Introducing the Titanium Curve GXR: “Gravel Xploring Randonneur”

We’ve always been impressed with attention to detail given by Melbourne Australia’s Curve Cycling. Their dirt-drop GMX is a rig we’ve been drooling over for some time – as seen in the Race to The Rock coverage. Just as exciting, the new Curve GXR is the company’s latest creation. Although Curve insists it could just as well be named ‘Kevin’, GXR might stand for Gravel Cross Racer or Grand Xploring Randonneur, depending on your riding preference. And with multiple options for tire size and plenty of bikepacking-friendly features, that’s exactly how the GXR was conceived…

The GXR’s most interesting frame feature is its custom machined chainstay yoke. Engraved with ‘RACE RIDE SEEK’ on the drive side, the yoke is designed to maintain stiffness under load with clearance for 700 x 32 – 700 x 45mm tires (optimised around 700 x 38-42) or up to 27.5 x 2.1″.

The Curve GXR also gets a new carbon fork that makes it one of the first gravel bikes I’ve seen with a three-pack bottle mount configuration. Bravo, Curve. In addition it has clean side loading to allow accessories to be mounted without wheel or tire clearance issues. The GXR fork looks ready for Anything cages, Oveja Bootlegger bags, or Manything cage micro-panniers. In addition, the GXR is equipped with two pairs of bottle mounts inside the triangle and one under the downtube. It also features rack and fender mounts.

The geometry behind the Curve GXR has “some new numbers” for the company. It’s long and designed with a short stem in mind for handling, according to Curve, “We have taken the fun from our CXR Cyclocross racing frame, fused the adventure feel of [our] steel Grovel, and rolled it into one, neat do-it-all package.”

• Frame Double butted 3AL 2.5V grade 9 titanium
• Hub standards 12mm x 142mm rear dropout with axle supplied
• Brake Rotors 160mm
• Mounts Rear Rack Mounts, 3 x Bottle Cage Mounts
• Cable routing External
• Drivetrain Configured for 1x or 2x
• Head-tube Custom machined 44mm
• Bottom bracket Threaded T47
• Finish Hard wearing raw Ti finish
• Derailleur Hanger Replaceable
• Seatpost 27.2mm with 31.8 Seatpost clamp

Call it the Curve Kevin or a Gravel Xploratory Rig, either way it looks like an interesting bike that we hope to get a hold of for a test. For now you can learn more at CurveCycling.com and find additional insight about their prototyping process at their blog. The Curve GXR is available to purchase as frameset only for $2,986.74 USD, or complete starting at $5,361.42.

Please keep the conversation civil, constructive, and inclusive, or your comment will be removed.