ENVE is premiering its latest “All-Road/Endurance” inspired road bike dubbed the Fray, a veritable Swiss Army knife for the enthusiast who’s looking for a one-bike solution that does it all.
According to ENVE, the Fray was developed to fill in the gap between its Melee road bike, offering greater tire clearance and a less aggressive geometry, while still maintaining the same lightweight and aerodynamic attributes as its strictly road-going brethren.
“The Fray is the road bike for those whose cycling priorities have shifted from weekly racing to a broader range of cycling objectives where performance is still critical to meeting one’s goals,” ENVE said in a press release.
“With the ability to run up to a measured 40mm tire when using a 1x setup, the Fray will deliver mixed-surface performance, but it was designed for the road and the geometry delivers accordingly.”
Curiously, despite its more relaxed geometry combined with the ability to accommodate tires up a beefy 40mm, ENVE is quick to point out that the Fray is just at home on the tarmac as it is on gravel.
“Modern gravel racers and riders require slacker geometry, more tire clearance, dropper post compatibility, and more. At a glance, the Fray may appear to be equal parts Melee and MOG, but trust us when we say, this apple falls much closer to the Melee’s tree,” says ENVE.
While the Fray is designed to work with an array of different 1x and 2x groupsets, there’s one caveat, however, when it comes to some drivetrains, as the Fray is not compatible with Shimano’s GRX 2x systems with a 48/31t chainring combo, simply because the front derailleur hanger is not low enough to accommodate that gearing. Ditto for the SRAM T-type/Mullet configuration, which has a minimum chainstay length that is longer than that of the frame.
Regarding cockpit configurations, the Fray avails itself to a whole host of options, most notably what ENVE’ calls its customizable “chaise”, wherein the frame, fork, headset, handlebar, stem and seat post are selected based on the rider’s fit.
Additionally, as expected, the Fray offers plenty of storage and mounting points, including an integrated compartment in the down tube.
Offered in salt, venom and ash colorways, the Fray “chaise” sells for $5,500, while ENVE’s one-piece handlebar/stem can be added for an additional $499.
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