After the recent launch of the Basso Diamante, a bike built racy but versatile and to complement the aggressive Diamanté SV; comes Basso’s latest reveal: The all new Astra.
Before Road cycling gained huge traction and popularity (Pre 2008 olympics and solidified by 2012) a road bike was effectively a Race bike, used by dedicated club cyclists and athletes. Many of a certain age will remember them called as such: Racers.
With the increased uptake of road cycling on the back of 2008 and 2012 Olympic successes, Sir Bradley Wiggins’ Tour de France win and greater exposure to the sport, there quickly emerged a Sportive narrative with associated bike geometries becoming more upright and stable to allow easier access to road cycling.
Generally speaking, since then we have seen a gradual evolution of all geometries - a convergence. Race bikes, while undoubtedly still racy, have become ever so slightly more upright. Meanwhile, and with the advent of Gravel as a discipline, “endurance" bikes have gotten lower while remaining comfortable and stable.
Ultimately, as the demographic has become accustomed to road cycling and racing, as bike fit science has evolved and as the geometries have found favour among the pros, there has emerged a new all-round category. While geometries vary widely, there are obvious examples of the all-rounder at the pro level, that have spurred this approach - the likes of Cannondale's SuperSix Evo and the Pinarello Dogma - that deliver sustainability of position (comfort) over varying terrain, hour after hour while remaining agile and racy.
So then, it is this blossoming category of road bikes that the new iteration of Basso’s Astra finds itself squarely pointed at.
The previous version of the Astra has been an exceptionally well received bike. Featuring the same geometry as its “Endurance” stablemate, the Venta, the outgoing Astra was afforded a more racy moniker by way of carbon lay up and some subtle differences to component choice.
The new Astra, still produced by hand in-house at Basso in Italy, is entirely different. According to the effusive mutterings on the Basso website, the new Astra is “…an expression of a lifestyle…” developed around people’s lives…. blah blah. While I’m not sure about the hyperbole, it is evident from the approach that Basso have taken with the development of the new Diamanté (with which certain elements are shared) that the Astra is about versatility. About accommodation. It’s about keeping you happy in the saddle no matter how or where you road ride and for how long. As at home on a solo weekend epic as it is in a weekly crit.
And that’s the point. It is a bike for everyone, no matter your palmares - or lack thereof.
Basso have built on the predecessor with lessons and technology borrowed from the recently developed Diamante and Diamante SV. In addition, they are staying abreast of current market trends towards wider Tubeless wheels, greater tyre clearance and comfort - or rather, sustainability of position - all while retaining their signature Basso ride feel. A hallmark of the brand.
Indeed, the new Astra preserves the racing DNA of the brand but adapts it for the masses - a more versatile, forgiving and accommodating Diamante if you will.
At 980g for the frame and while by no means heavy, the Astra is not the lightest - and that is intentional. I have often had this conversation with customers who are fixated on weight. With super low weight comes a trade-off in handling. For those not racing or used to the characteristics of a lively bike, this reactivity more often than not translates as nervousness. Stability balanced with low weight is the holy grail, as with confidence comes speed. Similarly, speed is also a function of comfort since an uncomfortable ride is a distraction. The Astra delivers on this front too. The slimmed down and dropped stays, coupled with ample 35mm tyre clearance, deliver all the possible compliance you could need for hour upon hour in the saddle. It affords greater freedoms too, such tyre volume allows riders to venture off the tarmac onto light gravel and explore beyond the remit of a traditional road bike. All the while, the ride is quintessentially Basso.
Animated, agile and fun.
Aesthetically the new Astra is a leap forward with evident attention to detail. From the clean, uninterrupted lines derived from the company’s Paradigma technology that integrates all cabling, to the more obvious dropped seat stays and more svelte tube shapes. The proprietary second generation 3B seat clamp is once again in evidence, delivering an elegant, lightweight clamping system with integrated vibration damping.
The new Astra is compatible with Basso’s integrated accessory system of stem-fixed computer and light mounts, as well as the company’s range of frame bags. In addition - and after much cajoling - Basso now also offer an in-line seaport option so you can dial in your fit while the Explorer Rear Thru axle houses a discreet tool for wheel removal on the go.
A bike for everyone that is versatile and comfortable yet remains true to its racing DNA, the new Basso Astra is everything at once for all your riding.
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!