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Spy Shot! Prototype ENVE Carbon Rigid 29er Mountain Bike Fork (UPDATED!)

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This ENVE rigid carbon mountain bike fork prototype shows off a big new item for the Ogden, UT, based manufacturer.

Details are sparse, including pricing or production date, and this one is only a prototype. The thru axle design uses a flippable insert that lets you adjust the rake between 43mm and 52mm.

There’s a semi-integrated mud fender that’ll clip onto the arms in the same way their current disc brake hose clips work, and it builds in the disc cable routing as well.

It’s suspension corrected and will only come with a 1.5″ tapered steerer only.

UPDATE: ENVE’s rep told us it’ll even fit a 29+ tire with the fender in place and that it’ll be at least as light as the lightest rigid fork on the market now.

Lots more pics below!

prototype enve rigid 29er mountain bike fork

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prototype enve rigid 29er mountain bike fork

prototype enve rigid 29er mountain bike fork

prototype enve rigid 29er mountain bike fork

prototype enve rigid 29er mountain bike fork

prototype enve rigid 29er mountain bike fork

prototype enve rigid 29er mountain bike fork

Some features and deigns may change, there’s no official word on this yet. Stay tuned!

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Ilikeicedtea
Ilikeicedtea
10 years ago

Clever adjustable offset!

9nerd
9nerd
10 years ago

Am I missing something here?

1. How can you reverse the offset? Flip the fork and have the brake on the wrong side?

2. Is the brake hose routed internally? Why route a front hose internally? That does not make sense in my world.

3. It looks multilayered at the fender area. This is a good place for stress and cracking.

Andrew
Andrew
10 years ago

It’s a really clever design. Motorcycles have used this system as well, notably the recent electric Motoczysz. You can see the swappable dropout here. http://image.motorcyclistonline.com/f/newsandupdates/motorcycle_news/122_1109_motoczysz_pushes_the_electric_bike_envelope/37703370/122-1109-01-o%2Bmotoczysz-ep1c-new-fork%2B.jpg

Luis
Luis
10 years ago

I love ENVE products, but I don’t like this.

Jack
10 years ago

Baugh, we want a non suspension corrected version too! This is going to appeal to a lot of custom builders I’m sure and it’s mad to compromise geo’ in the name excessive mud clearance.

Padrote
Padrote
10 years ago

If this is priced anything like their bars and seat posts it’ll retail for $800

wako29
wako29
10 years ago

I agree with Ilikeicedtea – great offset design. What’s not to like about this? I agree that a rigid MTB fork is a niche product, but it’s a quality, (likely) lightweight piece. Other than the usual ENVE extraordinary price, not seeing why everyone is hating here.

Matt
Matt
10 years ago

Knard clearance?

Badgerboy
Badgerboy
10 years ago

If you can get a 29+ tire in there it’ll be Cracking

Brendan
Brendan
10 years ago

@9nerd, there are removable alloy ‘chips’ in each fork leg, they can be removed and flipped 180° to get the other offset. The brake routing is still external, but hides under a carbon ‘clip’ built into the fender (see their current road/cross disc forks).

What I wonder is how this flip chip affects the brake position. Is it a 140 post mount in 43mm mode, and a 160 post mount in 52mm mode?

greg
greg
10 years ago

ideally, the offset chip would be perpendicular to a line bisecting the axle and center of caliper, so as to not need a brake adjustment afterwards.

Von Kruiser
Von Kruiser
10 years ago

Guessing the 29+ 3.0 Knard will work fine on the Enve. Building a 29+ w/ this tire and it fits the Niner carbon fork fine compared to a suspension fork w/ almost no clearance.

wheelz
wheelz
10 years ago

I’m hoping this leads to thru-axle Enve CX forks (and perhas road disc too). The QR on my Crux disc is the only weakness and would love to stiffen up the front end. I dislike getting brake rub when cornering hard.

