Towards the end of this past summer I decided to buy a frame and build it up. Looking around I happened to get a good buy on a new Basso Reef frame that would suit my dimensions; a friend also rode a Basso Gap that I was impressed with. The Reef is superbly finished and quite light; someone elsewhere has complained about the weight of the fork (ca. 500g) but this doesn't bother me. The integrated headset is a bit different than most and came with no instructions; see the Park Tool website's discussion of Microtech headsets. Installation wasn't bad, once I figured it out.

With the short days and cool weather I have only gotten in a few hundred miles on the finished bike, but I'm very impressed with the overall responsiveness and feel (it is a big step up from my 1992 Trek). Trying to keep within a certain budget I was able do do some savvy on-line buying combined with some eBay shopping to kit the thing out with 10spd. Campy Centaur, except the crank, which is Chours. Everything is new except for the crank, which was a pristine bargain off eBay for $45! Here is a picture: