Today, ENVE introduced its fourth bike platform. Called the Fray, the bike is aimed towards the all-road or endurance segment without giving up on speed. With clearance for up to 40mm tires, the Fray should encourage riders to venture off the pavement and explore new roads.
Officially, the Fray’s geometry is optimized for 700c x 31-35mm tires. However, for those days where bigger volume is warranted, the frame and fork can run up to 38mm tires with a 2x drivetrain, or up to 40mm with a 1x drivetrain.
While the frame takes many design cues from the Melee, the Fray is about balancing speed with versatile capability. Think aero tubes meet big tires. ENVE states the frame is wind tunnel tested for performance at 32 kph/20 mph and 48 kph/30 mph. This isn’t a bike for just plodding along. Unless you’re into that, and just want a bike that looks fast. It’s not surprising that the Fray is carbon only, and is “made from a mixture of medium, high, and super-high modulus uni-directional carbon fibers following ENVE’s Material Optimized Design (M.O.D.) process.”
That versatility is highlighted with the cargo accommodations which include in-frame storage in the downtube. The Cargo Bay offers 0.6L of storage with a latched door under the downtube bottle cage mount and two included storage bags. You’ll also find top tube mounts and a mount on the downtube in addition to the traditional two bottle cage mounts in the triangle.
When it comes to geometry, the frame is available in seven sizes with four different fork rakes (55, 51, 47, 43). The bikes are built a la carte, meaning you can pick your ideal handlebar, stem, and seatpost option to give you the best fit.
Frame details include 12mm x 100/142mm thru axles, flat mount disc brakes, internal cable routing, T47 BB, fender compatibility, an IS52/IS52 headset, and a proprietary aero seat post. Frame weight is claimed to be 900g +/- 2% (Size 56, Painted, No Hardware).
Offered in three colors, the Fray is sold only as a chassis for $5,500. That includes the frame, fork, headset, stem, handlebar, and seatpost.
