Getting Ready for 12hrs Solo

For WEMBO (24hrs Solo) last year we had a couple of bikes setup nice. In particular this week it is all about our hardtail, the On One Inbred. We have been on this bike for over a year now and it runs so well over a variety of terrain.

The WEMBO On One looked like,

• Conti rubber - X-King on front with Race King on the back. We have had mixed experiences with Conti tyres, their UST versions were great and the Protection models good but unfortunately the sidewall and sidewall to bead areas of the base race models just couldn't stand the test of time.
• Wheelset by Curve Cycling. It was a shame we couldn't hold onto these beauties. 
• X-Fusion Slide forks. Still going strong.
• ODI Ruffian grips. Showing all the k's they have done.
• Gearing, a classic 3x9 SRAM XO.

Very soon it is the JetBlack 12hr at James Estate and time well due for an On One spruce up.
First it was the ODI grips, after all the k's and weather they have been through, the lock on had rusted up. Removal meant, torque sheering one attaching bolt and the other having the head drilled off.

In place of the ODI grips are a set of silicon foam grips as tested and highly rated on our other bike.

The Contis are off and in their place tubeless ready Racing Ralphs by Schwalbe. Which so far have been very reliable on our other bike.

In keeping with the fat carbon rim idea from Curve Cycling we recycled an old set of DT Swiss 240s custom built within their own fat carbon hoops.

Last of all, we ditched the 9 speed XO derailleur for a 10 speed type 2 clutch mech. Our engineering department took just 30 minutes to convert the type 2 mech to 9 speed and have it workshop tested.
We won't call  it pretty, but amazingly after 100km of on trail testing, faultless. The clutch roller bearing works a treat too!

On the trail near you soon.

No need to be Envious

Our initial look at the wheels, here.

With just about all major players now producing carbon rims and these wheelsets now becoming more accessible you no longer have to re-mortgage your house and spend what you could buy a great bike with, to benefit from the carbon revolution. Looking more locally there are Australian based companies hand building carbon rimmed wheels and where the prices are even more affordable.

The old-school new age look, steel frame and carbon rims.

The Good Edition wheelset from Curve Cycling is their most affordable build but by no means are they a slouch, spinning up as fast and suffered as much punishment as we could throw at them. All signs pointed to a good build, as the wheels remained true during the test period, no flex or creaking associated with bedding-in.

The Curve branded hubs roll on smooth Japanese enduro bearings. It was noted during our testing period that the front hub is a little wider than other hubs ridden on this particular bike. During hard cornering the spokes would lightly touch the brake caliper. This could be easily fixed by shimming out the brake disc. No such trouble with the rear hub, the alloy freehub had a distinctive light ratchet sound, with positive engagement and didn’t show any excessive gouging from the cassette.

Underneath the carbon rim is a full size 2.2" tyre, fat rims

Lacing the hubs to the rim were the reliable DT Swiss Competition double-butted spokes, another sign of the solid nature of this build. Additionally available through Curve Cycling and supplied on this occasion was one of the best rim tapes we have ever used. They certainly have done their homework in this area, the rim tape was easy to apply and during the test period there was no air leakage.

How close is the caliper to the spokes, very close.            We placed the cir-clip around the other way so it wouldn't touch.

A full carbon fiber rim features a 30mm external and 23mm internal width, which should provide tyre sidewalls with plenty of support. Fitting some 2.2” racing rubber was easy enough, while the internal profile isn’t UST, it is happily tubeless-ready, the tyres snapped into place on the rim and held there even while ridden at low pressures. We found the rims helped to provide a wider footprint and increased grip and control through various conditions we rode. And after rock strewn rides the gloss clear coat covering black and white graphics still remained intact, more importantly not a wobble out of the rims.

The rims are the same across the Editions with these rims taking Curve’s Jesse Carlsson along the Tour Divide and into second place this year. This wheelset with its carbon rim defiantly provides more stiffness out at the rim and has pushed us towards being converts to the wide rim ideal. We imagine you will be cheering when your rolling on a set of these sharp wheels.

Curve branded hubs, competition spokes, a solid build.

They said: Suitable for XC, AM and all round trail slaying. These hand built Carbon fiber MTB wheels are configured to compliment most riding styles over varied terrain. They feature a super wide profile that allows the use of tyres up to 2.5”. The layup of this rim allows for a nice balance of high-impact strength, lightweight and stiffness, whilst still maintaining enough deflection for comfort during those long rides and marathon races. In other words, they are stiff (much stiffer than many popular light weight alloy rims), but not so stiff to the point where they feel harsh on the trail.

Curve Cycling Good Carbon Wheels - Quick Look

The Stats.

Wheelset Weight: 1645g target weight - 770 Front / 875 Rear (+/- 20g)

Rim: Full Carbon Fiber Tubeless compatible 

Rim Width: 30mm external, 23mm internal

Rim Depth: 20mm

Hub: Curve Cycling QR

Spokes: DT Swiss Competition double butted

Spoke Count: 28h

Nipple: DT Swiss Brass 12mm

What do they say?
Curve Cycling are based out of Melbourne and we have sourced parts directly from some of the best factories in the world, we back our products 100%.

We give all products a thorough hammering before releasing them to the market, so we only sell products that survive our testing process. 

About these wheels?
Suitable for XC, AM and all round trail slaying. These hand built CarbonFiber MTB wheels are configured to compliment most riding styles over varied terrain. They feature a super wide profile that allows the use of tyres up to 2.5”. The layup of this rim allows for a nice balance of high-impact strength, light weight and stiffness, whilst still maintaining enough deflection for comfort during those long rides and marathon races.

These hand built wheels are configured with the same carbon rims that conquered the gruelling ultra endurance race - The Tour Divide 2013. They carried our very own Team Rider/CoFounder Jesse Carlsson home safely achieving 2nd place in 15.5 days. 

Warranty: 2 years against manufacturing defects

Here at CrummyMTB we hope to bring you a full review soon.