Will is by far the best reviewer in the industry, very good at real world talk, and great knowledge of tech and explaining handling characteristics Great hire Flow!
Dude, a new age titanium hardtail running 29x2.6 tubless tires is not hard at all, it is to me like the very best bike you could ask for. I am riding a 15 year old aluminum hardtail on 26x2.2 tires with inner tubes and a super trashed fork currently. That (my bike) will actually beat you as you ride it. I'd love to have that Ti 29er hardtail. Hopefully I will save up enough after I end up bringing my old bike to life as much as I can. Now I am not shure if I want this curve Ti hardtail or a carbon Yeti ARC.
Nice - very nice!!!!! Ordered a Gen4 Stanton Switch9er - will build it next week, and can’t wait for riding it! Have the Gen3 in steel, which has 2cm shorter toptube, and I feel the same pressure on my hands. Hope that’s gonna be better with the Gen4 frame! Although I went 60mm with my stem!
That's a nice looking bike, Wil. Yes, it's a lot of money, but it's within the range of other brands. I've not heard of this brand in the U.K., but it looks well thought out. I especially like the choice of T47 BB too.
A comparison with the Norco Torrent HT S1 would be good. It has a similar spec and geometry with a lyric ultimate 150mm fork, gx eagle, code brakes and maxxis 2.5 inch tyres etc for less than half that price.
It's possible, but not recommended. The BB is already very low, and would obviously get even lower with a 27.5in wheel. Also with the fork - the frame will technically take up to 150mm (and it's been tested with a fork that big), but the frame and geo have largely been optimised around 29in wheels and a 130mm travel fork. [Wil]
Ok so 4499 gets you the frame, fork and dropper. The fork and dropper are worth 2000, so that means you are paying 2499 for a boutique titanium frame. I don't think that is a bad price at all.
Always enjoyed your stuff Wil, miss the STDU and was hoping that you would do more on suspension set up v ShockWiz readings... Was wondering where you were going with static v dynamic sag ?
Cheers Noah! That's a good question about the ShockWiz. Regarding static vs dynamic sag, I find the two can be different depending on the bike and its pedalling characteristics. Some suspension designs see the shock firm up under pedalling torque, enough that it can actually pull the shock up and reduce the sag slightly. So even if you set static sag at 30%, you might end up with a dynamic sag of 25%. Of course how steep your climbs and descents are will also effect the end result - if your climbs are long and shallow and your descents are short and steep, the shock will naturally sag less (averaged out over the whole ride) compared to riding somewhere where the climbs are steeper and the descents are long and less steep. That aside, I've found how I interpret the ShockWiz settings to have changed over time as my riding style progresses. How you set the ShockWiz up initially is absolutely crucial too, since it can be pretty easy to stuff up. [Wil]
I had a white brothers ti bar back in the day. They were great! Ever since then I thought about getting a titanium frame. Not gonna happen unless I hit powerball or something. Over 3 grand for a frame? Three grand gets me a great trail bike or an ok enduro worthy of upgrading later.
Never should have sold my Gary Fisher Paragon at a yard sale10 years ago😫... I got back into mountain biking a couple of months ago and wish I could still ride it!
Cheers mate, thanks for watching! Good to hear you're digging the Kevin. Is that a slightly older model you've got? As I understand, all the current frames on the Curve website are titanium. Well, except for the Belgie Air that uses a pretty whizzbang carbon/Ti frame! [Wil]
@@FlowMountainBikeTH-cam bought it in October 2019. The new kevin of steel is in the website for order but no direct link in the menu. Think if you just do a Google search you can get to the page. A friend has ordered the new blue version due to be available in March.
Dont know about their actual welds, AS far as i know ti welds with a green colour is overheating in the weld process and the colour wich actually weakens the titanium, contamination mess up The welds, if it weakens the weld i dont know. A lot of ti brands brush and or polish the welds for the same reason , so i im NOT sure whats best. Cheers!
