Modern gravel bikes are increasingly segmented, tasked with doing something well, rather than everything mediocrely. Many either carry your kitchen sink and run massive tyres, or they omit all that and run like a road bike with a slightly wider and knobblier tyre. The Enve Mog, I'd argue, is still somewhere in the middle ground, but it manages to escape mediocrity.
It’s relatively light (depending on your build), stiff, and responsive. In some ways, it's a bike with a road endurance geometry, just with tyre clearance and capability added up. Yet, it has dropper post compatibility, and the ability to carry as many bags as you wish.
It's kind of a blank canvas of a bike, and that's how Enve sells it. There are no fully built Mog options to choose from; rather, you spend quite a considerable amount on the frameset, or "chassis," as Enve puts it – which comprises the frame, fork, stem, bar, and seat post) and then build your dream rig working with your dealer.
Over the past few months, I've ridden my test Mog build over every type of gravel I could find, and it's certainly been a bike that's attracted a lot of questions from fellow riders in groups. Often, it's easier to list the negatives about a bike, and with the Mog there are very few, so my answer to how it rides has always been some form of "good." There are 'buts' to add to that statement, and this review will cover all of those and the "good" as well.
Highs: Good ride quality, best suited for those who want a lively and fast bike. Geometry that balances nimble handling with high-speed stability. Once-class-leading and now adequate tyre clearance (up to 50 mm). Clean aesthetics and well-finished details, and beautiful neutral colourways.
Lows: Fully internal routing complicates bar/stem swaps. Certainly on the stiffer side of frames (at least in the 49 cm tested), which doesn't necessarily lend itself well to longer-distance rides. The frame storage works but can be tricky to operate, especially with cold fingers. Premium pricing for a chassis-only offering.
Weight: 8.6 kg (size 49 frame with spec detailed below, including cages and computer mount)
Price: Chassis (frame, fork, bar, stem, seat post): £5,500 / €4,999/ AU$10,000; frameset: US$4,100
NOTE: Enve sells the Mog chassis-only in its international markets and frameset-only in the US.
What makes the Mog?
The Mog is a bit of an interesting bike to review. Some portion of how a bike rides is down to a brand's spec choices (particularly wheels and tyres). But Enve doesn’t make it as a complete build – instead, the Mog is offered as a frameset (in the US) or in other markets as a “chassis”: frame, fork, headset, handlebar, stem, and seatpost – all of which are Enve’s own designs, or as a frameset-only option. The Mog is made in Taiwan, while Enve makes its custom road frames in the US. Overall, the Mog is a very simple-looking bike, in that it doesn't have extreme aero features or quirky tube shapes; rather, it stays true to Enve's minimalistic design aesthetics and branding.
Did we do a good job with this story?
