Enigma Excel frame and fork review

Enigma Excel frame and fork
Cycling Weekly Verdict

The Excel is not a fast thrills ride but it's a keeper - one to take home to meet the parents, the classy one that everyone will admire from afar. Yes, it's not cheap, but with the properties of the titanium alloy used, it's not like it's going to wear out or date and it's unlikely that you'll grow out of it. In fact, you can look at this as an investment piece - one that will quite possibly outlast you.

Reasons to buy
  • +

    Comfortable

  • +

    Punchy

Reasons to avoid
  • -

    Expensive

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Best known for its ‘Made in Britain' custom frame building, this is Enigma's slightly more accessible off-the-peg option.

You do lose the cream teas and bunting romance that goes with the made-on-home-soil claim, but on a practical note you know that being constructed in Taiwan the frame is going to be world class; besides, if you really are that patriotic then Engima will build you one at its UK base - if you're happy to pay a premium for it.

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Hannah Bussey

Hannah is Cycling Weekly’s longest-serving tech writer, having started with the magazine back in 2011. She has covered all things technical for both print and digital over multiple seasons representing CW at spring Classics, and Grand Tours and all races in between.

Hannah was a successful road and track racer herself, competing in UCI races all over Europe as well as in China, Pakistan and New Zealand.

For fun, she's ridden LEJOG unaided, a lap of Majorca in a day, won a 24-hour mountain bike race and tackled famous mountain passes in the French Alps, Pyrenees, Dolomites and Himalayas. 

She lives just outside the Peak District National Park near Manchester UK with her partner, daughter and a small but beautifully formed bike collection.