scratchpaddy

When I was a kid, my aunt sent us two bikes she had leftover from something. One was a 1992 Ibis mountain bike with a really small frame, which was for me. The other was a late-'80's Basso, for my sister, who had no interest in biking, so that was for me, too.

I rode the heck out of the Ibis, but I don't have it anymore. I still have the Basso, and I'm curious to learn a little more about it. What year is it, exactly? What model? I'm not interested in selling it, but curious to know what it's worth, too.

I know the rack looks weird on it, but it's way too convenient to go without.

The wheels are Mavic MA40's. I gather the frame was made by Columbus. All the components are Campagnolo, but I don't know which set. The brand is Basso, obviously, but I don't know which model. I guess the Italians are super secretive about their model names. I can't find a serial number anywhere. There's nothing on the bottom bracket, head tube, or the dropouts.

Let me know if more details are needed, or pictures.

Oops, I can't put pictures in until I have more posts. Guess I'll have to attach it? Weird, I put pictures in my first post...

Bianchigirll 

I believe that model is a Loto. A Basso was generally sold as a frame and 'kit' so the same frame could be built in many different ways. We need better pics but the group looks like Athena which came out in '89. The tubing is made by Columbus and the bike built by Basso.

T-Mar

It appears to have two sets of bottle bosses and a pump peg, which would put it into the late 1980s. The Columbus decal is the pre-1988 version, so circa 1985-1987, possibly 1988 if they didn't rotate decal stock. The Columbus decal appears to be gold with a blue border, so it's most likely Columbus SL, which would make it a Basso Gap. The other possibility is a Basso Arrenacia with tretubi Columbus SL, as there is no Columbus decal on the fork. However, this could be worn off. You should remove the front wheel and check inside the bottom of the fork's steerer column for the five helical ridges indicative of a Columbus steerer column (see pic). If they are present, it's a Gap. If not, it's an Arrenacia, unless the fork has been replaced, in which case, you'll never know.

T-Mar

The subject bicycle is not a Loto. The Loto was built with Columbus SLX, which would have a red border on the tubing decal. Also, it does not have the fastback stays of a Loto.

scratchpaddy

Great info so far, thanks. I don't know how you can even see the Columbus decal in that tiny picture.

Let me try again on the pictures. I should have enough posts now... Oops, no I don't.

scratchpaddy

Okay, now I do! You can click any picture for large size.



I don't know what a pump peg is, but it does have two sets of bottle bosses. The pair on the seat tube have plastic thread protectors in them. Here is the Columbus decal (what's left of it):



No ridges in the fork.



The fork has this logo on it. The number 3, or a stylized B? No decals on either side.



I should point out, the seat post, seat, and pedals are not original. Everything else (except wear items) is, as far as I know.

thinktubes 

Tubing is Columbus Tretubi, meaning the 3 main tubes are columbus SL (if I recall correctly)



Maybe a "Gap" frame....

Bianchigirll 

That is a beautiful bike. A pump peg is that little nipple behind the head tube, it helps hold a speing loaded frame pump along the under side of the toptube. That is an Athena group but somewhere along the line someone replaced the brake pads and replaced them with shimanos

T-Mar

A Gap would be full Columbus SL. Tretubi Columbus SL in conjunction with the apparent era makes it a Basso Arrenacia. Looking back through my literature, the 1985 vesrion did not have dual bottle bosses and a pump peg, so that should move it up to 1986-1987, possibly 1988 is they did not rotate their Columbus decal stock.

The brakes are Campagnolo Athena. This group came out in 1989. However, I don't think it is that new because Columbus changed their decal style for 1988 and this is the older style. More likely, it was built from a NOS frame.

Edit: Also, by 1989 Basso's two tone paint schemes had transitioned from fade to contrasting top and down tubes.

scratchpaddy

I've always wondered what that decal was supposed to say!

Thanks! It really is a beauty. I didn't know what I had when I was a kid, but I've come to appreciate it more and more over the years.

I never really thought about that nipple on the head tube. I just assumed it was an aesthetic thing, I guess.

Sorry about the brakes! They work so well, though. What am I supposed to be using? I was expecting someone to about the seat, or the rack, or the platform pedals, but not the brake pads.

That's really interesting. I guess it's hard to pin down an exact year from a small outfit like Basso.

So, does '89 seem like the best guess? The groupset means it can't be older (I seriously doubt anyone swapped it later), and I wouldn't think they'd keep using last year's frames for too long.

look566 rider

Great looking bike!

Look again at the bottom bracket shell for the serial number, maybe the paint is thick and is obscuring the number. If I have my info correct the first to digits should be the year of manufacture.

scratchpaddy

Oops, you're right. Good call. It's off towards the front of the BB, where you can't see it if you look directly under the bike. It's 811461. So, a 1988 frame? I'm assuming Columbus stamped the serial, not Basso, so final assembly might have been '89?

Chombi1 

Uhmm.......Basso stamped those numbers. Columbus just provides the materials to build the frame...

scratchpaddy

I see. I thought they actually built the frames.