Enigma Esprit

2

Comments

  • MattC59
    MattC59 Posts: 5,408
    Zoomer37 wrote:
    Thats a great looking bike mate.

    Out of interest, has getting the correct postion on those 3T bars been a pain in the ass? I got them and I seem to be forever pissing about with them in the quest to find a decent hand position for the hoods n drops.

    I'm off out for a spin in an hour or so (once it's cooled down a bit) but I just went for a horizontal starting position. I'll report back.
    Science adjusts it’s beliefs based on what’s observed.
    Faith is the denial of observation so that Belief can be preserved
  • tim_wand
    tim_wand Posts: 2,552
    Lovely, Thought it was going to be a C59, But thats every bit as nice if not more so.

    Place near me (Windmill bikes Wymondham) does Enigma and only the Italian built Colnagos (Master and C59) and the Bianchi Oltre's, Would really be a hard decision if I had the gelt. But a custom built Enigma would probably win it.

    Enjoy.
  • PimpMyBike
    PimpMyBike Posts: 50
    Mmmm...I love the colour of it :)
  • andy46
    andy46 Posts: 1,666
    That looks fantastic, well worth the wait. Enjoy it 8)
    2019 Ribble CGR SL

    2015 Specialized Roubaix Sport sl4

    2014 Specialized Allez Sport
  • Yossie
    Yossie Posts: 2,600
    Stunning - the fabrication is just stunning. Chapeau to Mr welder. Reminds me of Harris/Spondon m/bike frames & Racefit exhausts.

    Slam the stem, change everything on it that is white to black and leave it round the back of Casa Yossie please.

    Very, very nice.
  • cubedean
    cubedean Posts: 670
    my first reply was restrained........i'm actually in love with this.
    Transition Bottlerocket
  • Gazzaputt
    Gazzaputt Posts: 3,227
    Very nice but my that seatpost is low.
  • thegreatdivide
    thegreatdivide Posts: 5,807
    [cough] crank and valves [cough]

    Really great looking bike though! How are you finding the saddle?

    Agreed re red seat post clamp. It would be a nice touch – and so would some red spoked Racing Zeros :)
  • MattC59
    MattC59 Posts: 5,408
    Gazzaputt wrote:
    Very nice but my that seatpost is low.

    Cheers :D

    ............... but the saddle's not low, as mentioned, the frame has classic geometry, so it only looks low because not having a compact frame means that not much seat post is showing. If I had bought the Echo, with it's sloping top tube, I'd have a 58cm frame, not the 61cm frame, to an extra 3cm of seatpost would be showing. The saddle to BB dimension is 775mm, exactly what the bike fit suggests.
    Science adjusts it’s beliefs based on what’s observed.
    Faith is the denial of observation so that Belief can be preserved
  • rolf_f
    rolf_f Posts: 16,015
    siamon wrote:
    And Rolf, I appreciate the comment about British frame builders but I thought you rolled on a LOOK? Personally I have a Roberts ;)

    You do what you can. I have a Raleigh Record Ace from Worksop, a Dawes Horizon from Tyseley, an Orange P7 that is from Taiwan (but sort of contributes to Halifax Frame building) and then the plastic bikes. The Ribble claims to be Handcrafted in Italy but mine, unlike most, has been in Italy. Had Bob Jackson been able to deliver a frame of similar dimensions in good time, I'd have probably got that instead.

    As for the Look - what are the options for handmade carbon frames made in UK? Look make theirs in their own factory in Tunisia. It isn't UK or even Europe but it's as near as I could get (after attempts to get a Viner failed) with my wierd geometry and I prefer it to the Far East options.

    Anyway, back to Matts Enigma :lol:
    MattC59 wrote:
    Rolf F wrote:
    The saddle looks slightly low but it would fit anyone very conventionally who has slightly shorter than average legs.

    The saddle height is actually identical to my Trek, I have 34" inside leg and an 6'2". The reason it looks low is that it's not a compact frame, it has a horizontal top tube, rather than the sloping top tube that you see on a lot of bikes these days. I liked the classic look to go with the skinny tubes.

    It wasn't so much the closeness of the seat to the top tube (which I know well from my Raleigh and Dawes) but the relative similarity in height of saddle and bars. But then I run my Dawes pretty much like that anyway.
    Faster than a tent.......
  • MattC59
    MattC59 Posts: 5,408
    Rolf F wrote:
    It wasn't so much the closeness of the seat to the top tube (which I know well from my Raleigh and Dawes) but the relative similarity in height of saddle and bars. But then I run my Dawes pretty much like that anyway.

    There's 30mm of spacers in there at the moment, I'm going to ride it with different stack heights before I settle for the bar height. The saddle to bar drop, as designed with a 120mm stem is 62mm. I've got a 110mm stem on there, so the drop will be slightly more.

    Dimensions are below, angles are 73 degrees parallel and ignore the curved stays in the pic.

