The 2021 Astra with Ultegra offers a level of refinement, performance and specification hard to overlook at this price point. Underpinned by over 40 years of bike building and - rare at this price - manufacture that is 100% in-house and in Italy, the Basso Astra is more than just an Italian surname on a down tube. Ideal for the rider looking for an impeccable balance of technology, performance and all-day comfort, the Astra delivers with the added bonus of Italian beauty in the mix.
True to its Basso DNA, the Astra Disc is a performance oriented road bike designed to take you further and faster. At the same time, that signature Basso ride feel delivers those race-bred traits of quick pick-up and pin-point handling, with a confidence inspiring ride designed to help you push yourself without pitching you over the edge.
The Astra borrows elements like the straight fork and rear triangle from the likes of the Diamante SV and as such incorporates a similar level of reactive and responsive handling. The Basso developed geometry confers the perfect blend of snappy handling and acceleration and a comfortable position for the long haul and while the Astra is an extremely capable race bike, its geometry is closer to the Venta than the Diamante series, allowing a more accessible fit while delivering the excitement of an Italian high-end race bike.
By Italian, we mean Italian : 100% Made by hand, in Italy, by Basso. The Astra frameset is constructed from 100% 3K Toray HM (Hi Modulus) carbon fibre, and is capable of delivering performance on par with the range topping Diamante SV, with only a slight compromise on weight.
Compared with the Diamante, the Astra features a larger, more solid head tube that is fused with an extremely efficient downtube, made more so thanks to a specific shape that is characterised by a 'side channel'. Both tubes couple with completely redesigned chain stays to relay all your power to the road.
Most carbon bikes - particularly at this price point - are not made entirely of carbon, they are 'mechanised' - in other words, they use inserts or bonded aluminium elements in their construction. If your bike is not regularly and thoroughly cleaned and maintained (as all machines should be) these elements and bonded pieces can ultimately fail or cause issue. Through meticulous research and development the Basso Astra carbon frame is designed and built without the incorporation of alternative, contrasting materials. Advanced carbon technologies allow for all elements of the frame to be constructed without compromise and with incerased integrity, wholly in carbon fibre and completely without the incorporation of alloy or metal components. It is this aspect of construction - rare indeed at this price - that is in part responsible for the continuity of performance of the Astra over time.
In addition, the Astra features design characteristics most commonly reserved for bikes and frames at significantly higher price points. As such you have not only a podium worthy race bike, but one that represents a fantastic value proposition. The integrated seatpost clamp, internally routed cables, premium paint job and extremely minimal and sophisticated graphic design make for a beautiful ride that punches well above its weight in terms of tech, performance, reliability and value.
Like all Basso, the Astra is made to be as beautiful on the outside as it is on the inside. Indeed, at the price it is difficult to find a frame that delights as much as the Astra. Simple, elegant design is timeless. In a sea of often clunky looking offerings, the Astra is a distinguished looking road bike with a tenacious character.
The Astra Disc delivers the technology, refinement and ride feel of a World Tour race bike with a more accessible and honest price tag. Finished with a complement of Shimano's super reliable and smooth shifting 11 speed components and Basso's Miche made Microtech MR LITE Disc wheels, the Astra Ultegra is incredible value for money that will perform without compromise, year after year.
Basso are rare.
Almost all Italian, indeed European brands, struggle to compete with major bike manufacturers, if not on quality then certainly on price. Take a look at the likes of Pinarello and Colnago and it is difficult to see the value in their lower end models. Their Carbon tech and bike specifications struggle to come close to matching the counterparts offered by the big four : Cannondale, Giant, Specialized and Trek. Pinarello and Colnago are not small players in the game.
So, when a brand like Basso comes onto the radar it would be easy to gloss over it, dismiss it out of hand on the basis that, if the big boys can't compete, how would they?
Factor in that Basso are 100% Made in Italy - not known for cheap labour and mass bicycle production - and they become even more intriguing.
Visit any reasonably sized town in Italy and the chances are there is - or almost certainly was - a frame builder there.
Italians are in love with bike building. In much the same way that there is a frame building renaissance in the UK, with small outfits popping up all over, that approach permeates Italian society.
