Basso Palta: First Ride Review

As capable on the rough stuff as on the open dirt road, the Basso Palta is one of the raciest gravel bikes on the market

Basso Palta
(Image: © Basso Bikes / Javi Echevarria Ruiz)

Cyclingnews Verdict

Fast, nimble and appreciably pliant, the Basso Palta can go where no other gravel bike dares to go

Pros

  • +

    Italian style

  • +

    Versatility

  • +

    Speed, agility and compliance

  • +

    Light and stiff

Cons

  • -

    Limited frame protection

  • -

    Aggressive setup may not suit everyone

You can trust Cyclingnews Our experts spend countless hours testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.

The Basso Palta is no ordinary gravel bike. It looks and feels more like something from the cyclo-cross scene such are its racy aesthetics and compact, almost road bike-like geometry. This, however, has done very little to affect the Palta's ride quality and composure, even on the rougher stuff - technical ups and downs included.

A three-day 200km ride taking in 5000m of vertical ascent through some of Catalunya's most challenging terrain would provide the ideal setting to test the Palta's mettle and ascertain whether it's got what it takes to capture the market as well as the hearts of the true gravel adventurers.

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Aaron Borrill

Aaron was the Tech Editor Cyclingnews between July 2019 and June 2022. He was born and raised in South Africa, where he completed his BA honours at the University of Cape Town before embarking on a career in journalism. Throughout this career, Aaron has spent almost two decades writing about bikes, cars, and anything else with wheels. Prior to joining the Cyclingnews team, his experience spanned a stint as Gear & Digital editor of Bicycling magazine, as well as a time at TopCar as Associate Editor. 

Now based in the UK's Surrey Hills, Aaron's life revolves around bikes. He's a competitive racer, Stravaholic, and Zwift enthusiast. He’s twice ridden the Cape Epic, completed the Haute Route Alps, and represented South Africa in the 2022 Zwift eSports World Championships.

Height: 175cm

Weight: 61.5kg

Rides: Cannondale SuperSlice Disc Di2 TT, Cannondale Supersix Evo Dura-Ace Rim, Cannondale Supersix Evo Ultegra Di2 Disc, Trek Procaliber 9.9 MTB