ENVE – Composites M6 Carbon Bars 2021
Reviews / Handlebars
374,690
At a glance
The Enve M6 carbon bars are constructed with a 31.8mm clamp diameter. Available in both 7.5 and 25mm rise options, the 780mm wide bars are aimed at ‘Trail’ style use.
The Alloy Mountain stem is a 3d forged, precision machined aluminium stem, available in 35mm, 50mm and 60mm lengths. Clamp size is either 31.8 or 35mm.
The product
The past few years we have seen a trend of wider bars with a more oversized clamp diameter of 35mm. Stiffer does not always equal better, especially when it comes to dampening small chatter. For this, Enve went back to the 31.8mm clamp diameter, offering more flex and dampening in the handlebars.
The 9 degree backsweep and 5 degree upsweep make a classic profile that feels nice in the hands. With 780mm wide, the M6 bars are not overly wide and can be cut to 740mm without a problem. Weighing in at 200 grams (high rise version) these bars can be a good upgrade from any alloy bar that comes with your bike.
If you want to color match the bars to other components, these bars are a winner as they come with a sticker sheet that includes all popular colors. Just pick a color, glue 'em on and you’re color coordinated!
The alloy stem is a machining masterpiece. They put 115 grams on the scale (for the 35mm version) and come of course with stainless steel hardware.
Clamping the bars you can see Enve knows what they’re doing as the bars have a perfect fit, without creating any clamping marks on the bars.
Out on the trail
Setting off on the first test loop, it didn’t take me long to get used to the position of my hands. The back and upsweep are comfortable, and while width is a very personal thing, I didn’t feel the need to shorten the bars.
It’s been a while since I rode with a ‘thin’ 31.8mm setup and I wondered if I would even notice the difference to be honest. When hitting the descent, I was surprised to actually notice more dampening in the front. The thinner bars in combination with the way Enve laid up the carbon, gave the bars a forgiving and dampening feel compared to the 35mm setup I was used to.
Of all bike parts, I think stems are the least exciting component in terms of how they affect your riding experience, until something fails that is. The Enve Alloy stem did a pretty good job holding the bars in place. The 35mm length was slightly shorter than the ones I am used to, but it resulted in more controlled steering and better handling on the steeps.
Verdict
Stiffer is definitely not always better. The Enve M6 bars combined with the Alloy Mountain Stem is a really good looking setup that creates a very comfortable ride. When it comes to engineering precision the Enve’s don’t disappoint. You can see the tolerances on this product are very strict. Value for money wise, they are not the cheapest combo out there, but you definitely get what you pay for. Having the option to color coordinate yourself is definitely a bonus.
This review was in Issue 68 of IMB.
For more information visit ENVE - CompositesRelated
By Jarno Hoogland
Jarno's life has revolved around two wheels ever since he swung a leg over his first BMX at age 4. After a BMX and DH racing career, he moved on to work for bike shops, distributors and brands before ending up in the editors seat at IMB. Based in the ultimate testing ground in the Swiss mountains, he runs his guiding operation and makes sure every IMB issue is filled with top notch content.
