So I was surfing ebay last night

[Germany_chris]

and there has been a gentleman trying to sell a Basso cross bike for a couple years. I sent him an offer of a 110 euro and he took it. Is there any collective knowlege of classic steel Basso CX bikes or steel Basso bikes in general?

[odin99]

basso made some high quality steel. i'm no expert but should be lots of info with a forum/google search. do you have pics?

[spacemen3]

IIRC some Italian makers would build cyclocross bikes with leftover tubing at the end of the season. These framesets weren't usually listed in their catalogs.

[oliver1850]

I have a 1992 Basso brochure which doesn't show a CX frame. In general they didn't build a lot of different models. In 1992 a Cromor frame, an SL/SP frame, an SLX frame, an EL-OS frame and a Ti. Most models have Basso's own Cinelli cast seat lug and Basso dropouts. The company still exists, you can email them. I think the first number of the serial number indicates the year, at least for late 80s, early 90s frames. The later frames have a different decal style, more stylized than the plain all caps logo that they traditionally used.

Sounds like an interesting frame, post a pic when you get it.

[Germany_chris]

I'll take some in a couple of hours when I make it back home from the owners house...hope this is interesting.

Here is the ebay listing..

http://www.ebay.de/itm/370408082340?ssPageName=STRK:MEDWX:IT#ht_500wt_986

[ultraman6970]

Pretty rough, good project for the price, hope the chroming is ok. Are those tubulars??

[oliver1850]

Looks worth the money to me. Seat cluster resembles the Gap, which was the SL/SP (depending on size) frame. Main difference I can see other than the brake bosses is the Gap had internal brake cable routing.

[Germany_chris]

Pretty rough, good project for the price, hope the chroming is ok. Are those tubulars??

The rust doesn't seen to dramatic..

I dunno if their tubulars I'm going to replace the wheels anyway..

It seem like I would have been a "race bike" being that there are no fender or rack mounts like you see on just about every bike form this era here.

I don't know that much about columbus tube but I'm hoping there is a serial present some where that will at a minimum set me in the right direction

[ultraman6970]

Those look like tubular wheels to me, u can get small fenders. Big chance the frame was modified too. Havent seen a basso cx ever, and the only catalog i have seen like 30 years ago did not have a cx model.

Lucky westard :P

[Germany_chris]

This is most definitely a CX bike it could clear 37's or 38's through the chain stay's and a small 29er through the seat stay's. The fork could probably handle 40's..

I has/had D/A hubs with a D/A freewheel and tubulars. But I just slipped a 10sp 130 rear wheel in with no issues..so it make me wonder the year..

It has cinelli lugs and BB shell with a chrome fork crown and chain stay's all of which are in good shape.

Fenders are just going to be a no-go..seat stay bridge is not drilled so the top mount isn't going to work without zip ties sooooo...

What ever steel it is it's quite light it's a 58ish and weighs about what my 54 Master did (by arm scale)..

This should be fun!!

[roydyates]

and there has been a gentleman trying to sell a Basso cross bike for a couple years. I sent him an offer of a 110 euro and he took it. Is there any collective knowlege of classic steel Basso CX bikes or steel Basso bikes in general?
I built up a Basso Viper frame as a fixed gear for my son. Steel oversize tubing, no lugs, and IIRC 130mm rear spacing. I think it's from the late 1990s? It has the more stylized decal logos that Oliver1850 refers to. In any event, it's a sweet riding bike. In fact, it's my son's favorite bike among a Cannondale carbon synapse, a old Ti Lemond, and a Miyata 710 single speed commuter.