    Frame.jpg
    Science adjusts it’s beliefs based on what’s observed.
    Faith is the denial of observation so that Belief can be preserved
  • MattC59
    MattC59 Posts: 5,408
    mmmmm........ lovely curves :D
    Ultremos arrived this morning, so I'll put them on and get some more pics on here later.

    P7230523.jpg
    Science adjusts it’s beliefs based on what’s observed.
    Faith is the denial of observation so that Belief can be preserved
  • DavidBelcher
    DavidBelcher Posts: 2,684
    Rolf F wrote:
    As for the Look - what are the options for handmade carbon frames made in UK?

    None that I know of these days; the only British builder in carbon (Lotus one-offs aside!) was Hotta, based down in Newton Abbot I think but now defunct. They supplied frames to the also-defunct Linda McCartney pro team a few years back.

    David
    "It is not enough merely to win; others must lose." - Gore Vidal
  • MattC59
    MattC59 Posts: 5,408
    thegreatdivide wrote:
    [cough] crank and valves [cough]

    Really great looking bike though! How are you finding the saddle?

    Agreed re red seat post clamp. It would be a nice touch – and so would some red spoked Racing Zeros :)

    Yeah yeah, I know :lol:

    The saddle seems good so far. There's not a great deal of padding, but the shape seems really good. I need to take it on a good long ride to find out whether it's going to break me.

    Racing Zeros............. way ahead of you, they're on 'the list' but I suspect that Mrs C may pull my legs off if I spend any more money just yet :shock: :?
    Science adjusts it’s beliefs based on what’s observed.
    Faith is the denial of observation so that Belief can be preserved
  • MattC59
    MattC59 Posts: 5,408
    Here's the question folks.

    Schwalbe Ultremos have just arrived in the mail. However, do I :

    a) Line up the tyre logos opposite the valves, as per the OCP guide.
    b) Line up the logos opposite the HED logos on the wheels ?

    Dilemas Dilemas !??!!
    Science adjusts it’s beliefs based on what’s observed.
    Faith is the denial of observation so that Belief can be preserved
  • siamon
    siamon Posts: 274
    Valves.

    How was the ride last night? And what are you comparing it to?

    And thanks for posting the drawing. The photo is a bit misleading re the saddle to bar drop, they're both parallel to the same line of the fence.
  • MattC59
    MattC59 Posts: 5,408
    siamon wrote:
    Valves.

    How was the ride last night? And what are you comparing it to?

    And thanks for posting the drawing. The photo is a bit misleading re the saddle to bar drop, they're both parallel to the same line of the fence.

    Valves is what I was thinking too.

    I didn't manage to get out :evil: Mrs C phoned, saying she would be late home, so could I cook dinner. So, whether she likes it or not, I'm going out tonight !!!

    Yeah, perhaps the fence wasn't the best background, white garage door next time !
    Science adjusts it’s beliefs based on what’s observed.
    Faith is the denial of observation so that Belief can be preserved
  • rolf_f
    rolf_f Posts: 16,015
    MattC59 wrote:
    Here's the question folks.

    Schwalbe Ultremos have just arrived in the mail. However, do I :

    a) Line up the tyre logos opposite the valves, as per the OCP guide.
    b) Line up the logos opposite the HED logos on the wheels ?

    Dilemas Dilemas !??!!

    Problem solved. Neither a nor b really work properly - the text on the tyres should line up with the text on the wheels but it should also line up with the valve. The HED wheels are therefore faulty and you need Zeros. It would be dangerous not to. She'll understand.
    Faster than a tent.......
  • MattC59
    MattC59 Posts: 5,408
    Well, I went out for a quick 10mile spin this evening (stuff to so and it was 32C so far too hot to ride any more) and the Esprit is FANTASTIC !!!!!

    It rockets up hills, depsite the wheels, accelerates like it's ass is on fire and is so smooth on the roads !

    The ride was quite odd to start with. You can feel the road and everything feels very direct, but absolutely no vibration comes up through that short fat seat post or through the bars. I guess that's down to the Ti frame and the quality bars. The Ergonova bars have a good reputation for vibration dampening. The only time that there was any harshness transmitted from those wheels, was when crossing cobbled speed bumps, and let's face it, that's what they're designed for !

    I've also swapped out the White walled Rubino Pros in the pictures for some Schwalbe Ultremo ZX tyres. Not only do they look sooooooo much better, but they appear to be fantastic tyres. I have the 23mm versions, which I inflated to 100psi front and rear, and in the short time I tested them they were noticeably more supple, noticeably grippier and with out a doubt faster rolling. Ok, so they've only seen 10miles, but I rode some pretty sh*te tarmac and there's still a lot of grit and sh*te on the roads since the rains, but they're fine. I'm hoping that this will keep up and they'll last well.

