Built up from a frameset over the past few months, this handsome Curve Belgie Ti Disc is finally ready to be put through its paces as my long-term test bike.
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Several factors went into choosing the components, which I'll cover briefly below, with further discussion in my first ride review.
I wanted to create a do-it-all, dream-spec bike build with parts I had always lusted after.
Curve Belgie Ti Disc full specification
- Frame: Curve Belgie Ti Disc, size 56 with external routing for mechanical groupset
- Fork: Curve full carbon tapered disc fork
- Front brake: Campagnolo Caliper, flat mount standard, 160mm Campagnolo rotor
- Rear brake: Campagnolo Caliper, flat mount standard, 140mm Campagnolo rotor
- Brake/shift levers: Campagnolo H11 Ergopower Controls
- Front derailleur: Campagnolo Super Record
- Rear derailleur: Campagnolo Super Record
- Cassette: Campagnolo Super Record, 11-27
- Chain: Campagnolo Record 11-speed
- Crankset: Campagnolo H11 Ultra-Torque, 52-36 chainrings, 172.5mm cranks
- Bottom bracket: Campagnolo Ultra-Torque USB Bearings with Argonaut T47 Bottom Bracket cups
- Wheelset: Campagnolo Bora One 35 Disc, clincher
- Tyres: Veloflex Corsa 28, clincher
- Handlebars: Zipp Service Course SL, 420mm
- Stem: Zipp Service Course SL, 110mm
- Headset: Curve sealed bearing
- Tape/grips: Bontrager Gel Cork handlebar tape
- Pedals: Shimano Dura-Ace R9100
- Saddle: Prologo Nago Evo Nack
- Seatpost: Zipp Service Course
- Total bicycle weight (as above): 8.12kg/17.90lbs
Curve Belgie Ti Disc versatility
Named after a local group ride that Curve describes as "a multi-surface smashfest over cobbles, tracks and grassy knolls of Melbourne," the Curve Belgie Ti Disc is a bike aimed to perform in more than just one category.
Titanium is traditionally known for its comfort and endurance-focus as opposed to the stiff responsiveness of a carbon or alloy race frameset. However, when combined with aggressive geometry, a WorldTour level groupset and stiff carbon wheels, I think the bike will come alive to offer more than just one aspect of riding without the need to constantly change parts and fettle dependent on the riding focus of the day.
Curve says the frameset has been raced at everything from national road race championships and criteriums to ultra-endurance, trans-continental races and it is this range of riding styles that appealed to me.
While some of my more esteemed colleagues at BikeRadar embrace the changing of wheels, gearing and finishing kit for various types of riding, along with general fettling, I prefer to have a mere squeeze of the tyres ahead of a ride, clip-in and go.
As built, this Curve Belgie Ti Disc weighs 8.12kg. There are, of course, much lighter bikes out there, but this is by no means a heavyweight either. A 52/36 chainset and an 11-27 cassette mean it should climb comfortably in the hills and pick up the pace on the flats.
The frame and forks have a claimed tyre clearance of 32mm and I will look to experiment with this down the line. Currently, 28mm Veloflex Corsa clinchers (running at around 80psi) suit the spec of the build and wouldn't be out of place on cobbles or very light gravel and off-roading.
Built to last
Titanium frames have long had a reputation as being 'the last frame you'll ever buy', and while this might not be entirely true, I would certainly expect this frame to last years of riding through all seasons.
Disc brakes won six stages at this year's Tour de France, and while all of those were on Shimano groupsets, Campagnolo's disc brake offerings were raced on at the Tour de France for the first time this year.
The biggest appeal of disc brakes for me is being able to ride during the dirtiest and wettest winter days without slowly grinding away the brake track on your wheels. This also means that investing in expensive carbon wheels allows them to be used year-round as opposed to saving them for just sunny and dry occasions.
Curve makes both mechanical and electronic groupset versions of its frameset, with this mechanical version offering external gear cable routing and internal brake hose routing, resulting in a neat finish but with ease of maintenance or repair for any gear related issues.
Curve Belgie Ti Disc pricing and availability
The build of this Curve Belgie Ti Disc is undoubtedly a dream-spec finish and the prices certainly back this up. However, as a full build with slightly less exotic components, you could have an equally styled and versatile build for around two-thirds of this build cost.
- Frameset (frame, Curve carbon fork, headset, Curve Ti seatpost, Curve Ti seat clamp and thru-axles): AUS$3,699 — approximately £2,345 / $3,050
- Curve Belgie Ti Disc with Campagnolo H11 Super Record and Bora One 35 wheels (as photographed): AUS$12,250 — approximately £6,980/ $9,089
Buy direct from Curve at curvecycling.com.au