Enve

[jpw]

Why doesn't Enve make carbon frames?

[christian]

It would fundamentally undermine their frame tube business.

Let me explicate: they sell a lot of tubes to frame makers, e.g. Parlee and Crumpton et al. How many of those builders would buy Enve tubes if Enve went into competition with them.

[dd74]

Columbus sells steel to other manufacturers, but owns Cinelli. So I can't see the problem if Enve started building frames.

[crownjewelwl]

i think you're asking the wrong question...

why would they want to??

[Auk]

Just because you're good at making the ingredients to the pie doesn't necessarily make you a better cook. What they do do, they very very well. They know it and are smart for leaving the building to those that build.

[beeatnik]

Do they make their tubes? My understanding is that they only manufacture rims at their facility. Everything else is outsourced.

[fuzzalow]

Enve does not enter the bicycle frame business because they correctly focus on what they are experts at and leaders of the field they are in - composite manufacturing, OEM & fabrication.

The bicycle frame business is a strange mix of marketing, off-shore manufacturing, fashion and tradition. No justifiable ROI to develop new expertise in these fields while simultaneously working their way into a consumer based, unit volume-driven marketplace.

Fear of reprisal from current clients, not likely. Quant of the upside is always takes precedence but moot as Enve would not enter bicycle manufacturing.

[guyintense]

Anyone else hear rumors that they were moving their fork manufacturing back to Utah?

[yngpunk]

Do they make their tubes? My understanding is that they only manufacture rims at their facility. Everything else is outsourced.

According to this article, tubes and rims are made in UT while "components" are made overseas

http://www.bikerumor.com/2012/05/17/enve-composites-factory-tour-inside-look-at-company-carbon-fiber-manufacturing/

[beeatnik]

IMO, ENVE really milks the whole American-born innovation/manufacturing and sexy wheel thing. And their fanboys give them blind allegiance. Recently crashed at 20mph and my Taiwan-made aluminum bars which took most the impact aren't even dented. The American-made CK headset is still buttah. The German-Taiwanese-French front wheel didn't go out of true. However, my Campy skewer is bent and my ENVE fork has completely cracked 360 degrees around the NDS blade, a few centimeters below the crown. But their wheels are the best on the market, right?

[crankles]

Why doesn't Enve make carbon frames?

I think i'd prefer to sell shovels to miners than to be a miner myself.

[Tony T]

IMO, ENVE really milks the whole American-born innovation/manufacturing and sexy wheel thing. And their fanboys give them blind allegiance. Recently crashed at 20mph and my Taiwan-made aluminum bars which took most the impact aren't even dented. The American-made CK headset is still buttah. The German-Taiwanese-French front wheel didn't go out of true. However, my Campy skewer is bent and my ENVE fork has completely cracked 360 degrees around the NDS blade, a few centimeters below the crown. But their wheels are the best on the market, right?


How's the seatpost?

[beeatnik]

Hard as a fooking rock, Tony. Thought you knew.

[oldpotatoe]

Why doesn't Enve make carbon frames?

Very crowded market, the market is awash in carbon in general and in frames specifically. Expensive to start with no guarantee that it would pay for itself.

I think they are doing the smart thing by focusing on things they know do well in the market..and as a supplier.

[jr59]

It would fundamentally undermine their frame tube business.

Let me explicate: they sell a lot of tubes to frame makers, e.g. Parlee and Crumpton et al. How many of those builders would buy Enve tubes if Enve went into competition with them.

Wow, That's a LOT of tubes...:rolleyes:

I don't think Parlee and Crumpton are going to make up to many tubes in the overall market of things.
How many bikes a year do both companies make? Not that many I'm sure!

[madcow]

Do they make their tubes? My understanding is that they only manufacture rims at their facility. Everything else is outsourced.

I stopped by the Enve facility last year when we went to Utah for dealer camp and took a tour of place. The tubes are definitely made in house and it's really quite an impressive facility.


Anyone else hear rumors that they were moving their fork manufacturing back to Utah?

For a while Enve was producing only tubes and rims in the U.S. However over the last year or so they've also begun to return manufacturing of forks, seatposts, bars and stems to their U.S. facility. They will continue to make bars, stems, seatposts and forks in the Taiwan factory as well. The idea is that U.S. accounts will get product produced in the U.S. and the E.U/Asia market will get products produced in Taiwan. It should help smooth out the distribution of their products.

[buddybikes]

I believe that:
1, Components (i.e.: handlebar) are made overseas. Some may come back to US
2. 1.0 fork Utah built, 2.0 overseas
3. Frame material, made in Utah

I am going with total US made frame, so going with 1.0 for my Firefly.

[happycampyer]

I believe that:
1, Components (i.e.: handlebar) are made overseas. Some may come back to US
2. 1.0 fork Utah built, 2.0 overseas
3. Frame material, made in Utah

I am going with total US made frame, so going with 1.0 for my Firefly.I had heard from a very reliable source that Enve had shifted production of all forks (including the 1.0) to Taiwan several years ago, which is consistent with what madcow describes (and madcow is pretty entrenched in this little corner of the industry).

If the country of origin means that much to you, I would call Enve directly and tell them that you want a fork that was manufactured in the US.

[old fat man]

they've also been making it exceedingly more difficult for frame builders to buy tubes/anything in "framebuilder" quantities (in other words, small quantities). they seem to be focusing on supplying to bigger manufacturers (i don't know who those bigger ones are though). for example, the OEM forks they do for Raleigh, among others, has to be exponentially more business than crumpton or parlee.

[Lionel]

is there any big manufacturer that actually uses Enve tubing to make bikes ?

[54ny77]

can always get a serotta fork if you crave the domestic fantastic. about 2x the price of edge, but hey, that's the price of freeeeeeeeeeedommmmmmmm!!!!!

http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01780/Braveheart_1780229c.jpg

[reggiebaseball]

is there any big manufacturer that actually uses Enve tubing to make bikes ?

considering the money is made in a frame (primarily I suspect) in taking plastic and making it into uber pricey tubes,
then it would follow that the large market producers would take their own plastic and make their own tubes.

Then, when there was even more money in making plastic into monococks
They all started doing that (ie, I dunno any large company that makes plastic bikes that are tube to tube)

[soulspinner]

can always get a serotta fork if you crave the domestic fantastic. about 2x the price of edge, but hey, that's the price of freeeeeeeeeeedommmmmmmm!!!!!

http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01780/Braveheart_1780229c.jpg

:)

[reggiebaseball]

can always get a serotta fork if you crave the domestic fantastic. about 2x the price of edge, but hey, that's the price of freeeeeeeeeeedommmmmmmm!!!!!

http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01780/Braveheart_1780229c.jpg

domestic is an Australian bigot, drunk, woman-hater?

You know what, that might not be far from the truth...

[nicrump]

not only do they make the tubes in house, it was their start. they were making tubes long before any rims, forks or cockpits came out of that place.

Do they make their tubes? My understanding is that they only manufacture rims at their facility. Everything else is outsourced.