve mentioned (other users also) in the XC thread that they pretty much offer replacements due to crash for cost plus shipping which is much less than the price they already list for MSRP.
EDIT- BCM beat me to the chase and listed some of the guidelines direct.
That said I think in the sample test we have which is about 12 wheelset in our area I have only seen (1) rim break and that was from a flat tire to rock strike.
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have you had a chance to mount tires and ride them? I noticed and was a bit disappointed they don’t offer torque caps 
Another factor that is very hard to quantify is ride quality. The best carbon wheels on a road bike I have tried (all MTB wheels except for one loaner have been aluminium) are 3T’s older Discus C35. My C45|32s are still great, just not as good. The C35 made me feel as if I was on rails.
Do they differ in terms of ride quality?
Great question. They do, but it’s hard to parse out what’s due to the construction of the rim vs the width. The 30mm IW super lightweight rims are much more compliant than the Enve’s, but even Enve will tell you that they focused on stiffness on their previous generations (prior to the latest redesign).
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Figured I should jump in and share my thoughts and experience on the M5 Pros.
Here’s a live Q&A I did on my IG channel for them that covers most of the common questions and does a hub sound test.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DA9El1zSqGJ/
These are the goldilocks wheel for me. Previous ENVE’s were on the stiff side of the spectrum (M50/50s were SUPER stiff) causing you to try to add the compliance elsewhere through softer suspension, lower tire pressure, or softer components. This led to the bike often being compromised in other ways like pedaling efficiency, control, and flat risk.
Then there are wheels like the Roval Control SLs that are just a bit too flexy in a way that gave your bike a more vague, imprecise feeling. That made things tricky in technical situations where wheel placement and awareness of wheel placement is key. They also caused you to do the opposite with your bike setup, seeking to add stiffness wherever you could, but that led to it’s own problems.
These just seem to strike the balance perfectly and give you a very confident and reassured ride. The flat protection and durability is very impressive, they mount easily, and the hubs are solid and worry-free.
They’re also very light, with mine being right around 1,300g, and they “feel” very light while riding. I also love the lack of spoke overlap/contact as it makes the wheels silent.
And on the note of spokes, I love that the nipples are no longer internal. I haven’t had to true mine yet (impressive), but knowing that I don’t have to take out the tire/insert/tape just to maintain them is reassuring.
I’ve used them with the following tires:
- Specialized Renegade 2.35
- Specialized FastTrak 2.35
- Maxxis Rambler 50
- Maxxis Receptor 50
- Maxxis Aspen 2.25
- Maxxis Aspen ST 2.25
- Maxxis Aspen 2.4
- Maxxis Aspen ST 2.4
- Maxxis Rekon Race 2.4
- Maxxis Rekon 2.4
I’ve also used no insert, Vittoria Air Liner, older Tubolight, and Tannus inserts.
They work well and mount fairly easily with all combos. The Specialized tires did require a compressor as they are a bit of a looser fit.
I have two dislikes, but they are up to personal preference.
- I wish these had the ENVE Protective Rim Strip like their older M Series trail/enduro/dh wheels had and that their new DH wheels have. For me the benefit isn’t even the extra protection–it was SO nice to not have to worry about rim tape. Rim tape is just a strangely weak piece to the otherwise very well designed system of modern wheels.
- I wish the hub was quieter. I dream of silent hubs that don’t have soft engagement, don’t weigh a ton, and don’t void your warranty, and while these hubs aren’t Chris King or Reynolds level loud, they are far from quiet.
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