So as some may know, since before Lockdowns I’ve looking for / asking questions about disk brake road bikes and so on as I continued to save for a reasonably high level build that’d last a good few years and suit my endurance riding.
I have a long history with Enigma Cycles, having grown up near them and started working in metal work at the age of 16, I’ve always watched their progress and bikes with interest. Over recent years though, the inflated prices had drawn me away from thoughts of owning one, and indeed any high end bike.
In addition, no matter how hard I looked at Tarmac SL7’s, TCR’s or Cervelo’s for example, I couldnt get emotional about them.
So on a cold December prior to Christmas, random browsing landed me on Enigma’s clearance page. Sitting right in front of me with a very respectable discount was exactly the bike I’d wanted, with exactly the groupset I wanted right down to the chain ring and cassette sizes, in my size and with carbon hoops. One hour later of beating heart and with a large hole in my life savings, this was mine:
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2oaoRdv]IMG_3595[/url]
I love a back story behind desirable objects; today it was awarded 3rd in the Road.cc Road bike of the year list (I’m sure Mark Reilly is happy to be one up on Enigma with regard to that) and yes, my bike is the exact bike that was reviewed by Road CC.
So far I’m about 220k of riding on the bike, and it rides every bit as well as the Road CC review states. The collection process, factory tour and service from Enigma that goes with it is one I won’t forget as part of my 50th year.
I am very lucky to own this bike, the stars aligned for me for the rather unexpected purchase.
I had some great email chats with Enigma at the end of first lockdown, they were lovely guys to deal with, but Laverack are closer and so I got the Jack. I doubt I’d have been disappointed with an Enigma though.
Former Evoke owner here and I can attest that Enigma are excellent to deal with. The headtube was pretty generous in my size so I had no need for spacers. What’s the tyre clearance on the new model?
Yep with you on the non integrated bar / stem. I have both.
I’m also a huge fan of proper tube shapes, might be a watt or two slower but look so much better.
Really nice bike and build. And I’m very jealous!! If only I had a spare £6k, I’d be all over one myself!
32 officially, although actually it looks like it could go bigger than that. As it looks it has 28’s with 22.5mm internal on those Hunts, and there’s loads of space in the fork and by the BB.
Also, the frame detailing hard to see (something I like for making it a little anonymous to the undesirables), not sure if this’ll work but its bead blasted with brushed logo’s like this:
Very nice! I’ve got an Omega Radius (omega became Reilly bikes and then enigma) and it’s still great after 13 years… Bought it second hand then, and it’s on a second group set/wheels but the frameset is pretty much as new and super comfortable/fast to ride -hopefully yours will be just as popular!
Not quite. Mark Reilly founded Omega, which went bust. Jim Walker founded Enigma and offered Mark Reilly a job, Enigma being just the two of them for a while. Mark left Enigma to found Nerve, which was later renamed Reilly. Mark sadly died last year.
Edit: and @kryton57, that bike is lovely. I hope you have many happy years together.
They are Hunt wheels, so it probably wouldn’t help the warranty. Either way they are painted, so I’ll leave them as is I think as I’m pretty much Reg Prescott in the handyman department.
Jim Walker founded Enigma
This is where personal service hits a crescendo, Jim Walker popped out to thank me for buying one of his bikes. It was a nice moment.
Very nice. If I hadn’t just bought an echo, I’d have gone for one of their sale fixed frames. Yours seems to have too many years for my taste but looks great. They will refinish their frames, so I’m awaiting a quote for desticker and polishing mine.