@@cyclicalcycler993 when the weld reacts with oxgen, the rainbow colour shows up, which is what kingdom bikes likes to celebrate. it makes weld brittle. there's a reason why their frames are so cheap.
4000. Frame 8000 whole bike Lmao . Do you realize how much these bike companies are making? Holly poop They are right in there with the coffee bar profits. That 5.60 latte cost .25 to make... 4k 8k 12k 15k for bikes ... crazy .. Major Major money being made ...
Yo Matthew, cheers for watching! Do you know which models Curve is making in steel? I knew they've offered steel frames in the past, but all the frames currently listed on their website are titanium. [Wil]
Only Kevin in Steel currently. One day we will hopefully have every model in steel. It’s expensive for us to produce (a batch of 100+ made upfront rather than a single Ti frame) and a long lead time. Steel is wonderful and we hope to get there.
Is it one of those cheap bikes made of Titanium? Cause Titanium is the ninth-most abundant element in Earth's crust (0.63% by mass)[21] and the seventh-most abundant metal. It is present as oxides in most igneous rocks, in sediments derived from them, in living things, and natural bodies of water.[5][6] Of the 801 types of igneous rocks analyzed by the United States Geological Survey, 784 contained titanium. Its proportion in soils is approximately 0.5 to 1.5%. Ah - no it's not, that is surprising....
@@luiscelada7644 and which ore is easy to refine? I know of only one- glass bottles ore. You crush them, melt them and make new bottles. Any other ore is difficult to refine. 😊
I am curious! When has anyone here seen a modern aluminum frame that is fatigued? I have seen fatigued carbon or failed carbon many times but never seen this notion that aluminum gives way. I better stop flying come to think of it. Shit! They better start using carbon on these planes or titanium. Aluminum is very weak, i hear now many times from the bike industry. It must be true, right? 😂
![Curve DownRock Review - An Australian Take on the Modern [Titanium] Hardtail](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/KNh_aS-Kj7E/mqdefault.jpg)
![Curve DownRock Review - An Australian Take on the Modern [Titanium] Hardtail](/img/tr.png)
Will is by far the best reviewer in the industry, very good at real world talk, and great knowledge of tech and explaining handling characteristics
Great hire Flow!
Sweaty pits, though.
Perhaps the most comprehensive review I've ever seen. Thank you!
Our pleasure mate - glad you enjoyed it! Got some big video reviews coming your way over the next week, so stay tuned! [Wil]
i realize I am kinda off topic but does anyone know a good site to stream new series online ?
@Vance Jaiden i use flixzone. You can find it on google =)
@Tate Jeremias yea, been watching on Flixzone for years myself :)
@Tate Jeremias thank you, I went there and it seems like a nice service :D I really appreciate it!
I have a 1991 Rocky Mountain titanium, bought it new for 5k, still ride it today, awesome ride!
Thanks for the time and effort Flow put in to make this happen. Amazing work! Kudos
as an owner of an aggressive Ti hardtail like this, these bikes are huge amounts of fun. they handle anything you can.
Brilliant review man really well done 👍
Dude, a new age titanium hardtail running 29x2.6 tubless tires is not hard at all, it is to me like the very best bike you could ask for. I am riding a 15 year old aluminum hardtail on 26x2.2 tires with inner tubes and a super trashed fork currently. That (my bike) will actually beat you as you ride it. I'd love to have that Ti 29er hardtail. Hopefully I will save up enough after I end up bringing my old bike to life as much as I can.
Now I am not shure if I want this curve Ti hardtail or a carbon Yeti ARC.
Detailed review. Loved the geo explanations. Good stuff!
Thank you very much mate - cheers for watching and for the feedback! [Wil]
Nice - very nice!!!!! Ordered a Gen4 Stanton Switch9er - will build it next week, and can’t wait for riding it! Have the Gen3 in steel, which has 2cm shorter toptube, and I feel the same pressure on my hands. Hope that’s gonna be better with the Gen4 frame!
Although I went 60mm with my stem!
Lighter weight and lower power is the best news yet from the big S!
Lapierre did one similar last year but I only ever saw them on the internet.
