Basso Diamante 2014

theobrixton

Hi. My plan to get some nice new handbuilt wheels was derailed when the frameset I've been coveting the last few months got a big discount in the Giro sales. One quick test ride and I pulled the trigger.

Behold, Basso Diamante 2014 model in size 48.






Build is Chorus, with compact 50/34 crankset and 11-25 cassette
Wheels are Boyd 38mm carbon clinchers, moved over from the BMC
3T Rotundo alloy bars
Selle Italia SLR Kit Carbonio saddle, also from the BMC. Have ordered a Fizik Kurve Snake saddle which may go on this bike. I'll see how it feels and looks
Vittoria Open Corsa Evo CX tyres
Cheap Elite cage
Look carbon blade pedals

Weight is 6.9 kilos

Too new for me to give much reliable feedback on the ride but early impressions are that this is super stiff. It also makes me super stiff.

Enjoy!

napoleond

Nice 'clean and crisp' looking bike!

Enjoy.

Matthewfalle

Tidy that be.

Proper stem set up as well: good work.

Miles253

I don't know much about Basso, but I know that is a stunner!

RideOnTime

yeah nice.. painted the walls as well.

not-another-hillǃ

Nice' very nice......liking the red touches (stem face plate, fork legs, chainstay inners, seat clamp etc)

Vandiesel

Looks spot on that!
Enjoy

griff30

i like the clean look of the stem with no spacers on top of it, id love to do it to my own bike but im afraid some day i might need to raise the bars, but it looks so good i might have to bite the bullet

theobrixton

Matthewfalle wrote:

Proper stem set up as well

Thanks for ignoring the spacers. The geo is so aggressive that it's lower with spacers than my BMC without spacers. I'd have to have my spine removed if I was going to slam this thing.

theobrixton

Not-another-hill! wrote:

Nice' very nice......liking the red touches (stem face plate, fork legs, chainstay inners, seat clamp etc)

Yeah and there's lots of other lovely aesthetic touches that the photos don't capture. It's a beautiful frame.

Thanks for your positive comments everyone.

diamonddog

Very tasty looking machine.

declan1

That looks very fast. Great looking bike.

theobrixton

Just completed my first proper ride, 50ks over mostly flat roads. Initial impressions are confirmed; bike has very snappy acceleration and takes the bumps a bit more firmly than my BMC. Not harsh though. Handling so far is delightful, quick steering and accurate. The real test will be when I take it down a decent length descent, but I have no doubt it's going to be brilliant.

Phone pic at breakfast stop.

johnnymcg259

That's a lovely looking bike and build, v well done.
Where are you based as they don't look like Banksy type walls?!
I had a Basso back in the day..........early 1990's.....Columbus SLX tubing and Campag......loved it. Sold it eventually to a mate who still has it.

theobrixton

Thanks johnny. I'm in Melbourne Australia. To make room for this bike I sold my lovely Bianchi 928L to a mate. Felt awful seeing it go.

theobrixton

A few weeks in and a few hundred ks completed and I am loving this bike. It is an absolute rocket. So stiff and responsive, but doesn't beat me up. Changed the position slightly since first purchased and seems pretty spot on now.

Here's another pic, in the lovely sunshine.

theobrixton

3 month update.

About 1500ks covered in a cold Melbourne Winter and this bike still has more awesome to show me. When I bought it I didn't expect a performance upgrade over the Team Machine (the BMC is no slouch, and I wanted the Basso because it's beautiful) but it's better in every way. Speed, handling, climbing; the Basso excels. And it's no less comfortable, which is surprising given how stiff it is. Perhaps I've just adapted to the feel.

And how good is Chorus?? Glad I didn't spend the extra $$ on Record or SR. A couple of hundred grams less weight means nothing to me and I can't imagine there's any functional difference as this shifts so beautifully. I did make a minor change since purchase in that I swapped out the single pivot rear brake for a dual. I've gotten used to the extra braking power on the BMC so wanted to replicate that. I also swapped out the Elite cage for an Arundle Mandible, purely for aesthetics. And I am loving the shape of the 3T Rotundo Pro bars. I was initially concerned that they might be too deep but I quickly adapted to them and I love the flat shape of the drops. Am considering changing the bars on my other bike now; the curve of the Zero100s now feels a bit awkward.

I'm going to ride the bejeezus out of this as the weather gets warmer. Can't wait.

theobrixton

Over a year on and just a couple of minor changes. A couple of spacers removed, arundel mandible cages and tyres are now veloflex corsas.

west green

Love it, just spotted this thread but great to get the updates, now with even less spacers or is it slammed? Well done sir, great looking bike that performs as well

IrishMac

Sweet.
Team Asea raced those frames in Ireland this year and they bossed nearly everywhere they went, won the Irish Nationals too so you've no excuses now

lammymike

That's the business. I had a basso Laguna some years back. Yours is stunning.

Miles253

Lovely BMC in the photos too!