Custom Built Enigma

Hoopdriver

Here's a photo-rich story of a custom build by Mark Reilly at Enigma who made this lightweight road-tourer for me under their Excellence range:

http://www.my-bicycle-and-i.co.uk/2011/my-new-bicycle-and-i/

And here is a photo gallery of that same frame being made:

http://www.my-bicycle-and-i.co.uk/category/galleries/

snowy lowey

wow :shock: Just.... wow! :shock:

Evil Laugh

Immense.

greasedscotsman

Not sure about the rear brake cable routing, under the stay? But otherwise...

indysmith

Beautiful. Great, original colour scheme as well!

Hoopdriver

Thanks. I've been really pleased with it. And it rides beautifully. A real delight.

petemadoc

It is indeed a very very pretty bicycle

Why did you go for bar end shifters ?

Hoopdriver

Thanks.

I've been using bar-end shifters on tourers for more than 30 years and I'm really used to them. I like their simplicity and reliability - important on a touring bike, I think.

Because of its retro-classic lines I did consider - briefly - going for down-tube shifters, but I wanted the bike to be my bike, my own ideal tourer, and an expression of my own cycling past, not somebody's authentic ideal period piece - and so bar ends it was.

PhilPub

Stunning, and nice blog! Maybe when I get bored of my open-mould carbon machine...

Nice to see my old frame builder Ron Cooper get a mention. There's another legend.

inseine

Beautiful bike and wonderful blog. Congratulations

Hoopdriver

Thanks!

I hope you'll keep reading

the_fuggler

Lovely bike. Enigma will be my next port of call without a doubt. My dearly departed LBS was an Enigma stockist. Every single custom build they did was an absolute peach.

Hoopdriver

Here, by the way, since I’ve had a few queries about this, is a list of the specs and components I have on my bespoke Enigma tourer:


Frame Columbus Spirit tubing, silver brazed, with Newvex stainless steel lugs
Fork Columbus Spirit tubing, silver brazed, Newvex stainless fork crown

Headset Chris King (threaded)
Stem Nitto Pearl (quill; 100mm)
Handlebars Nitto Noodle (46cm)
Tape Gilles Berthoud leather
Seatpost Thomson Elite
Saddle Brooks B-17


Cranks T.A. Specialities Zephyr (triple; 175mm)
Chainrings T.A. Specialities Zephyr 48-34-26
BB Phil Wood (stainless spindle; 130mm)
Pedals T.A. Specialities road pedal
Chain Rohloff
Front mech Shimano LX
Rear mech Shimano Ultegra
Cassette Shimano Ultegra 12-27 (9 speed)
Shifters Shimano Dura-Ace bar ends
Cables Gore Ride-On (both brake and shifting)
Brake levers Shimano R600
Brakes Shimano R650
Brake pads Koolstop salmon

Hubs Phil Wood touring (36H, front and rear)
Rims Ambrosio Excellence
Tyres Panaracer Pasela (cream; 700x28)
Inner tubes Schwalbe

Front rack Gilles Berthoud
Decaleur Gilles Berthoud
Handlebar bag Gilles Berthoud
Bottle cages Orange Velo
Bottles Rapha
Mudguards Gilles Berthoud (stainless steel, painted to match frame)
Mudflap Gilles Berthoud leather

Here are the pics etc:
http://my-bicycle-and-i.co.uk/2011/my-new-bicycle-and-i/

And here:

http://www.my-bicycle-and-i.co.uk/category/galleries/

rajMAN

Lovely looking bike 8) 8)

Hoopdriver

Thank you.

Sorry for ignoring your kind words - I have been away, travelling, alas, not on my bike! :-)