A high-end, modern, carbon performance bike that’s fully made in Italy but is priced lower than the Asian-made top models from the big brands? It sounds unlikely, but this is what Basso’s new flagship road bike promises. The Sempre Veloce in its top Campagnolo Super Record Wireless S or SRAM Red AXS build is priced at €11,999 or approximately £10,100.
Often the choice is between Asian-made aero monocoque from a WorldTour brand or Italian-made ‘artisan’ tube-to-tube frame from a traditional family business, but with Basso’s new Sempre Veloce (‘always fast’) it looks as though you can have your panettone and eat it.
Additionally, says Basso, there’s another choice to be made: whether to go with a race bike that’s designed for professional athletes “often at the expense of comfort and adaptability” or an all-road bike that has comfort and versatility but “sacrifices some performance elements like weight savings and aerodynamics”. Basso says the Sempre Veloce “disrupts this dichotomy by delivering a bike that occupies the space in between. It combines race-level performance with the adaptability and comfort that everyday riders demand.” More panettone.
Basso doesn’t sponsor a WorldTour team – though it has sponsored lower-tier teams including the CAMS Basso women’s team, now DAS-Hutchinson – but in the Sempre Veloce’s press release Basso claims that this an advantage, and that by not fielding a WorldTour team, “we focused entirely on real riders, crafting a bike that embodies the perfect balance of racing performance and everyday usability.”
The company was founded in 1977 by Alcide Basso, the brother of 1972 world champion Marino Basso, and for its 45th anniversary released a special limited edition edition of the Diamante SV, the flagship bike of the time. The new Sempre Veloce is the new flagship and has been updated for the requirements of the modern rider. It has clearance for 35mm tyres and a new geometry that Basso devised through a partnership with Italian bike fitters 4 Performance Bike Fit Studio. There’s a higher stack (compared with race geometry) and a sloping geometry that features a 25mm shorter seat tube than more traditional Basso geometry so that more seatpost can be exposed for increased comfort. There are seven frame sizes, which overlap so that every rider can find a tailored fit, according to Basso, 16 integrated handlebar options in two distinct designs, and two seatpost setback choices. Since each Sempre Veloce is built to individual specifications, the common difficulty – and/or cost implication of swapping the integrated cockpit for a different size ought to be eliminated.
Basso places a good rider fit above aerodynamic improvements, but it has still reduced the frontal area by 16% over the Diamante SV. Additionally, the tubes all have a kammtail profile. Bottom bracket stiffness and head tube stiffness have also been significantly enhanced, according to Basso, while rear triangle stiffness at the axle has been maintained at a consistent level.
The Sempre Veloce has a 85.6mm pressfit bottom bracket, which supplies a broad base for the down tube and chainstays. It’s often pointed out that creaking from pressfit BBs only happens if the frame is not manufactured precisely enough, and Basso appears to have confidence in its processes.
The frame is made from Torayca T1100 and T1000 carbon-fibre and in a size 53, unpainted with no hardware, weighs a claimed 780g. In its top spec, size 56 with Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 and DT Swiss ARC 1100 wheels, Basso claims 6.7kg.
As for pricing, in its top spec with Campagolo Super Record S Wireless or SRAM Red AXS, the Sempre Veloce is priced at €11,999. The Dura-Ace build is €11,799 while the ‘entry level’ Ultegra build comes in at €7,949. It’s also available as a frame kit at €4,999. There are four colour ways available – also done in house in Bassano.
It’s also the first model from Basso to offer a five-year warranty, with Basso explaining that it stands behind its commitment to quality and longlasting performance.
For more information check out Basso’s website
