Enigma is a coupling of our twin passions for precision engineering and a love affair with cycling that dates back over half a century. We are builders, crafters, innovators and we are riders. Friends, family and colleagues all dedicated to the craft. Enigma encompasses a team of creatively-minded individuals collectively striving to redefine what is possible with the imperial metals we work with. Although many things have changed over the years our founding principle of an unwavering devotion to the art of British craftsmanship has remained throughout and our torch for British engineering continues to burn brightly.

The team

Enigma isn't about one individual; our foundation is built upon a strong team ethic where everyone is a vital link in the chain. Over the years we have assembled a highly skilled and knowledgeable group with decades of experience between them, all working hard and committed to achieving our collective goals and to be the best that we can be.

Jim Walker

Enigma founder and Director Jim is a bicycle trade veteran. He is now well into his fifth decade in the UK bike business and has been a bike rider for more than half a century. Jim has an eye for detail but even after all this time his passion for beautiful metal framed bikes is undimmed and he continues to be amazed and impressed by the skill and exceptional work of the Enigma workshop team.

Although at a more sedate pace these days Jim rides whenever he can and despite modern trends and advances, he still prefers his bike to have rim brakes. A keen time trial racer in his early riding days, he still enjoys bike races although he no longer has any real interest in racing himself, for him simply riding the bike through the Sussex countryside is enough.

Christine Walker

Enigma's financial director and Jim's wife, Christine overseas the day to day financial activities of the company and supplies the team with homemade cakes. A very organised and efficient person she ensures that the appropriate systems and controls are implemented and maintained by the Enigma staff.

Christine has many years' experience in the financial sector and specialises in foreign trade. Formerly the FD of Jim's old company Christine is very experienced in the bike business and has been in charge of the financial side of Enigma since the company was incorporated back in 2006. She is the only member of the Enigma team who doesn't ride a bike, although there has been much talk of an E-bike. An E-Bike???

Matt Walker

Matt is Jim's eldest son and has been with Enigma for 9 years. Formerly the Operations Director at the I-Ride distribution company he has a similar role with Enigma and is responsible for the day to day organisation of the business.

Matt is also a keen photographer and does much of Enigma's photography and social media work. Tasked with ensuring customers receive the highest level of service, Matt works hard to ensure that all the wheels of the business run smoothly and as efficiently as possible. Like every member of the team Matt is not afraid to get his hands dirty and is usually involved in some of the frame preparation. He is also the envy of his work mates when it comes to the commute which includes a ride over the beautiful South Downs.

Chris Sherwood

After 6 years' experience working with the Willier and Whyte brands at ATB Sales Chris joined our sales and bike-fitting team in 2021. A keen road rider he rides as much as possible and, built like a whippet, he likes nothing better than attacking the local hill climbs.

Chris is also a very competent bike mechanic and would like to try his hand at frame building to create a super-lightweight titanium hill climb bike. Although primarily office and sales-based Chris will venture into the workshop at every opportunity to learn more of and understand the many fascinating processes that go into building bespoke handcrafted frames.

Greg Stevens

A qualified mechanical engineer by profession, Greg has been working in the bicycle industry for over 15 years. After a few years with ATB Sales and the Whyte brand, Greg worked with Jim at his distribution company before joining the Enigma team more than 9 years ago. Having previously been in charge of one of the UK service centres he is factory trained by Campagnolo and is also a DT approved wheel builder.

Here at Enigma he is in charge of R & D and product design as well as ensuring all our machinery is maintained and looked after. No one here has seen him on a bike recently but he is insistent that he can remember how it's done!

Joe Walker

A coded welder and Enigma's preeminent frame builder, Joe has been with company for 15 years and is in charge of the workshop and the Enigma frame building team. Although modest about his talent Joe is arguably the best exponent of titanium tig-welding in the UK today and his work is equal to the very best of the best.

Enigma owner Jim Walker's youngest son Joe has instilled his own ethos of hard work and dedication to all the workshop team and is proud of the progress his workmates have made over the years. He rides his bike when he has the time if the sun is shining and also plays a mean electric guitar in his spare time.