That's a nice looking bike, Wil. Yes, it's a lot of money, but it's within the range of other brands. I've not heard of this brand in the U.K., but it looks well thought out. I especially like the choice of T47 BB too.
Agreed Chris - in the lofty realms of nicely-made titanium frames, it's actually pretty competitive! [Wil]
Thank you for that great bike review. I wish I had such one!
It's warm in moms basement , and everyone knows how moms are when you turn on the A/C.
Moist?
A comparison with the Norco Torrent HT S1 would be good. It has a similar spec and geometry with a lyric ultimate 150mm fork, gx eagle, code brakes and maxxis 2.5 inch tyres etc for less than half that price.
T. I. T. A. N. I. U. M. All worship the God of Titanium!
more hardtail review please
Beautiful bike and what is the name of the song at the beginning of the video?
What do curve say about using a 27.5 wheel set with this frame?
It's possible, but not recommended. The BB is already very low, and would obviously get even lower with a 27.5in wheel. Also with the fork - the frame will technically take up to 150mm (and it's been tested with a fork that big), but the frame and geo have largely been optimised around 29in wheels and a 130mm travel fork. [Wil]
Ok so 4499 gets you the frame, fork and dropper. The fork and dropper are worth 2000, so that means you are paying 2499 for a boutique titanium frame. I don't think that is a bad price at all.
Robert Turnip You’re funny. An $8k hardtail seems like a good price to you huh?
ShoneDaddy With my bank account I would be hungry tomorrow.
Always enjoyed your stuff Wil, miss the STDU and was hoping that you would do more on suspension set up v ShockWiz readings... Was wondering where you were going with static v dynamic sag ?
Cheers Noah!
That's a good question about the ShockWiz. Regarding static vs dynamic sag, I find the two can be different depending on the bike and its pedalling characteristics. Some suspension designs see the shock firm up under pedalling torque, enough that it can actually pull the shock up and reduce the sag slightly. So even if you set static sag at 30%, you might end up with a dynamic sag of 25%.
Of course how steep your climbs and descents are will also effect the end result - if your climbs are long and shallow and your descents are short and steep, the shock will naturally sag less (averaged out over the whole ride) compared to riding somewhere where the climbs are steeper and the descents are long and less steep.
That aside, I've found how I interpret the ShockWiz settings to have changed over time as my riding style progresses. How you set the ShockWiz up initially is absolutely crucial too, since it can be pretty easy to stuff up.
[Wil]
What sizes are the top- and downtube?
can you please do a review of the aluminium orbea occam
I had a white brothers ti bar back in the day. They were great! Ever since then I thought about getting a titanium frame. Not gonna happen unless I hit powerball or something. Over 3 grand for a frame? Three grand gets me a great trail bike or an ok enduro worthy of upgrading later.
How does Ti frame compare to an Alu frame in terms of weight and bump absorption???
Does tyre clearance increase as the rear centre increases?
Hi guys anyone knows which WTB saddle is ?
Never should have sold my Gary Fisher Paragon at a yard sale10 years ago😫... I got back into mountain biking a couple of months ago and wish I could still ride it!
Yup
How much for this bike if i need one
They did the sizing right with the chain stay variations
I love that bike, soo nice. Almost as nice as Pässilä Rämäkkä, which is even nicer ;)
Great review. One correction Curve do make a steel bike, the Curve kevin of steel gravel bike. I own one, it's awesome.
Cheers mate, thanks for watching! Good to hear you're digging the Kevin. Is that a slightly older model you've got? As I understand, all the current frames on the Curve website are titanium. Well, except for the Belgie Air that uses a pretty whizzbang carbon/Ti frame! [Wil]
@@FlowMountainBikeTH-cam bought it in October 2019. The new kevin of steel is in the website for order but no direct link in the menu. Think if you just do a Google search you can get to the page. A friend has ordered the new blue version due to be available in March.
