Basso Bikes

For over 40 years, Basso bikes has been one of the leading manufacturers of road and gravel bikes, loved by amateur riders and professionals alike.

History

At the start, tinkering with bikes was just a hobby for Alcide Basso. Then one day in 1977 he was asked to create a bespoke bike for a rider over two metres tall, and from that the Basso brand was born, along with the Italian brand’s first ever bike. Testament to the care and craftsmanship that went into the bike, it was still ridden 30 years later.

It’s that craftsmanship and build quality that has defined Basso Bikes, and the brand was responsible for many early innovations, including the use of a chemical agent inside steel tubing to prevent corrosion. The inspiration for the move came while Alcide was on a business trip to Germany, which was also the company’s first foray into the international market with companies such as Brügelmann and Stier bulk-ordering frames.

At the beginning the company made steel frames before moving to aluminium and eventually carbon in the late 1990s. The material was never the sole focal point for the company, though, which has always taken a rider-first approach.

The company has since been taken over by the Stardue Group, which also counts Lee Cougan and Microtech under its umbrella.

Having initially focussed solely on road bikes, the company has since expanded out and now boasts gravel, e-bike and commuter ranges, while sticking closely to its roots through a selection of steel bikes.

The Italian brand’s current line-up of road bikes includes the Diamante, Astra, Venta and Volta. Many of these are used by the AlphaTauri Formula One team who Basso became official bike sponsors for in 2023, with drivers using them as a part of their training.

Did you know?

Pro cycling

• ​​Adria Mobil
• Basso Team Flanders
• Toronto Hustle
• Enough Cycling Collective

Highlights

• In 1977, Alcide Basso was asked to create a bespoke bicycle frame. It kickstarted the Basso company, and the bespoke bike he created was ridden for the next 30 years.
• Basso entered the international market in the late 1970s in Germany. The European country provided plenty of inspiration, including the use of a chemical agent inside tubing to prevent corrosion.
• In 1993 Basso acquired Pogliaghi, an old Italian brand whose bikes had once been used by Eddy Merckx, widely regarded as the greatest cyclist of all time.
• Basso became bike sponsor of pro team AKI-Gipiemme in 1996, and has gone on to sponsor many more teams. It’s recently taken its sponsorship off-road with the Enough Cycling Collective which predominantly races in the US gravel scene.
• AlphaTauri and Basso linked up in 2023, with the Italian brand providing bikes for the Formula One team which are used by its drivers for training.