My experience with Enigma

[Sam Walker]

The bike in question was purchased in 2011 and had not quite made it to its 10th birthday.

I'm going to start by sharing two links which flesh out the story to follow:
A Crack in the Dream
An open letter to Jim Walker at Enigma Bikes

Next the pictures, which I reckon are worth at least 1000 words each. Note that they go backwards in time.

The first three show the devastation to the bottom bracket area. This happened on May 11th, nearly throwing me onto the road.







This next one is the dropout which gave way in November 2020.



Finally we have the bottom bracket again, circa 2016.



I'm a roadie, but nothing close to a racer. I don't ride my bikes hard. Don't have a computer or keep track of mileage, but my best guess is this one clocked up 40k miles. It could be more, it could even be a fair amount less: I just don't know. It was my 'Sunday best', though I took it out every chance I could, my average spin being around 20 miles, with longer rides thrown in. I've got two other road bikes that get out in poor weather. Here they are all lined up, including the pipsqueak folder I use for London.



I absolutely loved that bike, and talked up Enigma all the time. I was pleased to be able to recommend a local company.

When the BB cracked in '16, it was repaired rather than replaced. This concerned me at the time, as detailed in the link up top, but I was assured it would be fine, and in any case had no say in the matter.

When the dropout gave way last year it was again repaired.

Finally, true disaster struck: not just the frame catastrophically failing, but irreparable damage to my relationship with the company. They refused to do any more repairs under the lifetime warranty this was sold to me with. (Note their terms have since changed to 10 years and a Lifetime Loyalty scheme.) I was informed that it'd had a good run, and a decade is a reasonable lifespan. By their frequent recitation of ways to abuse a frame, I was left with the strong impression that they were pointing the finger at me for the cracks.

To add insult to injury, as far as I was concerned, I was told £600 could buy me a replacement frame. This was presented as a fantastic bargain, considering a retail price of several multiples of that. Although some have told me they think this is fair (most say they'd just sell it on), I remain flabbergasted and wholly unwilling to give them more money. Haven't I suffered enough?

I'm no metallurgist, but it's my opinion that the frame should've been replaced after the first failure, which led to its eventual demise.

I tried to deal with this privately but got nowhere, which is why I've posted here and elsewhere. I'm not expecting justice, nice at that would be, but if my account nudges even one framebuilder to up their game, that would be a little victory.

[weisan]

Sam pal, sorry for your loss and grievances.

I would be curious to hear from framebuilding folks that work with titanium regularly what could possibly have led to the failure of your frame, they looked catastrophic and the equivalent of death by blunt force.

[XXtwindad]

Well, you’ve articulated your (justifiable) gripes very well. I’m assuming you’ve exhausted all the other available channels before posting here.

Since this is your first post, welcome to the Forum. It does leave the impression that you joined for the express purpose of bashing Enigma.

[Russity]

Hey Sam.

If you got your bike directly from Enigma in Hailsham, it might be worth taking the frame along to let Geoff Roberts have a look at it and give you his oppinion? Considering he is literally just down the road (Boreham Road)?

I know he's not specifically a Ti frame builder, but he can surely give you his thoughts?

Best of luck with getting some kind of resolution with it.

http://www.geoffrobertsframes.co.uk/

[peanutgallery]

Ten years of use, two freebie repairs and 600 for a new one? Enigma is doing right by you. Crack open that wallet and get another. You should have no complaints

Great time to pick up disc, thru axle and tire clearance

[nmrt]

i was at the trek dealer buying a checkpoint. they were proud of trek's lifetime warranty. told me that they just warrantied a frame from a customer who had bought a trek 25 years ago. now that is a warranty.

screw enigma. dont "crack" up your wallet and let slip those 600 bills.

[Sam Walker]

Thanks weisan. I would also like to hear from framebuilding folks.

XXtwindad - "bashing" and "justifiable" don't quite go together in my book, at least as your post has been formulated. A thesaurus may yield worthier alternatives. I do appreciate the welcome though.

Russity - I'll look into it, cheers.

peanutgallery - compliments on your username.

nmrt - 850ish bills if you're on the other side of the pond.

[Matthew]

No f ing way I'd shell out more money on a bike from them. They should have replaced the frame. Multiple breaks and he's supposed to buy another? Can't wait for the builders here to chime in. Is Ti repairable, meaning is it safe to weld in the same area multiple times? "Sorry our frame failed multiple times, here's a great deal on a new one." Fu*k that.

[54ny77]

Freebie repairs?

Man anything remotely like that stuff is an outright replacement. Free.

Don't know anything about enigma, but I have a pal with a ti Spectrum, for example, that's got at least 2x those miles and has only needed a repaint.

Am sick of this "omerta" of boutique builders. Folks online S&%@! all over a big box brand like Specialized, for example, and even vitriol for Serotta (but for the designs and company missteps, never the fab quality), but heaven forbid some boutique builder get called out for crap product or lousy customer service.

[nmrt]

the number of bills dont matter.
it is the principle of it. and not even a fake apology from them? wow. now, that is stunning! not to mention that the frame cracked. thrice!

i had almost emailed enigma to make me their Ego mtb frame. but i heard something "bad" about them from a forum member here. never did place that order with them. went with an engin instead. supremely happy.

Originally Posted by Sam Walker

Thanks weisan. I would also like to hear from framebuilding folks.

XXtwindad - "bashing" and "justifiable" don't quite go together in my book, at least as your post has been formulated. A thesaurus may yield worthier alternatives. I do appreciate the welcome though.

Russity - I'll look into it, cheers.

peanutgallery - compliments on your username.

nmrt - 850ish bills if you're on the other side of the pond.

[XXtwindad]

Originally Posted by Sam Walker

Thanks weisan. I would also like to hear from framebuilding folks.

XXtwindad - "bashing" and "justifiable" don't quite go together in my book, at least as your post has been formulated. A thesaurus may yield worthier alternatives. I do appreciate the welcome though.

Russity - I'll look into it, cheers.

peanutgallery - compliments on your username.

nmrt - 850ish bills if you're on the other side of the pond.

Artful parry. I admire your perseverance

[Sam Walker]

Originally Posted by nmrt

the number of bills dont matter.

I know, I was just providing a handy foreign exchange information service.

it is the principle of it.

Ex-ac-ta-ly

and not even a fake apology from them?

Mate (as even blokes call other blokes over here), you're making me tear up now. You don't know how many links I've provided over the years that people can't be bothered to dip into before replying. I may just name my firstborn after you. Will need to know what nmrt stands for first.

Originally Posted by XXtwindad

Artful parry.

Practice makes perfect, or close enough.

[nmrt]

dont. your firstborn will hate you for it.
nmrt = nuclear magnetic resonance. added the "t" because "nmr" was taken.

Originally Posted by Sam Walker

I know, I was just providing a handy foreign exchange information service.



Ex-ac-ta-ly



Mate (as even blokes call other blokes over here), you're making me tear up now. You don't know how many links I've provided over the years that people can't be bothered to dip into before replying. I may just name my firstborn after you. Will need to know what nmrt stands for first.



Practice makes perfect, or close enough.

[Sam Walker]

Originally Posted by XXtwindad

I admire your perseverance

I hope to be able to sleep one day soon.

Originally Posted by nmrt

nmrt = nuclear magnetic resonance

Ah; I've used their imaging.

[vespasianus]

So, a question to the builders if they are here; all the cracks look to be in the welds. Given this is a titanium frame, does that imply a manufacturing defect from the start?