    The saddle........... now there's a thing......... I was expecting to have to get used to it, but the shape is fantastic. It just fit my ass. Again, only 10miles on it so far, but it just felt right, no hot spots, no hard feeling parts, just right. I may have struck gold here ! The only thing I need to do is tilt the nose up a couple of mm (it's slightly nose down at the moment), and perhaps move it forward a few mm.

    All in all, money very well spent. It rides like a dream and I can't wait to get out on it more. Unfortunatley, I'm away for a few days in Belgium, so won't be able to enjoy the weather over the weekend :(

    Still............ I'm sure I'll have a Belgian beer or two :mrgreen:
    Science adjusts it’s beliefs based on what’s observed.
    Faith is the denial of observation so that Belief can be preserved
  • antlaff
    antlaff Posts: 583
    some more pics??

    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.434870959869690.91506.106622909361165&type=1
    Work
    Ride
    Play
    Sunny Days
    Fun
  • Ben6899
    Ben6899 Posts: 9,686
    antlaff wrote:
    some more pics??

    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.434870959869690.91506.106622909361165&type=1

    More post showing now. Is that for OCP or for fit? :D

    Nice bike, btw. I've been looking at the Effusion!
    Ben

    Bikes: Donhou DSS4 Custom | Condor Italia RC | Gios Megalite | Dolan Preffisio | Giant Bowery '76
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ben_h_ppcc/
    Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/143173475@N05/
  • MattC59
    MattC59 Posts: 5,408
    antlaff wrote:
    some more pics??

    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.434870959869690.91506.106622909361165&type=1

    Yep, that's the one :D
    Science adjusts it’s beliefs based on what’s observed.
    Faith is the denial of observation so that Belief can be preserved
  • MattC59
    MattC59 Posts: 5,408
    Ben6899 wrote:
    antlaff wrote:
    some more pics??

    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.434870959869690.91506.106622909361165&type=1

    More post showing now. Is that for OCP or for fit? :D

    Nice bike, btw. I've been looking at the Effusion!

    Post is for OCP, I'd need to be about 6'6" with at least a 130mm stem for it to fit like that :lol:
    Science adjusts it’s beliefs based on what’s observed.
    Faith is the denial of observation so that Belief can be preserved
  • bigpikle
    bigpikle Posts: 1,690
    lovely bike 8)

    love my Enigmas and need those head badges for mine for sure. Get some miles on it and enjoy it!
    Your Past is Not Your Potential...
  • jordan_217
    jordan_217 Posts: 2,580
    Bigpikle wrote:
    lovely bike 8)

    love my Enigmas and need those head badges for mine for sure. Get some miles on it and enjoy it!

    Available on the Enigma accessories page:

    http://www.enigmabikes.com/accessories.html

    Just waiting for confirmationt that the badge will completely cover the bead blasted 'e' on the head tube of mine.
    “Training is like fighting with a gorilla. You don’t stop when you’re tired. You stop when the gorilla is tired.”
  • MaxwellBygraves
    MaxwellBygraves Posts: 1,353
    How does it compare to your Trek?
    "That's it! You people have stood in my way long enough. I'm going to clown college! " - Homer
  • MattC59
    MattC59 Posts: 5,408
    MaxwellBygraves wrote:
    How does it compare to your Trek?

    Better in every way :D That's not to say that the Trek was a bad bike, in fact quite the opposite, this is just better. It's much faster on the climbs, is incredibly smooth to ride and it seems very agile as well. There's also that 'zing' that Ti frames have; difficult to describe, but there's a certain 'eagerness' to the ride.

    It feels very light to ride, I've noticed that I'm using slightly higher gears than normal. That said, I've only had a couple of short spins out on it, I'll be taking it out again on Friday morning, so will know more then.
    Science adjusts it’s beliefs based on what’s observed.
    Faith is the denial of observation so that Belief can be preserved
  • siamon
    siamon Posts: 274
    So it's quite lively? My problem with a lot of carbon frames is they feel detached, unresponsive and dead. What about lateral stiffness?

    And good job on the facebook pictures. It certainly looks the part!
  • MattC59
    MattC59 Posts: 5,408
    siamon wrote:
    So it's quite lively? My problem with a lot of carbon frames is they feel detached, unresponsive and dead. What about lateral stiffness?

    And good job on the facebook pictures. It certainly looks the part!

    Yeah, it's definitely a lively ride, but not twitchy in an overly racey, nervous way. Lateral stiffness seems good, as it's very responsive to both pedal and steering input but to be honest, I need to put some more miles in. When I went out on it last, I was trying to take note of everything, whilst trying not to grin like someone who was out on day release, so it was difficult to take everything in :lol:
    Science adjusts it’s beliefs based on what’s observed.
    Faith is the denial of observation so that Belief can be preserved
  • logitech208
    logitech208 Posts: 167
    That's stunning one of the nicest bikes I have seen posted on here, really love the colour scheme.

Categories