Just in: Enigma's brand new Evade titanium endurance bike

This is the brand new Evade from titanium specialists Enigma Bicycle Works. It’s pitched as a fast endurance road bike but employs oversized tube profiles to provide a slightly more aggressive ride performance than some of its existing models.

The Evade was first launched at the London Bike Show earlier this year, you might even recognise this bike if you attended - this is the show bike that was on display on their stand. With its painted black frame and yellow graphics and colour-matched components, it’s quite the looker, and a bit of aesthetic departure for the company.

Titanium has come a long way since Engima Bikes first launched nearly a decade ago, and titanium continues to rise in popularity, it’s arguably never been as popular as it is now, with increased choice and prices more affordable than they were 10-15 years ago. Engima has worked hard to carve itself a niche as titanium specialists, with a wide range of models to suit different riding styles and budgets, and a raft of custom geometry and finish options that help to set its bikes apart. 

The Evade we’ve got here is the company’s latest model. Its remit is to be a fast and smooth endurance bike but Engima has used bigger tube profiles to give it a slightly more aggressive and responsive performance. A bike that doesn’t mind rolling up its sleeves and being pushed hard over demanding roads, if you will. The Evade is a sister of the Evoke, the company's new disc-equipped model, and both are said to offer similar ride characteristics.

The key distinguishing feature from Engima’s other models is the use of an oversized 44mm down tube and matching head tube, all made from 3AL/2.5V double butted titanium, that should ensure a high level of stiffness. Slotted into the 44mm head tube is a carbon fibre fork with a tapered carbon steerer tube, serving to boost front-end stiffness.

Other details on the frame include Breezer-style dropouts with a replaceable gear hanger, an English threaded bottom bracket and 31.6mm seatpost. All cables are externally routed. Engima claims a frame weight of 1,350g.  

The Evade is available in five stock sizes (53 to 59cm) but pay a little extra and you can get a custom geometry if you need or want it. The frame has a sloping geometry with the 56cm here featuring 73 degree head and seat tube angles, 509mm chainstays and 16cm head tube. Engima also provides, as this example ably demonstrates, a customised finish from a traditional brushed appearance to a painted frame, using its Engima Paint Works.

The Evade is offered in a choice of builds, starting at £2,599 for a Shimano 105 11-speed and Mavic Kysrium Equipe wheels and Engima finishing kit, rising to £4,099 for a top-spec Shimano Dura-Ace build with Mavic Kysrium SLS Wheels. The most expensive build also offers a choice of any finish, while the choice on the cheaper bikes is limited to brushed appearance with a choice of decal colours.

We’ve got our hands on the special show bike though, which is an example of the custom build service the company offers. Essentially, you dream it, Engima will build it. This one has a brushed black finish and is fitted with a Campagnolo Chorus groupset and Mavic Kysrium 125th anniversary wheels, with the yellow hubs and single yellow spoke setting the colour scheme for the entire bike, which Engima has followed through to the frame decals, the custom painted stem, yellow bar tape and a black and yellow Fizik Antares saddle. The bike here costs just under £5,000.

The whole bike weighs in at 7.52kg (16.58lb) which is a respectable weight for a metal bike.

Obvious comparisons can be drawn with Van Nicholas, Sabbath, Baldwin, Lynskey and Comtat, to name a few other titanium road bikes that could be considered alternative choices. We’ll be putting the Enigma through its paces so tune in soon for the review.

- road.cc titanium road bike reviews 

More at the Engima Bicycle Works website