ENVE goes for gravel with new carbon fork

Thru-axle and integrated removable mudguards on Enve's Gravel Road Fork

March 1, 2016 at 12:35 pm

ENVE has released its new GRD Gravel Road Fork onto the market, nearly one year after BikeRadar first spotted it at the 2015 North American Handmade Bicycle Show (NAHBS).

As the name suggests, ENVE is pitching the new forks squarely at the burgeoning gravel and all-road arena – “cyclists seeking the pinnacle of all-road and inclement weather fork performance with an optional easy to install/remove full protection, carbon fender”, according to the marketing spiel. The unidirectional carbon disc-brake fork retails at $750, with UK and Australian pricing to be confirmed.

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The gravel road forks come with integrated but removable carbon mudguards:

The new fork comes fitted with an integrated carbon mudguard/fender, which can be detached. It requires no tools to attach and remove, with two U-shaped channels snapping into shallow channels at the fork tips and two further snap-to-attach points on the insides of the blade. BikeRadar‘s James Huang, who viewed the version at NAHBS 2015, described it as seeming ‘impressively stable’.

The 382mm axle-to-crown length sits between Enve’s Road Disc model at 367mm and its Cross Disc model at 395mm; the GRD weighs in at 450g according to Enve, though this is likely with the ‘guard fitted.

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Designed specifically for gravel and all-road riding:

It also features a tapered steerer tube with a 400mm length and 47mm rake, with clearance for 35mm rubber. ENVE has also opted for a 12mm thru-axle, and the Gravel Road Fork can take 140mm or 160mm disc brake rotors and includes a disc brake hose clip.