The beauty of Basso lies in their perfect balance to their approach.
By their own admission, they do not choose to advertise heavily - an approach more the preserve of North American 'manufacturers' (which is quite often a misnomer - I can name a very popular bike brand that doesn't manufacture a single product, they are simply a marketing company....)
Instead Basso choose to plough their passion and capital into producing bikes that do their talking on the road and, like most Italian brands, there's is more an experience; a particular quality of the ride that engages the rider and evokes emotion. Most of us want a bike to inspire us, but it is so easy to be overhemeled, not only with choice but with the sheer volume of marketing in the publications (who get their revenue from said) that are on offer and that are supposed to help guide our decisions. Understandable.
Basso - as I say - balance these elements particularly well. They deliver not only a signature 'Basso' ride quality - of which they are extremely proud, but they also are technologically savvy. They use the best processes and materials and where tech is not available - they develop their own. While many hide the quality of their materials or tech (by omission), Basso are transparent. As you will see in the detail below, they share not only information on the materials they use but go as far as to detail the lay-up schedules of their frames. I can't think of another brand that makes that level of detail readily available - certainly not at the lower end of the market.
This is testament to the quality of Basso frames. A self belief in their product, their production methods and materials that should instill confidence in you as a rider, as it does me as a dealer.
They are refreshing. Moreover - they are competitive.
This is the crux of it. Most large (let alone relatively small) Italian bike producers don't come close to being competitive, even with big companies' production outsourced to the far-east.
Basso are.
100% Handmade. In Italy. With transparency and high quality materials. Competitively priced. With a ride feel and handling designed not only to perform, but to inspire and delight.
Basso make it entirely possible to confidently purchase an handbuilt Italian road bike, without crippling yourself financially.
GEOMETRY QUICK GUIDE:Staring at geometry charts trying to fathom which bike will suit you best can be daunting to the non-geek and boring as much as anything else!
The price of a bike and the apparent position in the range do not necessarily relate to how racy a bike is. So, simply as a quick reference guide, the Basso Road Range is listed out below in GEOMETRY ORDER from most upright to most racy.
SIZING Guide :
XXS = 44
XS = 48
S = 51
M = 53/54
L = 56
XL = 58
XXL = 60/61
**Be aware that geometry doesn't necessarily dictate the type of riding that a bike is aimed at (though it is obviously a pretty good guide) - the Astra and Diamante SV are good examples. Always remember : a geometry that fits you will make you faster than a geometry that doesn't - if the bike is a top-of-the-line race bike but doesn't fit, it is unlikely to make you fast - more likely uncomfortable, distracted and slower as a result!**
Venta / Venta Disc : Endurance Geometry but with signature Basso ride feel that remains exciting despite the 'Endurance' tag. Exciting but comfortable.
Astra : All-Round geometry designed to crush everything. Constructed from high modulus carbon it is a stiff, light and engaging lay-up for a more spritely feel.
Diamante SV : Technically the most advanced frame in the range with a more 'modern' geometry than the Diamante Rim that sits below it. Accommodating, all-round geometry, yet entirely racy.
Diamante Disc : Sharing the same Carbon tech as the SV, the Diamante Disc uses super-light, round tube profiles and a similar but lightly more racy geometry. It is a great all-rounder and ideal for climbing.
Diamante Rim :Pure race geometry, long and low. Ideal for those looking to maximise their aero efficiency and adopt a racing tuck.
The table below details the most common technologies that are employed by Basso in their frames - these will often be referenced in the Technical Specifications of the models.
Not only that but you can see which carbon fibres that Basso are using and the lay-up schedules of each bike, so the differences between models is more apparent - this is also a useful guide as to what makes a specific frame behave a specific way.
Basso Components
Often a brand will have its own range of components to complement their frames and bikes - these are often scoffed at, but as Cannondale and Felt have ably demonstrated in the past, they can also be some of the lightest.
Basso components are also Made in Italy and their MR wheels are made in conjunction with Miche - a long established and forward thinking Italian brand. Basso components are excellent and perfectly complement the Basso brand - they are also key in delivering the Basso ride and keeping the bikes competitive - both in performance and price. They look good too!