Max Norrell

Max is a frame builder and engineer with an attention to detail that borders on the obsessive. Max can braze and weld but his particular talent is making tube mitres that are as fine as can be seen anywhere. His skill at tube cutting and mitring is the perfect complement to Joe Walker's welding skill.

A talented frame builder Max can make almost anything and his engineering skills have proved invaluable to Enigma over the years. Not just a builder of bike frames, he also single handily constructed our fitting room as well as various parts for our jigs and other such tools that have helped to increase the efficiency of our workshop. Although it hasn't happened yet, Max insists that he will return to serious racing soon!

Joe North

Our resident mechanic Joe has been with us for over 4 years. Having previously worked for a major high street cycle retailer Joe then worked at a builder's merchants for 7 years. Having had his fill of tea and lewd banter the cycling bug again took hold and he came on board. A dedicated family man Joe doesn't get the time to ride as much as he'd like but he still gets out on the South Downs and manages to ride in regularly.

Here at Enigma Joe undertakes all the assembly and servicing; ensuring all the bikes are set-up to perfection.

Chris Perkins

Chris is our frame finisher and is responsible for the many and varied raw titanium finishes that we offer on our frames. An amiable and hardworking team member, Chris is currently not an active bike rider, although the rest of the team are confident that with a little more persuasion, he will end up on two wheels very soon.

Outside of work Chris likes to go fishing, play the guitar and, unusually, he has a passion for reptiles keeping several as pets.

Dave Rollison

Dave is a highly skilled and experienced painter who has spent the last four decades on two wheels, racing BMX, motorbikes and being heavily involved in the 90's mountain bike scene. A decade of work with Harley Davidson and Jaguar custom fabrication followed before he joined Enigma in 2016.

With influences learned from this varied past his experience and design flair have been instrumental in helping Enigma win various awards over recent years. Very much at home with custom work Dave likes nothing better than helping customers choose designs and colours for their new frames, his enthusiasm is infectious.

Enigma Timeline & Achievements

2023

Launch of Edge, our high-performance titanium gravel bike

2022

New flagship 3AL 2.5V model launch

First dedicated flat-bar model launch

2021

Re-launch of MTB model- Eolus

Signature 'Esker' fast gravel bike launched

Pan Celtic Ultra-Endurance race resumed after break due to Covid

Exhibit at Bespoked Handmade Bike Show after Covid break

2020

Covid strikes and after National lockdown Enigma enjoys record sales year

Development of 3D printed frame parts for Excel model

2019

Exhibit at NAHBS win Columbus award with Elite HSS

Partner with Pan Celtic Race, our first ultra-endurance foray

Exhibit at Bespoked Show and win best Gravel bike (Escape) for second year in a row.

Introduce first Pinion geared bike.

2018

Exhibit at NAHBS win award for best paint and Campagnolo award with our Extensor and Echelon models

Introduce first Enigma Gravel Bike

Exhibit at Bespoked win award for best Gravel bike with Excel GR

2017

Exhibit at NAHBS for the first time. Win Presidents award for Exemplar

Launch C-Six carbon fork range

Build dedicated tube/frame finishing room including shot blasting and polishing facilities

New bike fitting studio opened

2016

We appoint our first US distributor

Exhibit at London Bike Show

Launch Frame Building Academy

Launch limited edition Exemplar bike

2015

Exhibit at Bike Motion Show in Utrecht, Netherlands

Enigma apprenticeship programme begins

Launch 'Signature' series frames

First titanium frames anodized in-house

2014

First Excel 6AL 4V frames produced in-house

2013

Our in-house paint facility opens

Appoint an Australian distributor

2012

Move to Apex Park in Hailsham our current home

Exhibit at London Bike Show

2011

Move to Apex Park in Hailsham our current home

Exhibit at London Bike Show

2010

Exhibit at UK's inaugural Bespoked Handmade Bike Show and win award for best MTB

2009

Move to large premises with workshop.

First titanium frames are built

Exhibit at first EHBE show in Germany

Build first 'smooth' welded titanium Eulogy

2008

First Steel frames are built in house

2007

Eulogy and Effusion titanium/carbon fusion models introduced

2006

Enigma Founded. We exhibit at the National Cycle Show