Anyone investing a lot of money in a high-quality gravel bike now has to decide between a purist and sporty racing bike or a comfortable adventure bike with plenty of space for panniers and fat tyres. These two very different characters have emerged in recent years and sometimes manifest themselves in extremes that do not suit everyone. The original idea of the gravel bike, to combine off-road riding and travelling adventures with the sporty riding experience of a road bike, hardly plays a role anymore with many brands, especially with the top models.
Italian manufacturer Basso, meanwhile, believes that most customers don't really want to make the decision between racing and touring bikes. Leonardo Basso, who runs the family business founded by his father in 1977 together with his brother Alessandro, says: "Many customers of high-end gravel bikes switch between racing events and long-distance adventures. But they don't necessarily want to own two different bikes for this. If they have to make a decision, they always feel like they are missing out on potential: Either in the race or on the long haul."
Basso cites the fact that sponsored athletes sometimes choose the obviously "wrong" bike for prominent racing events as proof of his thesis: Simply because of the greater tyre clearance, they use the adventure bike instead of the sporty gravel derivative of their outfitter and accept disadvantages in terms of riding position and handling. His approach with the third edition of the Palta gravel bike is therefore to combine the sporty orientation with a lot of off-road capability. The bike should be just as ideal for racing as it is for adventurous long-distance rides with luggage.
Looks like a racing bike
The Italians started the conception of the desired middle way with a decidedly sporty appearance: The new Palta draws the silhouette of the aerodynamically designed road racer SV to. The specified seating position is also sporty. Although the handlebars have been raised by half a centimetre compared to the previous model, the geometry of the Palta is still stretched out like a race bike compared to its competitors. This places it in the ranks of typical race gravel bikes such as the Cervélo Áspero, Rose Backroad FF or Canyon Grail.
Basso offers various component options for customisation when purchasing the Palta: You can choose from three cockpit variants - two differently designed handlebar units in different dimensions or a classic, clamped handlebar - as well as between two seatposts with 15 millimetre or no offset. Although this allows a lot of room for manoeuvre, you won't get a "real" comfort geometry. The Palta remains a sports bike.
In the version we tested, which costs 6699 euros, the exquisite equipment emphasises the racing character. The SRAM Force XPLR with 13 gears is, so to speak, state-of-the-art for sporty gravel bike drivetrains; this also applies to the wide aero rims from Zipp. The Basso is also competitive in terms of overall weight: The bike easily undercuts the 8.5-kilo mark.
Sporty seating position
On the trail, the set-up feels quite manoeuvrable and the compact position allows a lot of pressure on the pedals. The steering behaviour is very balanced: lively but not playful, at high speeds the bike reliably stays on track even on rough surfaces. The suspension is well tuned. Very comfortable at the front and rear, but not overly soft and with sufficient feedback from the ground. This is also thanks to the supple Pirelli tyres, which, nominally 45 millimetres wide, arch up to almost 50 millimetres on the wide rims. Their pronounced lugs also offer good grip even on soft surfaces. The Palta is a reliable companion for longer tours for those who can cope with the sporty riding position on long journeys.
For the adventure trip, the Palta has typical features that are usually missing on race-orientated gravel bikes for weight reasons. A large storage compartment in the down tube, which is accessible via a flap with a clever and easy-to-use Fidlock magnetic lock, houses two waterproof bags for tools and important spare parts. The carbon frame does not have eyelets on the fork or a preparation for mudguards, but a total of three bottle cage positions should be enough for most people, even on longer tours.
Together with the British specialist Apidura, Basso developed custom-fit frame and top tube bags for the Palta, which are attached to eyelets and blend seamlessly into the design. A robust rubber cover - a co-operation with the Italian manufacturer Vibram, which is primarily known for its cushioning shoe soles - also protects the down tube and bottom bracket area from stone chips.
