Emily

Remember Emily?  In a long dress one summer day she said yes.  Now every special request requires another, so many times it feels endless, a big yes branded red on each breast"
- Faithless, Giving Myself Away 



I'm not a massive fan of naming objects.  They should be what they are.   But in our house, the topic from my kids came up with "what are you going to call your new bike Dad?"   My Genesis is imaginatively called "the Genesis."   My Concorde is/was known as "the Concorde" but occasionally "the Mistress", "Harley Quinn" or "the Bitch" if she was giving me pain.  My new bike is an Enigma Evoke - the E's.   And in my head, my mind jumps back to 2011, sitting writing my BSc essays in the window of my old student house in the sun, listening to Faithless albums.  "Remember Emily......" and the ear worm starts singing.

Introducing my new Enigma Evoke.   It's a class act superbike.  She has a hard act to follow, but so far, living up to the expectations.



If you are ever going to buy your once in a lifetime bike, make it an epic one.   After 20 years of service, my Concorde is hanging up the rubber and being retired.   In it's place is a truly stunning bike - an Enigma Evoke with Campagnolo Record EPS H11.   This bike is a hyperdrive jump in spec from my old trusted wheels, but handles in the same familiar manner - just hyperdrived.

Spec wise, the build list:
  • FRAME: Enigma Evoke 54cm elementary paint design
  • FORK: Enigma disc elementary paint design
  • HEADSET: Chris King Inset 7
  • BOTTOM BRACKET: Campagnolo Record
  • STEM: Deda zero 100
  • HANDLEBARS: Deda zero 100
  • FRONT BRAKE:Campagnolo Record Hydraulic
  • REAR BRAKE: Campagnolo Record Hydraulic
  • BRAKE LEVERS: Campagnolo Record Hydraulic
  • FRONT DERAILLEUR: Campagnolo Record EPS
  • REAR DERAILLEUR: Campagnolo Record EPS
  • SHIFT LEVERS: Campagnolo Record EPS
  • CHAIN: Campagnolo Record
  • CASSETTE: Campagnolo Record 12-29
  • CRANKSET: Campagnolo Record H11 52/36 170mm
  • FRONT WHEEL: Miche SWR RC carbon clincher disc 36mm
  • REAR WHEEL: Miche SWR RC carbon clincher disc 36mm
  • FRONT TYRE: Vittoria Corsa
  • REAR TYRE: VIttoria Corsa
  • SADDLE: Selle Italia SLR Titanium
  • SEATPOST: Enigma Titanium

And the gratuitous /r/BikePorn image for cross posting on Pinterrest:
Photo credit:  Windmill Wheels, https://www.windmillwheels.co.uk/custom-builds-blog/enigmaevokeeps
As modifications from the glamour shot, I am riding with a titanium seat post and two ti bottle cages.  I have to give a massive shout out to Windmill Wheels (https://www.windmillwheels.co.uk/) for the sale as this is their ex-demo bike as this punches way above it's weight.  The specification is spot on and the whole deal with a bike fit was perfect throughout.   My positioning in ride is now far better, and even after the first ride, I can tell the difference the tweaks has made. 

And most importantly, bike are made to be ridden, so what's it like to ride?   I had the bike fit on the Thursday and took her home that night for riding on Friday.   If you have an Enigma Evoke and a day off work with permission to ride, make it an epic ride. 

At some point I'll have to do a full bike review on this phenomenal bike and why it fits my ride style perfectly.  There are a lot of buzz words and discussion on bike design, features, reviews and hype over what bikes best, but it's all waffle at the end of the day - bikes above a certain threshold become personal so the "one bike fits all" idea falls apart and what is ideal for one rider is a disaster for another.   For my requirements, the Evoke hits all the buttons I've been looking for in a bike in terms of technical specification and ride quality.   Throw in geometry for my riding style, the ability to bring a smile to my face and after >200 miles feel as if I'm failing the bike, I know there's more potential to come from this bike and many more adventures.  

Edit:  If you want a robot review, check this out!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-vrRhWQfDI

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