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basso diamante road bike - disc version

basso diamante disc

italy's basso bikes are something of a well-kept secret, almost since being founded in 1977 by alcide basso. currently based in san zenone degli ezzelini, treviso, italy, they offer a wide range of carbon cycle frames covering the worlds of gravel, triathlon and road. and with a nod to tradition, there's also the beautifully simplistic 'viper' steel frame.

basso diamante disc

unlike many other italian-based manufacturers, basso have not chosen to outsource their carbon construction to the far-east, continuing to lay up toray, high modulus carbon fibre in different weaves, strengths and specs, depending on the model under consideration, in their italian factory. as marketing manager, joshua riddle pointed out "...we know what goes into our frames and how it they are laid up because we do it all ourselves." i mentioned to joshua that their competitors had mostly shifted production to taiwan for economic reasons, so how does this impact their bottom line?

basso diamante disc

"Well, it doesn't give us a greater profit margin, that's for sure. It's a cost, however, that we don't pass on to our customers. We're happy to absorb the cost in return for 100% assurance over quality control and protection of Basso's intellectual property rights.
"We don't cut corners in terms of build-quality or craftsmanship. We try to save in other areas allowing us to pass along a product that we are totally proud of. Basso doesn't have a huge team, nor gigantic marketing budgets to support them. But still we make great bikes that make happy riders, from the most demanding pro to the Sunday rider."

basso sent me a beautifully detailed, metallic blue diamante, kitted out with a campagnolo super record eleven-speed mechanical groupset, featuring vicenza's hydraulic disc brakes matched to a pair of bora one 35mm carbon wheels. the latter were shod with treadless michelin pro4 endurance 700x28c tyres. bars, stem and seatpost are all in house basso products, the latter being teardrop shaped, rubber gusseted and fastened in place by two allen bolts recessed into the rear of the seat tube. unfortunately, i've been unable to identify the manufacturer of the slotted saddle.

basso diamante disc

the carbon frame and forks are positively organic in concept, with one 'tube' seamlessly merging into the next. the top tube features a cut-out up front, allowing the stem and spacers to drop below the surface. this eccentricity provides an intriguing profile, coupled with a cutaway on the lower portion of the seat tube to accommodate the rear wheel. in keeping with current trends, the seatstays join the seat tube a couple of centimetres lower than the rear of the gently sloping top tube. nowadays, it seems almost unnecessary to mention that all cables are routed internally.

the head tube marries with the carbon forks by way of the ubiquitous integrated headset, starting out at 1.125" at the top and flaring out to 1.5" at the crown race. the bottom bracket is of the press-fit variety.

the only other idiosyncracy worthy of mention is the thru-axles keeping the bora wheels in place. while the majority of these components simply thread tightly into the threaded portion of the right fork and rear triangle, those on the basso are threaded in just so far, with the remaining slack taken up by means of a quick-release lever. odd indeed, but it works.

basso diamante disc

going for a ride

it would be foolish to think that a mere 400km, or thereabout, are sufficient to gauge the quality of any bike, let alone machinery capable of assisting riders to competitive victory. though entirely of in-house carbon monocoque construction, the diamante is not the lightest bicycle i've come across. that, however, is less of a perceived disadvantage than common lore would have us believe. for starters, on smoothly reaching (my) terminal velocity, the basso had little difficulty staying there, even in the face of adverse weather conditions. it's a hebridean summer, so the rain (when it arrives) is warmer than usual, but there's still enough wind to make life interesting. that said, the all-up weight is nothing to complain about.

basso diamante disc

the arrival of the basso diamante coincided with this year's ride of the falling rain, definitely a reviewing opportunity not to be missed. however after a first ride that confirmed the bike to be formula one stiff, and undoubtedly a race bred machine through and through, the word 'trepidation' was uppermost in my mind. i am haunted by patrick levevre's statement that he doesn't pay his riders to be comfortable, and though the chaps at deceuninck quick-step are not aboard basso bikes, stiffness is usually a common thread running through professional road bikes.

basso diamante disc

the diamante is, as expected, a noticeably stiff frame, though its metallic blue paintwork provides it with a loveable personality. it's hard to repress a smile when opening the bike shed door in the morning. however, that rigidity is expertly placed; stamping hard on the pedals does nothing other than propel the bicycle forward with an impressive degree of acceleration, even from my spindly legs. yet, after riding the 140km covered on the rotfr 'conversational ride', i had still sufficient energy to tow a colleague ten kilometres into a stiff headwind, without feeling any adverse effects.

basso diamante disc

though my bum seems generally quite agnostic towards the saddles fitted to review bicycles, in this case i enjoyed posterior comfort throughout the entire day.

the positive stiffness seems politely augmented by the tapered alloy stem and the bars entrusted to its care. despite pre-ride misgivings about the relatively low position of the bars, while others complained of shoulder and neck pain, apart from the odd niggle, i had none whatsoever. the chunky-looking metallic blue carbon forks were noticeably accurate in the steering department and arguably saved me from head-butting a pick-up met on a blind corner on a wet single track road. i've no idea who got the greater fright, and i did manage to briefly lock the back wheel, but both of us lived to ride another day.

basso diamante disc

campagnolo would appear to have cleverly calculated that 35mm of deep carbon rim is close to the ideal depth to cheat the wind. though we're hardly into galeforce territory just yet, even when caught by a stiff crosswind, they deviated not one millimetre from their intended route. if i have a single complaint about the bora one wheels, it is the loudness of their freehub. this is remarkable only in comparison to the bora wto version, which is almost silent when freewheeling. they too are decidedly stiff, but once again in a good way, offering the diamante the ideal matching aesthetic.

islay is bereft of any long and winding climbs, but it does possess an often irritating selection of short, sharp climbs, the sort of gradients on which it's difficult to remain seated all the way to the top. since i know just how well (badly) i can climb, the ease with which a few of those were despatched can only be placed at the door of the basso. though my ritchey logic currently rides on twelve campagnolo rear sprockets, the collection of eleven super-record cogs were remarkably snappy in operation. (as an aside, there is an appreciable difference between vicenza's eleven and twelve-speed groupsets). when push comes to shove and it's necessary to stand while climbing, the basso has that much-desired, delightful spring in its step from the bottom bracket region.

basso diamante disc

it's many a long year since i have ridden michelin tyres, and the pro4s rather underline what it is i have been missing. not only does their 28mm of width take the sting out of the rough stuff (of which we have copious amounts), but appear to almost stick to the road in both dry and wet. it is worth my pointing out that they were every bit as complicit in avoiding the aforementioned pick-up, as was the diamante's directness of steering and the modulation afforded by campagnolo's disc brakes. the latter comprise 160mm rotors, affixed to the hubs by means of chromed lockrings, but disappointingly squeal rather loudly when wet. the only saving grace is that they appear to have been tuned an acceptable number of tones apart, offering an almost pleasing harmonic when applied together.

basso diamante disc

though not in any way affecting the review, the brakes have been cabled euro-style, with the rear brake actuated by the right-hand lever.

i have had the great good fortune to ride a number of expensive, quality road bikes, to which the basso diamante undoubtedly belongs. if the opportunity to try one ever presents itself, grab it with both cleats and don't let go until the tyres wear out. there will undoubtedly be a part two in the fullness of time; it would be rude to leave it at this, after the bike travelled all the way from treviso to the hebrides to experience that reputable west of scotland vibe.

basso bicycles are available at cycle republic stores throughout the uk. though it is possible to spec the frame as you see fit, by my reckoning, the review model would retail at approximately £7,500.

basso diamante disc road bike

tuesday 13 august 2019

twmp ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................