Basso Palta III: TOUR grade and test results
- Price: 6699 Euro
- Weight of complete wheel: 8.4 kilogrammes
- Info: www.bassobikes.com
- Frame sizes: XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL (test size greased)
Geometry
- Seat/top/head tube: 520/569/165 millimetres
- Stack/Reach/STR: 591/381 millimetres/1.55
- Stack+/Reach+/STR+: 635/571 millimetres/1.11
- Wheelbase/caster: 1037/64 millimetres
Equipment
- Drive/gear shift: SRAM Force AXS XPLR (1x13, 40, 10-46 t.) | Grade: 1.5
- Brakes: SRAM Force AXS (160/160 mm) | Grade: 1.0
- Tyres: Pirelli Cinturato Gravel (45 mm) | Grade: 2.0
- Impellers: Zipp 303 XPLR S
- Impeller weights: 1600/2141 grams (f./h.)
Measured values
- Weight of complete wheel: 8.4 kilogrammes | Grade: 2.3
- Driving stability: 7.3 N/mm | Grade: 2.3
- Rear comfort: 155 N/mm | Grade: 2.3
- Comfort front: 88 N/mm | Grade: 2.3
- Ride/ bottom bracket stiffness: 46 N/mm | Grade: 3.3
Advantages
- Functional storage compartments
- High-quality equipment
- Many customisation options
Disadvantages
- Relatively expensive
Basso Palta: Equipment and prices
Basso is offering the Palta from € 4299 at market launch, with the bike coming with mechanical Shimano GRX 1x12 and simple aluminium wheels from Microtech. Versions with a double crankset are also on offer, with the electric GRX Di2 the bike costs €4999. An exquisite version with SRAM Red AXS promises even more liveliness than our test bike, but costs a whopping 8499 euros. A version with Campagnolo's 1x13 drivetrain is due to follow in the spring; it would then be a gravel bike made entirely in Europe. Like all Basso carbon frames, the new Palta is also produced in the company's own production facility in Italy. Below is an overview of possible configurations of the new Basso.
Palta III GRX 1x12
- Drive/gear shift: Shimano GRX (1x12; 42, 10-51 t.)
- Tyres: Continental Terra Trail (45 mm)
- Impellers: Microtech MX25 (aluminium)
- Price: 4299 Euro
Palta III GRX 2x12
- Drive/gear shift: Shimano GRX (2x12; 48/31, 11-34 t.)
- Tyres: Continental Terra Trail (45 mm)
- Impellers: Microtech MX25 (aluminium)
- Price: 4399 Euro
Palta III GRX 1x12
- Drive/gear shift: Shimano GRX (1x12; 42, 10-51 t.)
- Tyres: Continental Terra Trail (45 mm)
- Impellers: Microtech Grecale (Carbon)
- Price: 4999 Euro
Palta III GRX 2x12 Di2
- Drive/gear shift: Shimano GRX Di2 (2x12; 48/31, 11-34 t.)
- Tyres: Continental Terra Trail (45 mm)
- Impellers: Microtech MX25 (aluminium)
- Price: 4999 Euro
Palta III GRX 2x12
- Drive/gear shift: Shimano GRX (2x12; 48/31, 11-34 t.)
- Tyres: Continental Terra Trail (45 mm)
- Impellers: Microtech Grecale (Carbon)
- Price: 5099 Euro
Palta III Force XPLR 1x13
- Drive/gear shift: SRAM Force XPLR AXS (1x13; 40, 10-46 t.)
- Tyres: Continental Terra Trail (45 mm)
- Impellers: Microtech MX25 (Carbon)
- Price: 5399 Euro
Palta III GRX 2x12 Di2
- Drive/gear shift: Shimano GRX Di2 (2x12; 48/31, 11-34 t.)
- Tyres: Continental Terra Trail (45 mm)
- Impellers: Fulcrum Soniq (Carbon)
- Price: 6199 Euro
Palta III Force XPLR 1x13
- Drive/gear shift: SRAM Force XPLR AXS (1x13; 40, 10-46 t.)
- Tyres: Pirelli Cinturato M (45 mm)
- Impellers: Zipp 303 XPLR S (Carbon)
- Price: 6699 Euro
Palta III Red XPLR 1x13
- Drive/gear shift: SRAM Red XPLR AXS (1x13; 40, 10-46 t.)
- Tyres: Pirelli Cinturato M (45 mm)
- Impellers: Zipp 303 XPLR SW (Carbon)
- Price: 8499 Euro
Jens Klötzer
Editor
