My Enigma Excel

[mikecassie]

Well my new xmas present to myself has arrived today. Thanks to Paul Hewitt for the build and shipping to me. Now I need the weather to improve a little before I can get out on it.

[mcelliott]

Details please!

[andySC]

Bootiful!

I fancied an Enigma a few years ago after I wrote off my Focus Izalco. It was one of their steel jobs...an "Elite" if memory serves. Anyhow...I ended up with another Tiawanese plastic offering.

[JuniorD]

Nice!

[Rouleur]

That looks tasty, Ti frames have a classy timeless look about them.

[SkinnyBoy]

Ooh that's reet loveleh that! I do love titanium frames.

[itsnotarace]

Very nice. Well thought out build, should be a lot of fun. Ride report please?

mcelliott said:

Details please!

From the pic I can see

Easton EC90SL fork
3T Doric seatpost
Selle Italia Flite XC
Ultegra 6700
Kysirum Elites
Conti GP4000S tyres
Possibly a 3T Ergonova bar
Unsure of stem, possibly Enigma

[crashS2K]

+1 on ride report.

Really fancy one of these. Would be interested in your thoughts and opinions - particularly compared to what you have ridden in the past.

[Raoul Duke]

Good choice with the grey metal, you wont regret it!

[paranoid airbag]

Also interested in the ride report, pretty sure an enigma bike would be on my dream list

[mikecassie]

itsnotarace said:

Very nice. Well thought out build, should be a lot of fun. Ride report please?

mcelliott said:

Details please!

From the pic I can see

Easton EC90SL fork
3T Doric seatpost
Selle Italia Flite XC
Ultegra 6700
Kysirum Elites
Conti GP4000S tyres
Possibly a 3T Ergonova bar
Unsure of stem, possibly Enigma

You're spot on except the stem is FSA, it was meant to be 3T to match the bars and seatpost. I won't get out on it for a day or two. Unfortunatley I wanted a 50/34 compact but got the 53/39 instead so I'm waiting for the bike shop to send me the bits to swap over.

By then the weather will be st again up here :-( And then I'll end up being offshore by the time the weather has improved enough to ride it.

I've had a Trek 1.9 triple before so this is going to be a decent improvement over that. Oooh I could crush a grape.... :-D

Once I do get out I'll try putting together a report, but remember this, the only thing I have in common with Cav is my initials.

[robpearson]

That looks stunning. I'd love a ti bike so I can relegate my trek to being a winter ride..

[shalmaneser]

very, very nice indeed.

[amnesia182]

mikecassie said:

I wanted a 50/34 compact but got the 53/39 instead so I'm waiting for the bike shop to send me the bits to swap over.

I thought that when I bought my Tarmac last year... 4000 miles later the 39/53 is actually OK on all but the steepest (20%+) of climbs.

Lovely bike BTW

[crashS2K]

Hi Mike,

Hope you've had a chance to enjoy the Excel. Having had an off recently am in the market for a new frame and your bike is currently top of my list both in terms of frame and spec. Would be really keen to hear your thoughts on how it rides.

Thanks,
John

[mikecassie]

Hi John, I've had a couple of chances to ride the bike but work has kept me away too much. :-( But the few rides have shown it to be fantastic. I am a lot comfier on it but that could be getting measured properly. But defo the frame helps as well.
As I'm not a biking god nor a hidden Cavendish no eulogising about handling and steering here. It's a cracking bike which I think is the dogs undercarriage.
Is it better than a piece of Italian carbon? I think so, others are free to disagree.
As I have been working a lot more than expected there's some bike porn being added to it over the next few weeks unless work comes along and urinates on my french fries again!
Overall I think go for it, you won't regret it.
Cheers
Mike.

[dontdobends]

I had a Enigma with a campag groupset it's was the best riding bike I've owned,jim and matt at enigma was first class to deal with,and it's good to support a British manufacture