Adventure riding is oh-so-hip right now, but one look at these titanium bikes from Australian brand Curve Cycling should win over even the most cynical of riders. There are also road, cyclocross and 29er MTBs to enjoy, plus carbon wheels — all designed to go very, very fast. Two of their team visited us in Bristol to tell us more.
Curve Cycling began in Melbourne in 2013 as an adventure cycling brand, and endurance rider Jesse Carlsson is one of the co-founders. To say Carlsson knows about long-distance riding is like saying Usain Bolt is quite good at running fast: last year, Carlsson won the Trans Am race by over 500 miles. So yeah, he makes bikes that can carry you a long way, very fast.
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The Curve Cycling range
Many models are made with a specific race in mind, and the range is already quite big: there’s a road race bike called the Belgie; an endurance road/gravel bike called the Belgie Spirit; a cyclocross race bike called the CXR; a drop-bar 29er called the GMX; a 29er mountain bike called the UpRock; and finally a steel touring bike called the Grovel, made from Columbus Zona tubing.
They’ll do some custom-build work for you too. Brand director Adam Lana told us that they’ll swap from quick-release to thru-axles if you want, or tweak the geometry slightly. They won’t build you a completely custom bike, as that’s not the market they’re aiming for, but as a small brand they’ll try to accommodate your needs.
Walking the walk
When Lana and Curve Cycling’s ambassador Ryan Flinn visited Europe, they opted to fly to the Loire Valley in central France then ride up to Paris for the final stage of the Tour de France. From there they rode to London using the ferry from Cherbourg to Portsmouth, with Revelate bags affixed, rather than use motorised transport.
And that’s what typifies the company: they live and breathe adventure riding. We love that, and we like these bikes. Take a look in the gallery above at the bikes they brought — Lana’s Belgie Spirit and Flinn’s CXR, both fresh from the ride — and see what you think.
If you'd like to buy one for yourself, the Belgie Spirit frameset costs AU$2,799 (international pricing TBC), and the CXR frameset costs AU$2,599. The 50mm carbon clincher wheels cost AU$1,999. Head over to their website for lots more info.