A supremely refined titanium road bike, with a hand built, bespoke frameset at its heart. This is a purchase for a rider looking for a 'money no object' dream bike, that'll remain special for a lifetime.
Reasons to buy
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Hand build, bespoke frameset
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Focus on British materials and craftsmanship
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Lasts a lifetime
Reasons to avoid
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The cost
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The Eikon is the latest offering from titanium frame specialist Enigma. It is part of their Signature range, meaning the frame is ‘proudly made in Sussex, England reflecting commitment to quality and craftsmanship here in the UK’. Not only that, the 3AL/2.5V titanium tubing comes from iconic British company Reynolds, with this particular frame painted in Reynolds’ green and yellow to reflect the collaboration. This is a fast summer bike, with long days ridden with speed and comfort at its heart.
(Image credit: Future)
It’s not until you see the titanium frame firsthand that you appreciate how gorgeous it looks. I’ve seen some fantastic paint jobs in my time, and this is right up there. It really glistens in the sun and has a stunning depth to it. Then there is the weight, 7.8kg for the 55cm bike on test.
Riding the Enigma Eikon
Once out riding, the sensation is of smoothness. This frame embodies many of the positive features associated with titanium, namely a smooth ride quality and lightness, yet it is stiff enough to transfer power very effectively.
Speed can be carried over rough surfaces that can often slow a bike down or require more power to be applied to keep momentum. If you are aware of sound waveforms, then this has the feeling of a sine wave shape as opposed to a sawtooth or square wave, by which I mean that it has smooth flowing ride characteristic as opposed to a jagged one.
(Image credit: Future)
Although the seatpost is made of carbon and measures 31.8mm diameter, there is no feeling of harshness that is often associated with a wider width post.
Usually, a 27.2mm seatpost is used to tune out vibrations from a stiffer rear triangle, whereas here it’s the seatstays and saddle rails that contribute to the damping. Yet the chainstays are still stiff enough to transmit all of the power being passed through them from the transmission. It’s a well-resolved solution keeping both qualities present in the correct ratio. A quick mention too, for the custom-made titanium seatpost clamp, which is very nicely made and looks fantastic.
Moving on to the wheelset, the Scribe Elan 42-D are very light at 1,375g (pair) with an internal width of 21mm that will easily accommodate tyre widths from 25mm to 30mm. Mine were fitted with 28mm Continental 5000 tyres in tubeless configuration. The Scribes rolled very well, accelerated excellently and, in combination with the frame, were comfortable. My only niggle would be that they caught the wind a little and gave a bit of a gyroscopic force feeling to the steering when moderately breezy. In low and no-wind scenarios they performed beautifully.
The freehub ratchet is very loud so, depending on your taste, too noisy or spot on. Several times, during a ride with a friend, I launched an attack on short, steep slopes and the control, power, and acceleration were excellent both from the wheels and frame. I surprised him each time with how much he needed to chase me down (or up!). The weak point on the attacks was me, so the Eikon definitely flattered me!
(Image credit: Future)
The Enve bars and stem have been painted to match the Reynolds yellow of the frame and they look fantastic. The aero-section bars flare out and the aero blade on the top is comfortable to ride on, when not on the hoods. My only niggle was that there was almost no room to fit even a narrow bike computer bracket. This isn’t a problem for a purchaser as you can get a computer mount that attaches in the front of the stem to attach a Garmin computer (et al) and a light.
The Dura Ace Di2 9200 12-speed gearset was excellent. I found the shift buttons intuitive and easy to access from several hand positions. The range of gears available from the 34/50t chainset and 11-34t cassette was not only well spaced but had a wide range. I barely needed to access the easiest three ratios but it was nice to know that they were there. Halfway through the test I downloaded and connected the Shimano E-Tube app to the rear mech. There I could set up gear selection parameters, and I chose to go up a cog at the rear whenever the front moved from the 34 tooth cog to the 50t and then to drop a cog when the chain was moved from the 50t back to the 34 chainring. This means that you don’t get a big jump in ratio when you switch between front chainrings, always a bugbear of mine with a 34/50 chainset! There is more that you can specify in the parameters, but I just stuck to this modest but useful change.
The Shimano brakes feature 160mm discs front and rear. Both ends feature Ice-Freeza cooling sections to the discs, as well as Ice cooling fins on the pads to prevent the brakes becoming too hot and fading. The brakes work very well, with the right amount of power, modulation and feel. I never felt under-braked, and they weren’t too grabby.
Enigma Eikon: Value and Conclusions
(Image credit: Future)
There is a point after which the ‘value for money’ metric is passed and other things come into play. Handmade, bespoke exotic materials and finishes and high-end components all play a part in someone seeking out something out of the ordinary.
For example, this build is undoubtedly expensive at £12,229, being built with a top-end groupset, high-end wheels and components, and then finished off in that glorious Aurora paint. However, the frame is available at £3,999 and complete bikes start from £7,595. For that, you’ll be investing in a supremely refined ride with speed and comfort at its core. A bike that you can truly ride all day long and be immensely proud to own.
Shipping overseas is availalble, but pricey, at £450-500 (for a complete bike) to the USA.
Over 40 years cycling in a variety of disciplines including road riding, commuting, a self-supported Land's End to John o' Groats trip, XC mountain biking and several Polaris Challenge two-day events. Adventure, escape and fun are the motivations for my riding. I also love bike and kit design and have fillet brazed a couple of framesets using Reynolds 853 steel tubing for myself. A very satisfying experience to ride your own bespoke bike!
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