It's all about the Bike

Velominati's Rule #12 states that  while the minimum number of bikes one should own is three, the correct number is n+1, where n is the number of bikes already owned. This equation may also be rewritten as s-1, where s is the number of bikes owned that would result in separation from your partner.

I already own 4 bikes and as a family we manage to own 14 bikes between us but an expedition like this still warranted a new bike. After all my old steel Peugeot touring bike was too heavy and slow. my aluminium Giant bike couldn't easily take a rack, my Marin mountain bike was not suitable as a road bike and my latest carbon Specialized bike would be too fragile.

So what was left? Well a Titanium bike of course which would be comparatively light and yet robust and strong and capable of taking panniers. After much research I decided to go for an English frame manufacturer- Enigma bikes based in East Sussex :

 http://www.enigmabikes.com/

I went to my nearest Enigma dealer in Bath - Cadence Bike Shop who were very helpful and knowledgeable :

http://www.cadencebikeshop.com/

They let me test ride a bike for several hours around Bath and along the Avon Cycleway. I was immediately smitten by the feel of the bike and the smoothness of the ride and the way it absorbed so much of the "road noise". Ruth my daughter thought the plain  silver Titanium looked boring so I decided to have it painted in Racing Green a colour fitting for an English manufacturer located close to Goodwood motor circuit.

I am very pleased with the end result. I specified some good quality Mavic wheels, a Shimano 105 - 11 speed group set with  50-34 chain rings and  a 11-32 rear cassette to give a wide range of gears,a Specialized saddle, silver mud guards and a Titanium rear rack.