THE BIKE
THE STATS
Enigma Escape Titanium frame,
c-six gravel fork,
Hope Technology headset and bottom bracket
Absolute black oval sub-compact chainrings
Deda finishing kit & bar tape
Shimano R7020 groupset
Wheelset – Hope RS4 hubs, DCR 24/25 aluminium rims 700c, Sapim race spokes – built by local wheel builder Ryan
Maxis Rambler tubeless tyres
ONE BIKE TO RULE THEM ALL
It’s not to say I don’t own more than one bike, but when I was on the lookout for a new steed in 2019 it needed to be equally good at soaking up the miles and bumps off road as on
As well as claiming to offer the perfect blend of comfort and durability, titanium (in my opinion) looks f*****g fantastic. So started the search for the perfect Ti frame.
With the multitude of online cycling businesses popping up over the last few years it was important to me to buy from somewhere with legs (reputation) and that I could actually see with my eyes. Enigma is a British company producing high end, beautifully engineered titanium and steel bikes. Take a read of their About page and you will soon understand the marketing pitch that bought me in!
What actually made me pull the trigger was the versatility of the Escape - relaxed geometry, multiple tyre options, rack and cage mounts, clever cable routing - it is built for adventure!
I purchased the Escape frame direct from Enigma HQ on the south cost of the UK. They supplied & fitted a fitted Hope bottom bracket and headset on my request. Hope is another British brand with pedigree in manufacturing and engineering - their components are second to none and a must if you are taking on the UK weather and mud!
I always planned to build the frame up myself – I enjoy bike tinkering (most of the time) but it was quite a space and time consuming activity. Especially when all you can think about is riding the dam thing. However, the result of this was I ended up with the exact build I wanted; a simple groupset & finishing kit, excellent wheels, solid (and great looking) Hope components, all built on a frame that can be ridden on all surfaces and in all weathers that will last a lifetime