AIR Kev Frameset

Our Fastest Kev Yet

Introducing AIR Kev, the gravel-race version of our beloved GXR (aka Kevin). This is Curve's tribute to a trail-blazing hero, our most popular model; a revolutionary bike in the burgeoning modern gravel scene. AIR Kev was originally a project for the 2023 Handmade Bike Show Australia, but it quickly won the hearts of gravel fans across the globe, so we decided to bring it to life.

Custom Carbon Bonded Seat Tube

AIR Kev combines the best qualities of carbon and titanium to create a new standard for gravel riding in the Curve range.

The carbon seat tube is not just a striking design feature, it shaves grams and results in the stiff and responsive ride quality expected from a top-end race-oriented frame. The carbon seat tube is bonded to the bottom bracket shell with a super strong double-lap join. A tight tolerance 3D-printed titanium lug, and a carefully selected aerospace adhesive, makes this possible.

Our 3D-printed parts include sub-millimeter bond-gap control features. While such fine details are invisible on our finished frames, they result in class leading bond strengths.

Complete AIR Kev builds are finished with Curve's new carbon seat post with a custom 3D-printed titanium topper. This post weighs a respectable 190g without compromising performance.

The combination of a custom carbon seat tube, a carbon/3D-printed titanium seat post, and a 3D-printed seat clamp reduce the weight of the same standard Ti GXR package by approximately 250g.*

*The standard package consists of a stock titanium GXR frame, alloy 31.8mm seat clamp and 27.2mm titanium seatpost. A size LG frame is used in this comparison. This seat post is exclusive to the AIR Kev and not available as a separate product.

A Sleek Gravel Race Bike

The AIR Kev frame features internal routing via the downtube, bottom bracket and full-length non-drive side chainstay. The brake hose has an uninterrupted path from front to rear for clean RH-rear or LH-rear brake controls. It is held in place by an unsung hero, a 3D-printed titanium cable guide hidden inside the bottom bracket shell, which secures the hose snugly without bottom bracket cup or crank spindle interference.

A single-sided yoke remains together with the curved seatstay to retain the iconic side-on silhouette of the original Curve GXR.

AIR Kev features a stripped-down version of our Ride 415 fork, dubbed the Race 415 fork, with internal brake hose routing and without M5 cargo mounts.

Elements of Australian Manufacturing

All AIR Kev frames are bonded and finished by Curve in Melbourne, Australia. AIR artwork, painting and cosmetic finishing are completed by hand within Curve’s new paint facility using high-end automotive products. This is part of Curve's mission to establish elements of our manufacturing process in Australia where we can control, develop and refine new processes in-house.

Fabrication of the titanium frame, carbon tubes and 3D-printed titanium elements remains with our trusted and established partners in China.

Race or Party Mode

While the AIR Kev is built to go fast, all Kevs are ready to party on chunkier gravel. The AIR Kev frame and Race 415 fork can accommodate a maximum tyre clearance of 700c x 50mm, and even wider up front, giving you plenty of options for all-terrain adventures. AIR Kev is also compatible with 650b wheelsets if you want to venture further off the beaten track.

The rear dropouts are fully SRAM UDH/T-Type compatible, for the ultimate wide gear range builds. The flat-mount brake tab is positioned for a 160mm rotor without the need for an adapter.

Frameset Includes

Frame	Titanium Curve AIR Kev
Fork	Curve Race 415 Dropout Flip-Chips Steerer expander plug Race Ride Seek stem cap Hand Painted in Melbourne
Headset	Curve Integrated 42/52 mm semi-internal (IS42/28.6 | IS52/40)
Seat Clamp	3D-printed titanium, 31.8 mm
Seat Post	Standard-sized 27.2 mm carbon seat post bonded to a custom 3D-printed titanium topper (0 or 20 mm setback) ENVE 2-bolt seatpost hardware kit
Other	Front & Rear Thru-Axles (12x100mm & 12x142mm) Custom 3D-printed titanium internal BB cable guide 2 x SRAM UDH hangers Curve 3D-printed Ti FD clamp (Optional extra) Carbon Walmer Bar (AIR Kev bundle only)

 

FAQs

Why the carbon seat tube?	It sheds weight and adds stiffness to the BB area. Plus, It looks nice!
Can I use SRAM Transmission?	YES! We've redesigned our CNC-machined UDH dropout to be fully T-Type compatible
Can I use any groupset?	No, this frame will only be compatible with fully wireless groupsets. I.e. SRAM AXS only.
What's the biggest tyre size I can fit?	The frameset is optimised around 700c x 45mm, but you will be able to fit up to 700c x 50mm tyres in the frame. The fork can take up to 29 x 2.4" tyres.
Can I mount a rack?	It depends. Since this is a race bike, we removed all extraneous mounting points on both the frame and the fork. A tailfin rack will be compatible using their universal axle.