Join the dots! Check out the Enve Melee with a Black Magic Paint custom finish

Black Magic Paint are the preferred custom painter of Enve Composites and this evening's Bike at Bedtime is their latest monochrome custom creation. They have chosen the Enve Melee chassis, a racing-focused option that can take tyres up to 35mm wide, equipped fully with Enve components and accessories. How much do you think this dream build adds up to?

> Check out the best road bikes 2023 

The Melee chassis offers a canvas for you to create your dream bike and joins the Custom Road bike in Enve’s lineup. It isn't completely customisable, though – the Melee is offered in seven stock frame sizes (47cm to 60cm). 

Each Melee Chassis includes frame, fork, headset, thru-axles, stem, aero seatpost, and choice of Enve handlebar for $5,500 (~£4,400). Enve claims the frame weight is 850g (+/-2%, 56cm, painted, no hardware) and says that "where the Custom Road prioritises customisation, the Melee prioritises efficiency and speed". 

> Enve introduces Melee, its first non-custom race bike

Black Magic Paint, the masterminds behind this custom build, can customise all Enve products and bikes however you like. They also stock a full line of Enve framesets, components and wheelsets. 

> Which chainset is right for you? Should you choose a standard, a compact or something else?

This custom bike features Shimano Dura-Ace R9200 with a compact 50/34T chainset which isn't often the default option for race bikes. 

Another interesting feature is the white CeramicSpeed Oversized Pulley Wheel System, in keeping with the finish of the rest of the bike. We suspect that this may be custom and know that a black CeramicSpeed OSPW for Shimano Dura-Ace 9200 costs around £439. 

> Check out the best road bike handlebars 2023 

Moving on to the Enve components, this Melee chassis is complete with custom-painted Enve SES Aero Road handlebars (~£440) which come in five widths from 38-46cm, and Enve handlebar tape (~£35) available in three colours - black, white and grey. 

Again from Enve, the computer mount is their Aero Stem Mount (~£80) which is a K-Edge design, compatible with Garmin or Wahoo computers but is for exclusive use with Enve Aero road stems. 

Up next, again with a custom paint job, is the Enve Aero Stem (~£330) available in six lengths from 90-140mm, with adjustable length and angle.

The front end is fully integrated with the cables and hoses routed through the bar, stem, and headset.

Enve says, "They're secured using anti-rattle finishing kit, allowing them to remain silent". 

> Are expensive carbon road bike wheels worth the money?

The chosen wheelset is the Enve SES 4.5 tubeless (~£3,350) with white decals, equipped with, you guessed it, Enve SES road tyres (25mm). They cost around £75 and are available in four sizes from 25-31mm. 

The aero-optimised tyre size for this wheelset is said to be 27-28mm with the Melee chassis able to take tyres up to 35mm wide. 

Enve says that this wheelset has been "re-designed to deliver more speed in a lighter package" with a claimed weight of 1,452g. 

> Check out the best road bike saddles 2023 

The Enve carbon bottle cages cost around £60 each and are said to weigh 19g apiece. 

Enve have collaborated with Selle Italia for the saddle, opting for the SLR Boost "due to its lightweight design and innovative use of materials" on the Enve Aero Seatpost. The saddle starts in the region of £275 and can go up to £400 depending on spec, and the seatpost will set you back around £330. 

Now, for the moment of truth...

On Black Magic Paint's website, an Enve Melee Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 complete bike is available in two colours, Aegean Blue and Damascus Grey for $12,699.99 (~£10,200). Custom paint jobs are available at an additional cost. 

The Melee is available as a chassis only or complete bike with Sram Red AXS, Shimano Ultegra Di2 or Sram Force AXS and the other wheelset options are EnveFoundation 45, Foundation 65, SES 2.3, SES 3.4,and SES 6.7.

Love it or hate it? Let us know in the comments section below... 

www.enve.com

Make sure to check out our other Bike at Bedtime features for some very cool-looking bikes here!