Basso Bikes is an Italian brand that produces and sells

road A road is a linear way for the conveyance of traffic that mostly has an improved surface for use by vehicles (motorized and non-motorized) and pedestrians. Unlike streets, the main function of roads is transportation. There are many types of ...

racing bicycle A racing bicycle, also known as a road bike is a bicycle designed for competitive road cycling, a sport governed by and according to the rules of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). Racing bicycles are designed for maximum performance w ...

s founded in 1977 by Alcide Basso, brother of the world champion

Marino Basso Marino Basso (born 1 June 1945) is an Italian former professional road racing cyclist, considered one of the best sprinters of his generation. He won the World Cycling Championship in 1972. Basso was born at Rettorgole di Caldogno, in the Vene ...

. Before registering the company, Alcide Basso started making bicycles in his family's garage in 1974, in Rettorgole di Caldogno. Currently, the company headquarter is located in San Zenone degli Ezzelini, in the province of Treviso, while the production department is located in Dueville, in the province of Vicenza.

Story

During the two-year period 1978-1979, the entry into the competition bicycle market and the international market took place: Germany became the first large market and large importers such as Brügelmann and Stier decided to order large quantities of frames. Basso initially made frames of steel: they acquired the Pogliaghi brand name in the late 1980s, but from 1996 they make frames of carbon fiber too. In 1979,

Eddy Merckx Édouard Louis Joseph, Baron Merckx (, ; born 17 June 1945), better known as Eddy Merckx, is a Belgian former professional road and track bicycle racer who is among the most successful riders in the history of competitive cycling. His victorie ...

visits the factories with a view to developing his own racing bike brand. Innovations on materials are introduced with the use of a type of automotive-derived steel, more resistant to rust and then move on to the use of carbon. The first carbon frame was sent to the Austrian

University of Graz The University of Graz (german: link=no, Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz, ), located in Graz, Austria, is the largest and oldest university in Styria, as well as the second-largest and second-oldest university in Austria. History The univers ...

and was the subject of a study on the torsional and bending forces of carbon frames. At the beginning of the nineties, racing bicycles are used at the highest levels, among others by

Dimitri Konyshev Dimitri Konyshev (Russian Дмитрий Борисович Конышев; born 18 February 1966 in Gorky) is a Russian former road bicycle racer. During the 1989 World Championship he can be seen in a rather famous photo of cycling history s ...

Gilberto Simoni Gilberto Simoni (born 25 August 1971 in Palù di Giovo, Trentino) is an Italian former professional road bicycle racer, most recently for . Simoni is twice winner of the Giro d'Italia cycling race (2001 and 2003 editions). Simoni might have wo ...

, Massimo Strazzer and Endrio Leoni.

Today

The Basso Bikes brand is owned by the Stardue group, a company that also includes the Lee Cougan mountain bike brand and Microtech accessories, also owned by the Basso family. On a commercial level, the brand is present in over 25 countries and has a network of over 400 dealers. Basso Bikes is a sponsor of 6 pro team, including

Adria Mobil Adria Mobil is a company based in Novo Mesto, Slovenia, that produces caravans and motorhomes, under the ADRIA brandname and sells 99 percent of the total turnover to the West European markets. Rank The company has a 6.5 percent market share o ...

, slovenian professional road racing team in Continental Circuit, and Cams-Basso, an english women professional team.

References

External links

Basso Bikes
Cycle manufacturers of Italy Electric bicycles Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1977 Italian companies established in 1977 Italian brands Companies based in Veneto {{Italian cycle manufacturers