The new 73,000-square-foot home of ENVE, in Ogden, Utah
ENVE hand builds 130,000 rims a year, the company says, with most of those built into full wheelsets
Part showroom, part factory — wheels usually look better in context on a bike
ENVE CEO Sarah Lehman opening the new facility in 2016
In addition to rims, ENVE’s mountain bike stems are produced in Utah. Road stems, forks, seatposts and handlebars are manufactured in Asia
Putting the finishing touches on a mountain bike stem
ENVE has 34 different quality control checks
Quality ventilation is key to sound product and a healthy working in environment when dealing with carbon sanding and painting
Lehman talking to the crowd at the grand opening
Aerodynamicist Simon Smart has long played a role in the design of ENVE wheels
And yes, the men and women at ENVE do ride, thank you very much
Why so much metal at a carbon facility? ENVE also makes its own tooling and moulding (from metal)
ENVE is guarded about certain processes, like the particulars of the rim construction
From rolls to hoops. ENVE doesn’t make the carbon fiber fabric, but it creates everything else
Computers cut the fabric into specific strips and shapes, which are laid into rim moulds
Doesn’t look like a rim yet…
ENVE enjoys showing off its wares on the machines of other high-end crafters
All-road riding? ENVE has a wheel or two for that
For a manufacturer of high-end carbon wheels and parts, ENVE certainly goes through a lot of metal. The reason is that the Utah company makes not only its own carbon product, but the tools that shape those products.
In order to prototype and refine the shape of the product, ENVE has to prototype and refine the shape of the moulds, too.
BikeRadar recently visited ENVE’s new Utah facility for a tour. Although the company has always called Ogden, Utah, home, ENVE moved into a new 73,000-square-foot facility last October, not long after being acquired by Amer Sports, which also owns Mavic.
ENVE now cranks out more than 130,000 rims a year, and besides products like handlebars, stems, seatposts and hubs, ENVE has also made things like, say, stair handrails for its factory out of carbon. Because why not?
Sales, design, engineering, manufacturing and warehousing are all done under one roof — a rare thing in the bike business these days.
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Click through the gallery above for a detailed look inside ENVE.
