Titanium Etape from Enigma.

Hi all, my first post.
I've had lots of bikes in the past. Few Aluminium and lots of carbon. I'm now on the hunt for a titanium bike that I can may be keep for ever. It would also be nice to buy British. Ive been chatting to Jim walker the managing director from Enigma over the last week and I can honestly say you can not fault the guy for how helpful and patient the guy has been. He has answered every email in detail and gone into so much detail over the phone to help me make a decision of what bike is for me. I've been toying with the Etape or Escape and when I finally get all the money together it will be the Etape. I currently ride an Sworks Tarmac SL6 in a 61cm. I will mainly want the bike for a bit of touring, winter road riding and light gravel following my son. I will need to go for a 60cm Etape which should suit my 6ft 3inch 95kg frame.
If anyone has the Etape and can give me there honest opinion of the bike or maybe someone recommends I should go and visit Enigma before I buy would be helpful. I was thinking about getting a bike fit off enigma and have a frame custom made but I'm sure one off the peg will suit. I've never had a problem before.
Thanks.
I've had lots of bikes in the past. Few Aluminium and lots of carbon. I'm now on the hunt for a titanium bike that I can may be keep for ever. It would also be nice to buy British. Ive been chatting to Jim walker the managing director from Enigma over the last week and I can honestly say you can not fault the guy for how helpful and patient the guy has been. He has answered every email in detail and gone into so much detail over the phone to help me make a decision of what bike is for me. I've been toying with the Etape or Escape and when I finally get all the money together it will be the Etape. I currently ride an Sworks Tarmac SL6 in a 61cm. I will mainly want the bike for a bit of touring, winter road riding and light gravel following my son. I will need to go for a 60cm Etape which should suit my 6ft 3inch 95kg frame.
If anyone has the Etape and can give me there honest opinion of the bike or maybe someone recommends I should go and visit Enigma before I buy would be helpful. I was thinking about getting a bike fit off enigma and have a frame custom made but I'm sure one off the peg will suit. I've never had a problem before.
Thanks.
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Posts
Why not try one of the custom builders like Saffron?
Brompton
Krypton
T-130
Never tell her how much it costs ......
There are other options to consider, especially if you are not insisting on a frame actually made in Britain. Off the top of my head:
1. Reilly Cycleworks
2. J Laverack
3. Burls
4. Travers
5. Wittson
6. Vaaru
7. J Guillem
8. Nua
9. Seven (available through UK importers such as Sigma)
10. Sabbath
And those of the ones I can think of, not all British, but I’m guessing we’ve established that a British built frame is not your priority...
PP
PP
I'm currently in the same boat as you, looking for a Ti. I'm going to see Vaaru tomorrow if the snow allows. I've also seen Reilly in Brighton, nice bikes but not impressed with the customer service. James at Vaaru has been excellent so far, will report back after tomorrow!
Moda Chord with drop bars and Rival shifters - winter/do it all bike
Orbea Rise
Yes russia it is. Think i paid around £1700 for frame and fork and chris king headset.
I
It's a sweet ride, not the lightest but with the right wheels is plenty quick enough and looks stunning when cleaned up. It feels solid, handles beautifully and just wafts along. Plenty of clearance for full mudguards and 25mm tyres (28s might be tight) too.
I replaced the Enigma full carbon forks as the previous owner had cut the steerer too short for my liking. Instead I got some Kinesis forks and although with a alloy steerer for some reason transformed the handling of the bike so I wouldn't waste money customising anything. Kinesis forks gave better clearance for mudguards too.
The decals on the top tube aren't the best and are peeling so I'll remove soon, however I also had a Van Nicholas which was the same, so I think it's just a titanium thing. Not an issue as the less censored on a Ti frame the better.
I won't be parting with it anytime soon.
Cannondale Synapse
Enigma Etape
Genesis Flyer Single Speed
Turn the corner, rub my eyes and hope the world will last...
Am I right in assuming none of these are made in the UK? I am considering some of these but fancy them being built by the builder themselves in the UK, particularly Reilly
I also ride a CAADX for similar duties. Bizarrely, they are very similar on the road which is both a disappointment and a good thing. I had the CAADX first and it's brilliant. Ergo, so is the Etape but for a few quid more.
PM me if you need any more detail on the Etape.
Another vote for Burls here.
A beautifully-made made-to-measure frame for less cost than an off the shelf Enigma, and with great service during design and ordering. Five weeks lead time.
Five years on, mine is as good as new. Frame weight 1320g on a Park scale, so lighter than expected too - bonus!