Into the Fray

After over a decade of crafting some of the world’s most desirable parts, ENVE have rounded out their drop-bar bicycle lineup with the Fray, a versatile performance bike designed to conquer a wider range of terrain. We travelled to Roubaix to put the Fray through its paces on a route you can definitely put down as ‘all-road’.

By: Ross Bernard

All-Road Supremacy

The Fray takes inspiration from both the Melee, ENVE’s road race weapon, and the MOG, their gravel grinder. This fusion results in a bike that excels on traditional tarmac while offering the capability to handle dirt paths, crushed gravel, and even some light singletrack adventures.

The magic lies in the Fray’s geometry. Optimised for 31-35mm tires, with a max clearance of 40mm, the frame offers a comfortable, endurance-oriented position that inspires confidence on rougher surfaces. This is complemented by the ENVE Cargo Bay, a clever, easy-access downtube storage solution that allows riders to carry tools, spares, and extra clothing on longer days. With a bento box mounting point on the top tube and an additional bottle cage mount on the underside of the downtube, the Fray has space for ultra-distance packing.

Race-Bred Efficiency Meets All-Day Comfort

As you’d expect from a company with the performance pedigree of ENVE, they haven’t compromised on performance. The Fray leans far closer to the Melee than the MOG. It borrows aerodynamic features from its road-racing sibling, including a new fork design and strategic tube shapes. Internal cable routing, achieved through ENVE’s IN-Route system, further enhances the bike’s slippery aesthetics and aerodynamic efficiency. It’s something we definitely noticed on the mostly flat terrain around roubaix. Off the cobbles and in the wind the Fray remained stable and cut through the air with more ease than normal on a windy day like we had.

Power transfer is also a priority. The Fray utilises a blend of medium, high, and super-high modulus unidirectional carbon fibres, meticulously placed using ENVE’s Material Optimised Design (M.O.D.) process. This ensures stiffness and responsiveness for power delivery, a hallmark of ENVE’s engineering prowess and something that helped shoot us up the only berg of the day (after a brief detour into Belgium) with absolute ease.

Tested on the Cobblestones of Paris-Roubaix

What better place to truly gauge the Fray’s all-road capabilities than the brutal patchwork of cobbled ‘roads’ of Paris-Roubaix. Our route mixed the impressively smooth suburban tarmac around the city with some hard-packed farm tracks and the final few sectors of pavé. Whilst our speeds were definitely a way off the insanity of the day before (the fastest ever Men’s Roubaix at 48.3km/h average), the Fray’s endurance geometry and ample tire clearance proved their worth, soaking up the vibrations and maintaining impressive control over the notoriously rough cobbles. We wouldn’t call it comfortable, but the fact that we felt so much confidence so quickly on such brutally unfamiliar sectors was a testament to just how capable the Fray is. 

Dialling in the Perfect Fit

ENVE understands that fit is paramount. The Fray comes in seven frame sizes (47cm to 60cm) with four distinct fork rakes. This combination ensures consistent handling across the size range, allowing smaller and larger riders to experience the same optimal handling characteristics. We rode a size 54 with 42cm bars (with a 47cm diameter in the drops accounting for flare) and a 110mm stem. This short amount of time and imprecise fit are never perfect ways to evaluate a bike, but the initial feeling was that the Fray comfortably kept me in a position I could have ridden all day, day after day in.

Further aiding in achieving a perfect fit, ENVE offers their Best-Fit Calculator. This online tool simplifies the process by considering a rider’s fit stack, reach, and saddle position to recommend frame size, stem length, and other key components.

Customisation is Key

Unlike some pre-built bikes, ENVE prioritises customization. The Fray is available as a “Chassis,” which includes the frame, fork, headset, handlebar, stem, and seatpost. This allows riders to work with their local ENVE Ride Center or retail partner to choose the ideal handlebar, stem, and seatpost for their specific fit and riding style. Compared to other ‘all-in-one’ off the shelf bikes, this provides a slightly more tailored product and ensures that the build which arrives should be ready to roll. Workshops of the world can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that they won’t have to reroute the front end for a new stem or bar. The option to select compatible wheelsets further personalises the build, ensuring riders get the perfect setup for their needs.

Colour Choices and Availability

The ENVE Fray comes in three distinct colour options: Ash, Venom, and Salt. We rode the Salt and its elegant, muted tones looked great set against the dusty cobbles, muddy fields and spring blossoms. It’s available globally as of today through ENVE Ride Centers and authorised retailers. The ENVE Fray Chassis retails for US $5,500/ €5,995/ £5,500/ AUD $9,999.

The ENVE Fray: The Definitive All-Road Bike for the Discerning Rider

As the ENVE team told us in person, this is the bike they reach for on most rides. Having finished in the iconic velodrome and washed the dirt from my hands in the almost holy showers, this was far from ‘most rides’ but I knew exactly what they meant. Outside of gnarly gravel and fast-paced training rides on the road, the Fray is adept everywhere. It’s a compelling proposition for riders seeking a versatile, performance-oriented all-road bike. It bridges the gap between dedicated road and gravel machines, offering exceptional comfort, impressive capability, and undeniable ENVE pedigree. Having proven itself on the harshest terrain, I can’t wait to see what it can do on some of our local Catalan routes.

All the Details.

• Frame weight – 900g +/- 2% for a size 56cm. 
• Max clearance – 700cx40mm tyres.
• Min clearance – Optimised for 700cx31mm.
• Available as a chassis or rolling chassis, with the ENVE wheels, stem and bars of your choice.
• Inline or 20mm offset seatpost options.
• Available in 7 sizes from 47cm to 60cm.
• Three colour options – Ash, Venom, and Salt.
• Drivetrain compatibility – Majority of x1 & x2 electronic and mechanical groupsets. See ENVE website for exact details.  
• Threaded T47 bottom bracket (BB not included).
• Downtube ‘Cargo Bay’ storage plus Bento Box top tube mount.
• Internal routing using ENVE’s IN-Route System and components
• SRAM UDH.
• Fender compatibility
• Prices starting at: US $5,500/ €5,995/ £5,500/ AUD $9,999.