ENVE M9 Pro Carbon Wheelset

The M9 Pro is ENVE's decisive gravity wheelset, having been developed in cooperation with Commencal/Muc-Off, Frameworks Racing, The Union, Brendan Fairclough and other World Cup athletes and proven in competition. The M8 and M9 Pro models of the Generation 5 M Series together have podiumed at every round of this World Cup DH season.

It was designed to combine carbon's natural strength with the damped, quiet ride of alloy and exhibit the best ride feel and reliability for aggressive riding. Consequently, the front and rear rims are individually designed, and although they feature identical geometry, the carbon layout is different, with the front rim being more compliant, so that it supports comfort and tracking. The rear rim, meanwhile, offers effective power transfer and toughness.

A particular goal in the M9 Pro's development was ‘no lost run’, meaning no training, quality or race runs being lost as a result of a wheel issue, and it was achieved. Henry Quinney of Pinkbike said, “We dinged a lot of rims on this test. We hit the ENVEs into many things, but they were both comfortable, compliant and, most importantly, in one piece by the end.”

Their durability is partly because the rims are both shallow, meaning increased vertical compliance for better shock absorption, with the M9 Pro exhibiting 77% less vertical rim stiffness and 64% less lateral stiffness than its predecessor, the M930, as well as a 10% improvement in toughness and a 20% improvement in impact resistance.

It's also due to a special puncture defence found only in this particular M Series model, the patented Protective Rim Strip. First introduced by ENVE in 2018, it acts as a barrier between the rim's loading edge and the tyre, practically eliminating the chance of cuts and pinch flats.

As well, it acts to isolate and wheel and tyre air chamber, so that if the rim is damaged, the tyre pressure will stay constant all the way to the foot of the mountain. Meanwhile, Nyloc thread-locking inserts ensure the wheelset's brass external nipples will hold firm to keep the spokes tensioned and the wheels true, even on impact. Riders are therefore freed up to ride with more confidence and choose more aggressive lines, whether while racing or on long backcountry runs. and take on long backcountry routes, knowing they'll reach the finish safely.

The M9 Pro wheelset also features ENVE's new Innerdrive^TM J-Bend Mountain Hub, with its oversized ratchet drive system and 80 tooth ratchet (as standard) to ensure reliable engagement at 4.5°. This provides greater efficiency and is low maintenance, yet easily serviceable. Its premium grade, full stainless steel bearings reduce drag, while its Perfect Preload system in turn prolongs the life of those bearings.

As ENVE's flagship gravity and downhill model, the M9 Pro has exhibited high real-world durability and is much less likely to fail than the brand's Gen 4 models. Durability has been prioritised over weight savings in its development, but the Protective Rim Strip means athletes can run lighter tyres, with no need for inserts to help cut down on pinch flats, which means its net weight is less than that of other wheelsets in its category.

Choose it if you want the confidence to ride full-on enduro and gravity trails, freeride or bike park challenges or use a heavy E-MTB, without worrying your run will be cut short by impacts. As the world's most successful wheelset in the UCI DH World Cup today, you know it will hold the trail beautifully, offering a smooth, fast ride, handling bumps with ease and speeding you on to glory.

Available as a 29″ front and 29″ rear, or a 29″ front and 27″ rear set.