Bike factory - visiting Enigma Bicycle Works
Discussion
Thanks to things easing slightly, was able to pop along the South Coast to Enigma today to get my fit dialled in on my Etape...
I'm always blown away by how great the guys are to deal with - on the phone, via email or in person. Met the guv'nor Jim who'd sorted me out so well after a certain other South Coast titanium specialist let me down massively. Then Richard came to work through the fit.
Context - I used to ride fairly competitively, but haven't ridden really in over 15 years. This was a present to myself via C2W, as well as originally being planned to be used for switching my 100 mile a day driven commute to one by train. After ordering my voucher, covid hit - and it doesn't look like I'll be commuting to any office for the foreseeable (can work just fine from home).
First, saddle height. I'm odd proportions (stumpy legs, long upper body. Think super skinny gorilla...) and raising by about 30mm surprised me - still comfortable, without any strain.
Then, saddle fore/aft. Again, quite a shift (forwards) to bring back of the kneecap over pedal axle.
Bars - both rotated upwards, plus a stem increase of 10mm and finally a 10mm stack drop. Weirdly (as one of the drivers for going in was that I felt too stretched) the bike now felt compact, controlled and 'alert' - amazing really as I already loved it and just thought I perhaps needed a slightly shorter stem!
Then a quick tour around the factory (bit of a treat they're not supposed to be doing at the moment, but Friday afternoon and holiday season let me through the doors).
Lots of eye candy to look at too...
Post tweaked fit (oh, and new shiny Ti spacers):
Back in it's birthplace:
Eyeing up the younger siblings:
Anodised, masked and ready for bead blasting:
(Really opened my eyes to some of the things they can do... Tempting...)
The Endeavour steel gravel bike I nearly bought instead (just achingly pretty):
Some mental gearbox thingamijig:
Hope you enjoyed. There's a thread on here of the tortuous journey to getting my bike, via some other much better at getting exposure brands who turned into utter tossers.
It's a crying shame Enigma aren't better known /more visible - they really are utterly brilliant in every way.
I'm always blown away by how great the guys are to deal with - on the phone, via email or in person. Met the guv'nor Jim who'd sorted me out so well after a certain other South Coast titanium specialist let me down massively. Then Richard came to work through the fit.
Context - I used to ride fairly competitively, but haven't ridden really in over 15 years. This was a present to myself via C2W, as well as originally being planned to be used for switching my 100 mile a day driven commute to one by train. After ordering my voucher, covid hit - and it doesn't look like I'll be commuting to any office for the foreseeable (can work just fine from home).
First, saddle height. I'm odd proportions (stumpy legs, long upper body. Think super skinny gorilla...) and raising by about 30mm surprised me - still comfortable, without any strain.
Then, saddle fore/aft. Again, quite a shift (forwards) to bring back of the kneecap over pedal axle.
Bars - both rotated upwards, plus a stem increase of 10mm and finally a 10mm stack drop. Weirdly (as one of the drivers for going in was that I felt too stretched) the bike now felt compact, controlled and 'alert' - amazing really as I already loved it and just thought I perhaps needed a slightly shorter stem!
Then a quick tour around the factory (bit of a treat they're not supposed to be doing at the moment, but Friday afternoon and holiday season let me through the doors).
Lots of eye candy to look at too...
Post tweaked fit (oh, and new shiny Ti spacers):
Back in it's birthplace:
Eyeing up the younger siblings:
Anodised, masked and ready for bead blasting:
(Really opened my eyes to some of the things they can do... Tempting...)
The Endeavour steel gravel bike I nearly bought instead (just achingly pretty):
Some mental gearbox thingamijig:
Hope you enjoyed. There's a thread on here of the tortuous journey to getting my bike, via some other much better at getting exposure brands who turned into utter tossers.
It's a crying shame Enigma aren't better known /more visible - they really are utterly brilliant in every way.
Comacchio said:
Looks great! Oh if money was no object...
Tell me about it!
This went from a slightly extravagant way of saving a couple of hundred quid a month commuting (instead of buying a cheaper bike and saving another £150 or so a month) to costing me nearly £300 a month (due to not commuting at all) and having had a pay cut (with reduced hours)...
Sub-optimal does not adequately describe it.
Now I've got it though, and am paying for it - I'm gonna bloody enjoy it!
Thanks for the story and pics, looks like paradise to me 
I have a LOT of bikes. My Enigma Echo is my go to bike, even though it resides amongst some far more expensive machinery.
It does everything I need a bike to do. It’s comfy, fast, and well built and easy to clean/maintain. On top of that I have a real soft spot for the look of titanium.