@@gsrossco - Nice one, I'll check it out! [Wil]
Great to see an aussie brand getting some airtime
Another Ti option for less money would Be kingdom bikes and they do Ti only but their off the shell hardtail frame goes for about a 1000 euros
kingdom bike welding is horrendous. they show off the colours as a feature but the colours that show up are because of contamination.
Dont know about their actual welds, AS far as i know ti welds with a green colour is overheating in the weld process and the colour wich actually weakens the titanium, contamination mess up The welds, if it weakens the weld i dont know. A lot of ti brands brush and or polish the welds for the same reason , so i im NOT sure whats best. Cheers!
@@cyclicalcycler993 when the weld reacts with oxgen, the rainbow colour shows up, which is what kingdom bikes likes to celebrate. it makes weld brittle. there's a reason why their frames are so cheap.
I know of one heavy hitter that rides one so we will see if he brakes it :) Thanks for info
8 thousand?! OMG... Beatiful though.
Looks great
Gotta luv ya Sweaty armpits !🤣 great review as well.
Oh mate, it was so bloody hot in that shed! I guess it serves me right for not getting up earlier :-) Thanks for watching and for the feedback! [Wil]
For $400 US dollars less, I'll get an RSD Ti instead. And that's equal to about $530 AUD. Definitely overpricing.
📝
4000. Frame 8000 whole bike Lmao . Do you realize how much these bike companies are making? Holly poop They are right in there with the coffee bar profits. That 5.60 latte cost .25 to make... 4k 8k 12k 15k for bikes ... crazy .. Major Major money being made ...
Geez. That price. XACD is one of China's most reputable titanium frame builders and would get this to you for $1000 shipped
Yes, it's cheap but the geometry sux not modern and look at that size, they make only 1 size 15.5 which is small.
Damn that’s expensive, but yeh, titanium.
Yeah...
See the prices and forget rigth now !
Wanttttt ✔️
Hmm stealing song from slice of British pie
I'll buy a Dirtbike! Thanks!
Expensive !!!!
@@alexanderbravo9535 Is say it's about value not the price. I get way more for my money.
Phwwarr!
Curve now make steel frames.
Yo Matthew, cheers for watching! Do you know which models Curve is making in steel? I knew they've offered steel frames in the past, but all the frames currently listed on their website are titanium. [Wil]
Only Kevin in Steel currently. One day we will hopefully have every model in steel. It’s expensive for us to produce (a batch of 100+ made upfront rather than a single Ti frame) and a long lead time. Steel is wonderful and we hope to get there.
Is it one of those cheap bikes made of Titanium? Cause Titanium is the ninth-most abundant element in Earth's crust (0.63% by mass)[21] and the seventh-most abundant metal. It is present as oxides in most igneous rocks, in sediments derived from them, in living things, and natural bodies of water.[5][6] Of the 801 types of igneous rocks analyzed by the United States Geological Survey, 784 contained titanium. Its proportion in soils is approximately 0.5 to 1.5%.
Ah - no it's not, that is surprising....
Titanium is easy to find but hard to refine
@@luiscelada7644 and which ore is easy to refine? I know of only one- glass bottles ore. You crush them, melt them and make new bottles. Any other ore is difficult to refine.
😊
I am curious! When has anyone here seen a modern aluminum frame that is fatigued? I have seen fatigued carbon or failed carbon many times but never seen this notion that aluminum gives way. I better stop flying come to think of it. Shit! They better start using carbon on these planes or titanium. Aluminum is very weak, i hear now many times from the bike industry. It must be true, right? 😂
First
Thanks for the great review, but you lost me with that God-awful music...sorry
Looks like a nice bike but the price is a joke. As soon as it came up I stopped watching. Good luck selling them.
This bike would be much better served with 27.5.
💯
Overpriced, without a shadow of a doubt. F all to it and they want how much - do one Curve
Thats stupid expensive for a bike...
Lost me on the hip hop.
And here yet again, another BB standard…
A luma nem ... not alimiuueeuim
MARK LANE different country, different word. They spell it with the extra syllable too (aluminum vs aluminium)
Stoopid money