One of the highlights of the London Cycle Show, aside from the array of carbon bits hanging from nearly every stand, were these titanium delights from new-brand enigma. We offered a somewhat brief first look then, but now we can bring you a more in-depth look at the range.

I’ve a soft spot for titanium. I’ve ridden quite a few that have passed through the RCUK workshop, and always enjoyed the ride characteristics. It’s hard to describe how the material feels, but the livelyness is very appealing, especially when you’re pushing on at pace or just cruising along some windy tree-lined country lane. Enigma have chosen to build a whole range in titanium because of these reasons, and designer Mark Reilly has over ten years of experience with the material, so knows a trick or two about extracting the best from it.

But the appealing bit about enigma is they’ll build you a custom frame, at no extra cost. They’ll measure you up and ensure you get a frame that fits perfectly, and is tailored to your requirements.

Let’s take a look at the bikes then, of which there are six in the range.

Eulogy

For the racers the Eulogy is the bike of choice, described as ‘the ultimate road racing machine’, a bold claim indeed. It certainly appears to have all the credentials needed though, with a compact geometry frame made from double butted EST tubing. EST is their name for the shaped tubing, as visible in the top and down tubes which are shaped and flared. Integrated seat tubes, a growing trend on higher end bikes, looks great, as do the carbon rear stays headed by an Invex carbon wishbone at the top of the seat stays, with titanium dropouts
at the other end.

Frame only weight just 1300g. Frame only price £1,485. You can get a Record equipped for £3,785 or Ultegra for £3,360.

Effusion

Taking a step down the ladder, the Effusion offers much of the Eulogy, but drops the integrated seat tube for less impact on your wallet. It’s also ideal for those not yet convinced by the integrated seat tube approach The frame gets the same double butted EST tubeset, and is actually 10 grams lighter, just 1290g, and has just carbon seat stays with the same wishbone design.

Frame only price £1299 and complete builds from £2,799 with Ultegra kit.

Esprit

The Esprit eschews compact geometry for that of a classic approach, with the same EST tubeset and integrated headset as the Eulogy and Effusion. And for those that prefer the simple purity of titanium, there’s no carbon on this one – every tube is titanium. The seat stays have a gorgeous bend, designed for all-day comfort. 1,250gs and priced £1,250 for the frame.

Echo

The Echo aims to compete at the lower-end of the market, with a competitive £999 price on the frameset. Tubes aren’t double butted to keep the cost down, though you do still get the EST tubeset, designed around a compact geometry. They’ve not cut any corners then, and frame weight is a very reasonably 1,300g.

Etape

We wouldn’t suggest you need mudguards if you’re attempting Le Etape, but the Etape looks like a great bike for a winter training, commuting and Audax or cycle-sportive events. It’s designed for comfort first and foremost, so the tubeset is tuned to provide such a ride. Eyelets for mudguards and racks signal its intentions.

Frameset £999 and a range of builds start from £2,269

There’s no details yet on the Exocet frame, the company’s time trial machine, but we’ll bring you details as and when we receive them.

Visit www.enigmabikes.com for more info and all the available build options.