When we were out in the Alps last year one of the group had an issue with his freehub. We were sent to a local bike shop, where the very helpful owner set about turning his nose up at the rest of the groups bikes, including a Giant, a Trek and an S-Works Spesh. When he saw my Enigma his eyes lit up and he proceeded to ignore everyone else and just wanted to talk to me about it. Felt great!
Always had a great service from Enigma too, great company.
I have a LOT of bikes. My Enigma Echo is my go to bike, even though it resides amongst some far more expensive machinery.
It does everything I need a bike to do. It’s comfy, fast, and well built and easy to clean/maintain. On top of that I have a real soft spot for the look of titanium.
When we were out in the Alps last year one of the group had an issue with his freehub. We were sent to a local bike shop, where the very helpful owner set about turning his nose up at the rest of the groups bikes, including a Giant, a Trek and an S-Works Spesh. When he saw my Enigma his eyes lit up and he proceeded to ignore everyone else and just wanted to talk to me about it. Felt great!
Always had a great service from Enigma too, great company.
It seems everyone that has anything whatsoever to do with Enigma loves them to bits.
Just a shame they're much better at making bikes than marketing! Especially when I consider a certain other nearby firm who's all over the Web, yet is significantly lacking in pretty much every other way.
Now to source a nice inline seatpost, and plan a scheme for the forks/headtube/stem for next year...
Just a shame they're much better at making bikes than marketing! Especially when I consider a certain other nearby firm who's all over the Web, yet is significantly lacking in pretty much every other way.
Now to source a nice inline seatpost, and plan a scheme for the forks/headtube/stem for next year...
I’ve had my Enigma Etape since 2013 & the frame still looks like new, that’s Ti for you. It gets used as a winter bike, touring bike & “the weathers not great I’m not taking the fancy bike” bike. Currently it’s without mudguards (I use PDW Fenders, these are fabulous bits of kit & worth every penny) & a pair of lighter wheels (DA c24) in its Spring/Summer guise. It fits me so well & I’ll ride it all day, feels surprisingly fast considering what it is. The fact that it feels sprightly gives it quite tight clearances & getting a good fit with the guards & 25mm tyres is a fiddle, once they’re set it’s fine. My Mrs has a Sabbath September as her winter steed, similar price to the Enigma but the quality & finish of the Etape is a league above. Great bikes.
TheJimi said:
Cracking bike, and Enigma sounds like a really great company
4 grand though. I really struggle to see the value in that.
That's not aimed at Enigma as such, rather, I genuinely sometimes struggle to see where the money goes on bikes over a couple of grand.
Like most things - the law of diminishing returns definitely exists. 4 grand though. I really struggle to see the value in that.
That's not aimed at Enigma as such, rather, I genuinely sometimes struggle to see where the money goes on bikes over a couple of grand.
Does it objectively perform any better than a £2k bike? Nope.
Do I feel any hint of it not being worth it? Also nope.
It's a piece of functional art, makes me grin everytime I see it in the garden room and I love riding it.
Proper case of "all the gear, no idea", but I couldn't care less!
Sway said:
TheJimi said:
Cracking bike, and Enigma sounds like a really great company
4 grand though. I really struggle to see the value in that.
That's not aimed at Enigma as such, rather, I genuinely sometimes struggle to see where the money goes on bikes over a couple of grand.
Like most things - the law of diminishing returns definitely exists. 4 grand though. I really struggle to see the value in that.
That's not aimed at Enigma as such, rather, I genuinely sometimes struggle to see where the money goes on bikes over a couple of grand.
Does it objectively perform any better than a £2k bike? Nope.
Do I feel any hint of it not being worth it? Also nope.
It's a piece of functional art, makes me grin everytime I see it in the garden room and I love riding it.
Proper case of "all the gear, no idea", but I couldn't care less!
I'm as much at fault and if I'm honest, a bit hypocritical - I buy plenty things that put me deep into vastly diminishing returns territory!
It is a gorgeous bike though, I really like it.
Sway said:
Like most things - the law of diminishing returns definitely exists.
Does it objectively perform any better than a £2k bike? Nope.
Do I feel any hint of it not being worth it? Also nope.
It's a piece of functional art, makes me grin everytime I see it in the garden room and I love riding it.
Proper case of "all the gear, no idea", but I couldn't care less!
^ This.Does it objectively perform any better than a £2k bike? Nope.
Do I feel any hint of it not being worth it? Also nope.
It's a piece of functional art, makes me grin everytime I see it in the garden room and I love riding it.
Proper case of "all the gear, no idea", but I couldn't care less!
Lovely looking bike and I think the same way you do when making similar purchases. I also factor in that I'm helping to keep people employed too!
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