ENVE MOG (GRX Di2 build) review

ENVE claims the MOG is "for riders who like to push the boundaries of distance and rolling exploration".

That may come over as just a little pretentious. However, the MOG is pitched perfectly between steep, sharp race-orientated bikes such as the BMC Kaius and Factor Ostro Gravel, and more relaxed, rough-stuff ready bikes such as the Nukeproof Digger, BMC URS LT and Surly Grappler.

It’s expensive and one could argue it’s a 'Melee-On-Gravel', but the performance is enticing – if you can afford it.

ENVE MOG (GRX Di2 build) frame details

The £5,500 / $5,500 frameset bears more than a passing resemblance to the brand’s all-round race bike, the Melee.

Here, though, the MOG gets spacious clearance for 700x50c tyres and storage in the down tube accessed via an opening underneath the bottle bosses.

This ‘Cargo Bay’ is said to have a 600ml capacity, and comes with two neoprene cargo bags, so whatever you stow won’t rattle as you ride.

The frame has a claimed weight of just 950g for a size 56cm, which is very light for a gravel bike, and only 90g heavier than the road-going Melee.

The frame has plenty of fittings, with provision for mudguards, multiple water bottles, a bento-box style bag on the top tube and multiple mounts on the fork.

The bottom bracket is a threaded T47 standard, and the bike uses ENVE’s fully internal ‘In-Route’ cable routing system throughout.

An internally routed dropper post can also be accommodated. On this test bike, ENVE’s gravel-specific upside-down dropper, with a short 40mm of drop, is fitted.

ENVE MOG (GRX Di2 build) geometry

The fork is offered in three rake options, which ENVE says ensures optimal handling regardless of bike size.

The head tube angles are between 71 and 71.5 degrees across the size range, with the seat tube angle ranging from 72.75 to 74.5 degrees.

The front is something of a mid point between the steepest and slackest gravel bikes, while the seat tube angle is quite steep – indicating that although the handling is intended to be balanced, maximising power transfer over the bottom bracket is a key consideration.

Even though it brings a low and long ride position that’s more akin to a road bike, ENVE has combined the front end with a 55mm-rake fork. Fitted with the 40c gravel tyres, this gives a trail figure of 62mm.

This helps give the front end plenty of stability when the going gets choppy.

All sizes use 420mm chainstays, which bring a notably short wheelbase, considering the wide tyre clearance.

ENVE says this is achieved by running the rear derailleur routing along the top of the chainstay, underneath the bolt-on stay protector where the stay is thinner.

This size-56cm bike has a 73.5-degree seat tube angle and a 397mm reach, with a low, sporty 587mm stack height.

ENVE MOG (GRX Di2 build) specifications

Finishing off the MOG is a suite of premium parts from the ENVE stable – a logical (if relatively expensive) way to kit out a MOG frameset.

At the front is an ENVE G-Series handlebar (80mm reach, 120mm drop and a flare that takes it from 42cm at the hoods to 54cm at the drops).

The stem is ENVE’s road aero unit, to take full advantage of the ‘native’ internal routing.

The MOG rolls on the brand’s Foundation AG25 gravel wheelset with a 25mm-wide internal rim that has a hookless profile.

The G-Series gravel dropper post is topped with Selle Italia’s SLR Boost saddle, here in special ENVE trim.

The 11-speed Shimano GRX Di2 drivetrain is still impressive, with slick shifting and superb braking interaction thanks to the ergonomic lever shape.

That said, one could argue it’s behind the times now a 12-speed mechanical GRX groupset exists, with SRAM occupying the 12-speed camp for years, and Campagnolo packing 13 sprockets into Ekar.

Here, the 42-tooth chainring with a wide 11-42 tooth cassette is a great spread for most gravel riding.

If you’re the sort of rider who likes to take on the steepest singletrack climbs, you may want a larger spread, but this setup will be more than ample for the vast majority.

Sitting beside the left-hand shifter is ENVE’s push-pull drop-bar specific lever for its G-Series dropper post.

The post’s compact 40mm drop is just enough to clear it out of the way when the terrain gets technical and heads downwards.

All in, the build tips the scales at 8.87kg.

In terms of comparative value, the Specialized Diverge STR comes in at £8,000 for a SRAM Force AXS-equipped Pro model. Cannondale’s Topstone Carbon 1 RLE, with SRAM Force AXS and Hollowtech carbon wheels, is also £8,000.

Both are £2,500 cheaper than the nominally similar build on the MOG.

Perhaps most strikingly, Ridley’s rapid Kanzo Fast GRX Di2 Classified comes in at £5,459. That’s £41 cheaper than the MOG frameset alone.

ENVE MOG (GRX Di2 build) ride impressions

The MOG’s off-road manners impress, and its geometry makes it a very quick and capable ride on light gravel. On my usual testing ground of the military roads of Salisbury Plain in the UK, it’s amongst the quickest bikes I’ve tested.

This usually means a trade-off when you go away from the roads and hit singletrack and rutted sheep trails, but here the MOG fared much better than I expected.

It feels composed enough when snaking through the technical stuff, and the benefit of getting the saddle out of the way came into play because it enabled me to move the bike around more and keep my balance centred.

The MOG's 104.2cm wheelbase is on the short side for a gravel bike and it helps give it a nimble feel. It’s easy to unweight the back end and flick through tight turns.

ENVE’s wheelsets have a reputation for stiffness, and the AG25 certainly keeps up that tradition. It’s taut, stiff at the rim and responsive – it certainly suits those of a racier disposition.

The Schwalbe G-One Ultrabite tyres, with their mud-ready grip, wouldn’t be most people’s first choice for summer riding. However, they impressed me throughout a wet June, July and August in the UK.

They’re excellent in sticky mud and sloppy stuff, and are quick to shed grit and grime, while biting well in the dry too.

The MOG fork, combined with the slick aero-styled cockpit, is excellent at damping vibrations and buzz.

It combines with the dropper post to balance the compliance, given there’s a modicum of damping from the air cartridge – not enough to alter the saddle height (unless activated, of course), but just sufficient to reduce buzz.

ENVE MOG (GRX Di2 build) bottom line

The MOG is a much more rounded gravel bike than I expected.

With ENVE’s racing focus (on the road), I expected the MOG to be similar in design to bikes such as the BMC Kauis and Factor Ostro Gravel.

What ENVE has made, however, is more akin to the Cannondale Topstone and Giant Revolt X. It’s a versatile, light, capable gravel bike with an emphasis on speed, but balanced with comfort and technical-terrain prowess too.