ENVE "MOTHER OF ALL GRAVEL" (MOG)

Originally published at: ENVE “MOTHER OF ALL GRAVEL” (MOG) - Slowtwitch News

The industry continues to find new ways to merge our aero sleek road bikes with our old (not used) hard tail mountain bikes for our adventuring pleasure. A great example of this is ENVE’s MOG “Mother of Gravel,” which has a lot to offer its rider.

Last year was the first time I laid eyes on this frame from ENVE and I finally got a chance to get my hands on it and see what it’s all about. I say “frame” because the only complete bike ENVE currently sells direct to customer is their custom ROAD. So the MOG will be a dealer purchase and, chances are, most dealers will probably offer the frame and then have you pick out the components and wheels. (Although I’m sure some, if not many, will probably have some built and ready to go.) We were pretty picky about the parts we wanted on this bike, so it took a little while to get them and to get this thing built.

The MOG sits fourth in the ENVE frame line up, and is the only one in the “Gravel” category. ENVE offers three road frames:

CUSTOM ROAD (Legit custom)

MELEE (Road race)

FRAY (Endurance all road)

Then you have

MOG (Gravel)

So far, my take on this bike is pretty simple: it is 100% N+1 worthy. Let’s dive into the things I really like, and some of the things I’m not sure I do.


Bike Geometry

We are all about FIT here at Slowtwitch.com and this is where the MOG stands out. It’s a very slack geometry, which I am sure is inspired by the Utah mountain terrain. When it comes to comparing this to many other gravel frames with 40- to 50-mm tire clearance, this feels more like a hard tail mountain bike then it does one you would buy for nothing but long rides over smooth limestone in the midwest prairies.

What do I mean by “slack?” In this case it means that the top tube angle is angled to be lower at the rear (near the seat tube) and higher in the front (near the head tube) compared to the more aggressive geometry that you’ll find on a bike like the ENVE Melee or the TIME ADHX in this comparison photo above. This angle gives the rider a more relaxed position that helps move the center of gravity away from the front of the bike. That, in turn, helps riders handle a variety of terrain, whether you’re going up, down or over things. Most people credit the great Gary Fisher for this engineering design and concept. Comparing the MOG to bikes from Cervelo, Ventum, Obed and Time that we have also reviewed on this site, the MOG sits as the most relaxed in terms of its geometry.


Frame Quality

ENVE has managed to keep things solid, but this remains a really sharp-looking bike. I love the mix between mountain and road on this frame. ENVE also did a great job of adding rock and chain protection in a replaceable, yet aesthetically-pleasing, way. On competitors models you’ll see a lot of either hard plastic seat and down tube covers and then clear wrap around the chain stays, but you don’t usually see hard plastic in both spots. ENVE did a great job utilizing hard plastic in both spots that is both easily replaceable and very sleek looking and matches the color options of the frames.

The down tube storage compartment comes with all the necessary room and storage sleeves to hold a lot of extra stuff, and does so in a way that most noise and movement will be limited once placed inside. The added bonus is it’s super easy to open and close. (Not to mention that the extra hole in the frame makes the job of running brake cables a lot easier.)

The MOG is also built for most adventures. With three fork bolts on each side and bottle cage support below you have the ability to mount five bottle cages without having to look elsewhere. I’m a little curious on why they didn’t add a third option on the seat tube, a bottle position option that is sort of the standard these days.


Tire Clearance

The MOG has the widest tire clearance of any ENVE frame to date, and it will probably be that way for a while. “MAX 50” seems to be the limit right now, and I don’t see them talking about anything wider in gravel (although they should). I would imagine that’s mostly because of the difficulty around the Road bottom bracket issue. The challenge is balancing the spacing required in that part of the frame to achieve such gaps at the rear for the wide tires with the OEM industry specs for road and gravel cranks. (The industry has found its limit, sort of.) When we asked the key players at ENVE why “only 50,” they told us “we just feel at that point the rider should probably be on a mountain bike. With that said, this is what I found with the old trusty husky of mine.

64.79mm is about the shortest gap on the frame that I could find. (Which means I need to get some 2.1’s) and do some testing. I also need to pop some 650’s on this thing and see what we can do.


With that, let’s keep in mind:

This is what happens when you FAAFO. Behold me, and my friend and fellow Slowtwitcher Patrick, getting ourselves in a pickle a couple weeks ago. Now I’m not saying this can’t happen even with the right amount of tire clearance. But, I am saying that manufactures like ENVE want to do their part to not only keep you out of these situations, but they also want stop you from calling them and saying “you messed up my day and you owe me.” So, while I will 100% try bigger tires on this bike then 50s, we will do so “under professional supervision do not try this at home, kids.”


My Build Specs

Shimano GRX 2×12 speed

Size 58cm (Large)

Shimano Dura-Ace Crank (165cm)

ENVE Aero In-route Road Stem

ENVE Gravel In-route Handlebar

ENVE SES 3.4


PRICE TAG

Not cheap, but “doable” now. $5,500 was the previous MSRP, but it’s now at $3,750. This falls in the same category as Specialized’s offering, and slightly above Trek’s new high-end gravel bike frames. Although I will point out that ENVE includes the entire chassis including frame, fork, seat post, stem and handle bar for $4,800

But, if you are the right size, I have seen these frames at shops marked down to $3,250 – $3,500. Unlike one or two years ago, it’s never been a better time to grab a N+1 bike for the garage. Bike inventory is plentiful and some really good deals are available at your local dealer right now. If you are living in the mountains, or just want to be able to ride a bike that can handle 50mm + tires, this bike is worth looking at – that’s for sure.

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I am glad to be available to test-out that tire clearance and the MOG in general :slight_smile:

Very similar to my Tideace Noah, except the price.

I can sort of agree with you on “Looks” but the geometry specs are totally different. Not to mention BB placement and rear seat stay placements. I mean come to think of it… The only things that is very similar is the Head Tube and Seat post size…

Damn, I should’ve spent another $3000 for the MOG, right?

No.Im sure it’s a fine bike honestly.
Im just saying it’s not the “same”.

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Love the “slack picture”

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Great write up and fantastic build.

What spacer size did you use on the drive side to adapt the road crankset?

What chainrings did you spec?