Enve M6 Stem: Rider Review

The importance of a typical mountain bike stem is somewhat up for debate. It's a part that doesn't have any moving parts but is none the less important. Obviously, it changes the geo but you can also save a substantial amount of weight too. Our friend Jeff Hoskins shares his experience with the Enve M6 stem. Check it out!

Overview

Recently purchased the Enve M6 carbon stem from Worldwide Cyclery for my bike and really loving it. I decided on the 55mm length because my previous stem was 50mm and thought the extra 5mm might help get me a bit more forward for climbs and front end grip, which after about 300 miles so far I can attest it certainly made a difference.

Why I chose the Enve M6? I had already had the M6 bars but noticed I was still getting the numb hands/fingers on rides longer than 10 miles. The bars help from my previous alloy bars, but friends kept telling me that if I switched to a stiffer carbon stem I’d find my hands/fingers numbing less, so I made the switch. And also would like to mention the M6 stem has a +/- 6-degree rise/drop as well, which seemed to give the bars just a bit of extra rise for me. And on to the good stuff, I lost any remaining chatter from the front end. The stem stiffened up the entire front end compared to the Hope AM Stem I had previously installed. I mainly run high-speed XC trails with a lot of switchbacks and feel that I have complete control of my bars and front end. The M6 stem keeps everything I’m holding onto feel so controllable and precise, with absolutely no noticeable flex. This may not be everyone’s preference as far as control, but I certainly like the stiffer control. And due to no more chatter up front, I can easily ride 20-25 miles without any issues of numbing anymore.

Final Thoughts

The Enve stem comes in a variety of flavors and sizes. The M6 stem is basically an XC and all-trail design, and 31.8mm friendly. Enve does have DH and 35mm setups as well, but I’ve only been using the M6. The M6 stem is a carbon stem but uses an alloy faceplate with titanium hardware. Installation is no different than any other standard stem, but you do need to pay more attention to the 5.5-6Nm torque during install. As mentioned earlier the M6 stem has a +/- 6-degree rise/drop option just by flipping it over. The looks of the M6 stem is sleek and stylish as you’d come to expect from Enve. And comes with Enve’s awesome warranty which you’ll find that you’ll probably never need to use it. The Enve M6 stem, nor any other Enve stems, are the cheapest brand you’ll find out there. In fact, they are pretty darn pricey. If you want a stiff front end and no numbing fingers/hands with a warranty you can never worry about, then you might want to give these a try. You won’t go back to what you were using. Even ask a fellow rider you may know that uses the Enve stems to take their bike for a ride. You’ll feel the difference immediately.

Pros: Stiff, Light, Titanium hardware, looks, warranty, therapeutic

Cons: Pricey