Tom
Tom
10 years ago

@Jack : That was my first thought. Definitely needs a non-suspension corrected version. The fender looks kind of silly.

aaron
aaron
10 years ago

+1 on thru axle enve cyclocross fork.

obviously leave the canti cx fork as is, but the disc enve fork needs to be thru axle. help!

pornitswhatlwouldratherbmaking
pornitswhatlwouldratherbmaking
10 years ago

looks nice…looks expensive

shreddie
shreddie
10 years ago

If it can be had without the goofy fender clip sign me up for two.

K11
K11
10 years ago

a bunch of those stupid niner rigid forks will hit ebay once this is available.

Grind
Grind
10 years ago

Wow, Enve is finally getting into the Thru Axle and MTN game.
Cool concept. Late to the party. Stick to roadies.

Ilikeicedtea
Ilikeicedtea
10 years ago

@Grind

Y’know, they’ve made quite a few mtn and cross products for sometime now. So, another US made thru axle carbon forks is on the market. That makes, what, one?

Topmounter
Topmounter
10 years ago

How is that a “Spy Shot”? That looks like a trade show.

I don’t think I’ll be replacing my Niner CF, but I like the looks of that fork.

Jim
Jim
10 years ago

“ideally, the offset chip would be perpendicular to a line bisecting the axle and center of caliper, so as to not need a brake adjustment afterwards.”
that would mess up the geometry. it may be the brake adapter that flips 180 to account for 9mm of axle movement. just a guess. nice idea, GT had it on steel forks 20 years ago and it was a nice tweaker feature then.

greg
greg
10 years ago

Jim,
isnt the point of the chip to “mess up” the geometry? or do you mean the 3mm +/- overall fork height change will throw everything out of whack?

CW
CW
10 years ago

is the brake adaptor what changes to accomodate the different rotor positions? That’s not an avid post mount adaptor. Can’t think of any major brands adaptors that have that m180-1 model.

alb
alb
10 years ago

china-made/USA finished (for that all-important ‘made in the US’ sticker)?

Known
Known
10 years ago

alb – it’s a prototype. I’d dare say this is US made. ENVE usually sneaks some cool stuff out at NAHBS but production follows some months later.

Volsung
Volsung
10 years ago

I don’t get the fender haters. ENVE full coverage fenders would really help me max my wattage on my steel commuter or maybe even increase my Big Dummy’s carrying capacity.

Psi Squared
Psi Squared
10 years ago

@alb: Perhaps you should call Enve and ask where their forks are made rather than just guessing.

Von Kruiser
Von Kruiser
10 years ago

“While the rims are all made in UT, their components are mostly made overseas for now.” Here is the article from BR:

https://bikerumor.com/2012/05/17/enve-composites-factory-tour-inside-look-at-company-carbon-fiber-manufacturing/

padrote
padrote
10 years ago

do us all a favor and clear the air if you care about speculation so much

Jimmy
Jimmy
10 years ago

Enve rims are made in USA. Forks, bars, stems, seat posts are made in Asia.

Jeff
Jeff
10 years ago

My guess after seeing these at NAHMBS is that Knard clearance would be tight. No way with fender in place. May work without fender but I think the sides would be close. IF had a custom painted one which made it look the best. But if is still kind of ugly IMHO.

Ol' Shel'
Ol' Shel'
10 years ago

Please not another 485 a-c fork. We need 505+ a-c fot those frames currently running 120mm forks. Trail riders are over 100mm of suspension, even on hardtails.

Bnystrom
Bnystrom
10 years ago

“I don’t get the fender haters.”

The issue with this silly “fender” is that it’s purely cosmetic, as it’s too short to actually do anything other than support the brake cable. Why bother with the added few grams and cost compared to a simple cable guide?

Fenders that are large enough to work are another thing entirely.

Eric
Eric
10 years ago

I’ll take the Niner RDO @ half the cost.

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