The Next Generation of Carbon Wheels Is Here

After a four-year development project involving collaboration and feedback from the world's top athletes, ENVE is pulling back the curtain on the fifth-generation M Series wheels. The retooled M-series features four new models, with fine-tuned offerings for cross-country to downhill riding and all the niches that link the two. All-new distinctive front and rear rim shapes and ENVE’s innovative INNERDRIVE mountain hubs unite to raise the standard in carbon wheel design further.

As anyone who follows mountain bikes or cycling tech, in general, will know, we are inundated with buzzwords and constant claims that improve ride quality, increase reliability, and offer bombproof toughness. Well, ENVE has been leading the charge in carbon wheel design and manufacturing for almost two decades, so it’s safe to assume that they know a thing or two about a thing or two.

What’s new with M-series, and why do we care?

“With each new generation of M Series, we set objectives to improve upon the performance that the previous generation delivered," stated Jake Pantone, VP of Product. "The theme and focus of this new M Series is ride quality without sacrificing the foundation of reliability and toughness for which the M Series wheel products are known." 

As it turns out, putting your wheels under some of the most talented athletes and between the tape on the most abusive tracks reveals a lot in four years. Enve has learned a lot during this time, and these new wheels distill the harvested data into the spectrum known as the 5th generation of ENVE’s USA-made mountain bike wheels.

The new INNERDRIVE™ MTB hubs

With nearly two decades of building and selling wheels in collaboration with the finest hub manufacturers on the planet, ENVE has had a front-row seat to the good, the bad, and the ugly of competing hub designs. With its own hub design, ENVE fully controls the manufacturing process from the inside out and was able to develop a hub worthy of building its 5th-generation wheels around.

Hubs account for nearly 1/3 of the cost of a wheelset, and the hub's reliability sets the tone for overall wheelset quality, so ENVE got to work on a rather INNEResting new hub. ENVE was already steadfast in developing improvements in their new wheels, so why not delve into fixing common issues they noticed in existing hub design?

INNERDRIVE ™ Details

• 100% ENVE designed oversized 42mm ratchet drive system
• Premium grade full stainless steel bearings
• Straight-pull and J-bend
• Reduced axle stress = less bearing drag and prolonged bearing life
• Drive components retention
• Dynamic preload adjustment
• Low maintenance & easy serviceability
• Four ratchet options - 40t, 60t, 80t, 100t (All M Series come with 80t ratchets)

Moving holistically outward

Complete wheelsets & new profiles

Trends have waxed and waned, but a few have remained resolute in recent years. ENVE identified these new challenges and developed these wheels to address them. There’s no denying that bikes have changed a lot over the last five years; suspension has evolved, and e-bikes are sticking around for the long run, so the M-series wheels have grown to accommodate the demands of the modern era of mountain biking. But let's break down what that actually means for each wheel in the M-series.

All of the 5th Gen M wheels will utilize subtly different rim profiles for the front and rear wheels. This is nothing new in the world of carbon wheels, but ENVE has approached this design with precision and methodical reasoning. The athletes putting these wheels to the test wanted “the damped ride feel of alloy rims, but without sacrificing the durability of carbon.” stated Sports Marketing Director Neil Shirley. ”Specifically, they wanted assurance that they would never lose a practice or race run to a tire or rim failure.”

The desired characteristics of the perfect MTB wheel became more tangible after ENVE riders accomplished over 19 World Cup downhill wins on the new M8 and M9 throughout the project. The results were becoming sentient, and they started speaking for themselves.

But why would you want a different profile for the front and rear wheels? A wide front rim profile will increase overall tire volume, which offers a more supportive front end for improved handling but also allows for lower tire pressure and more traction. A narrower rear wheel will reduce tire volume for faster rolling, but it also allows the rim to behave in a more forgiving way thanks to the reduction in material. The amalgamation of these characteristics gives you more comfort, control, speed, and durability. So you can now have your cake and eat it.

M5 Pro - XC Race

At just 1325g for the set, this is the obvious choice for XC and ultimate performance, but they are part of the foundation on which the new trail and E-MTB wheels are built.  

The M5 Pro wheels use a shallow 20mm rim profile that saves on weight and adds vertical compliance.

The front rim uses a 4.2mm wide hookless bead for increased compliance and reduced weight, while the rear is 4.7mm wide for increased durability and pinch-flat prevention.

M5 Details:

• Front and Rear Specific Rim Designs
• Internal width - Front: 29mm, Rear: 27mm.
• 24h front and rear
• SAPIM CX-RAY Spokes with locking external spoke nipples
• ASTM 3 Classification
• MSRP USD $2300

M6 - Trail/E-MTB Light

The M6 wheelset is the jack-of-most-trades option. Designed for trail and lightweight e-MTB applications, it is the everyday, any-trail choice. Its shallow profile (21mm) increases vertical compliance when paired with the new concave sidewall design.

Like the M5 Pro, the front rim uses a 4.2mm wide hookless bead for increased compliance and reduced weight, while the rear is 4.7mm wide for increased durability and pinch-flat prevention.

M6 Details:

• Weight: 1589g (29/29) 1544g (29/27.5)
• Internal width - Front: 32mm, Rear: 29mm
• 28h front and rear
• Straight pull spokes with locking external spoke nipples
• Recommended for light E-MTB use
• ASTM 4 Classification
• MSRP USD $2300

M8 - Enduro/Gravity Race/E-MTB

Similar to the M6, the M8 uses a varied hookless bead width and shallow profile for all the same benefits, but for this more gravity-oriented wheelset, the front is 4.3mm wide and 5.1mm in the rear.

M8 Details:

• Weight: 1983g (29/29 - 1961g (29/27.5)
• "No Lost Run" - DH Durability without the weight compromise
• Internal width - Front: 32mm, Rear: 29mm
• 28h front and 32h rear
• J-bend spokes with locking external spoke nipples
• Recommended for all E-MTB use
• ASTM 5 Classification
• MSRP USD $2300

M9 Pro: Enduro/Gravity Race/E-MTB

This is the new heavy hitter for aggressive enduro and downhill that was tested under the World Cup athletes, and they have been bestowed a "No Lost Run" accolade after the 2023 & 2024 DH seasons where during training, qualifying, or racing racers were able to complete every run, every time without failure or air loss. 

These wheels do not have a varied hookless bead width; instead, they use a patent-pending 6.2mm protective rim strip for superb air retention and pinch-flat protection.

M9 Pro Details

• Weight: 2236g (29/29) - 2186g (2/27.5)
• Internal width - Front: 32mm, Rear: 29mm
• 28h front and 32h rear
• Internal width without insert - Front: 32.7mm, Rear: 32.7mm
• Internal width with insert: Front: 29mm front and rear
• J-bend spokes with locking external spoke nipples
• ASTM 5 Classification
• MSRP USD $2300

All the M-series wheels remain made in the USA, in Ogden, Utah, and now, with the development of their hubs, ENVE can pass along deeper savings to those who choose to support American Manufacturing. All 5th generation M-series wheels will retail for $2300 USD, a $250 discount off the previous MSRP of the M-series wheels. This is thanks in part to the new hubs, but ENVE has also dedicated significant energy to perfecting manufacturing processes to reduce the overall cost of production per wheelset.

Less expensive, better ride quality, stronger, USA-made. Go ahead and pick all four.

Find your next wheels at ENVE.com