Valencia81

Hi All

Just wish to gather some opinions here regarding a bike I am considering and compared to the alternative which is the CAAD10/12.
People familiar with Basso please help.
The bike in question is the Basso Reef 2013 version. The last of the lower end series from Basso to be made in Italy. Carbon fork AND seat stays. Basso supposedly have a good reputation in frames and being Italian and all that its all the more prestigious. Coupled with Veloce components, it just does feel a bit exclusive to me.
Now the competition is the Caad 10 which is newer and more updated, but alas not Italian. I know many supporters of Caad and Shimanos out there but i just like an objective view if this Basso is value for the money. Both bikes can be had for the same price range. The Basso being a few hundred cheaper because the Veloce is a 10s while the 105 an 11s. I'm riding recreationally so do not see the need for 11s.
The new caad 12 colour scheme looks sexy though.
Please help.

Lazyass

Get the Basso. You probably won't see another on the road and most importantly it has Campagnolo.

rpenmanparker 

My opinion is who in their right mind gives a crap about Italian just for Italian's sake.

That CF stays business never worked out very well no matter where the frame was made and has been relegated to the dust bin of cycling history. CAAD frames have been are among the best aluminum frames made for a long time, and the 12 is no exception. It raises the bar several notches. In that category (at least) they outclass anything Basso ever dreamed of building. Going for the Basso because it is Italian would be ridiculous.

redtires

Ridiculous? Ferrari, Maserati, Pagani, Alfa Romeo, Lamborghini, Lancia(but not the Beta).........most of them make no "sense" at all, and yet "everyone" would take one. The sport of cycling is not for those who make rational decisions.

Lazyass

I don't know where you came up with that. Though I dislike full carbon bikes, I actually owned a 7005 alu frame with carbon stays. A Motobecane, even. It was one of the smoothest riding bikes I've ever had and I regret selling it.

SSRI

It really depends on what your style and personality.
The Cannondale is a much more practical choice, if it is your first bike the 105 11s with a top notch proven Alu. frame is a no nonsense decision.

If you are into more unique/boutique ride, Basso is the way to go. The 105 11s are not that expensive, if the Veloce doesnt work out you can also change it up.

Last my the main deciding factor is which bike gives you a better fit.

Lazyass

And the more I look at the Basso the more I like it. Unlike the bike I had, the Basso main frame is triple butted and hydroformed. I'd be surprised if it was actually made in Italy, though.

Homebrew01

Can you test ride both ?? See which shifters you like better, and how the bikes ride.
I don't see much benefit to Shimano 11 speed in most cases, because almost all cassette offerings add an 11 tooth cog, instead of a more usable middle cog, such as an 18.

Valencia81

Thanks for the replies. I am checking with the LBS if it can be fitted with the 2015 Veloce grouppo. Also I suppose that you cant upgrade from a 10s Veloce gruppo to a 11s Shimano or 11s Campy. The hub and wheelset are different for both?
The Basso Reef is the last to be made in Italy. Now the higher range Laguna is made in Taiwan. So the Reef could be a good find at a reasonable price. That said I haven't seen many reviews for this which is why I've asked here. The CAAD is amazingly mainstream and everyone is talking about it. Everyone seems to idolise it. Too bad they don't come with Campy.

Lazyass

The Basso also has a threaded bottom bracket. Another plus.

Valencia81

Where did you get the info about the threaded bottom bracket and what does that mean?

bt

aprilia...

Jiggle

It means you won't ever have to read 10 page threads on why your bb30/pf30 is creaking and how to fix it by buying arcane loctite solutions and whispering oaths into a goat's horn.

Marcus_Ti

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart famously lamented that the failure of his music to gain any following in certain areas was because his name did not end in a vowel.

Homebrew01

I advise against buying a bike if you are already planning a major component switch. Get what you want at the start.

Consider your riding style and terrain to determine if 11 speed is of any benefit.
Where are you located ??
What is your ideal gearing ?

I briefly considered going to 11 speed, because i could get a 12-25 Campy cassette with an additional 18 tooth cog. But I have no need for an 11 where I live, so if all I could gain by going from 10 speed to 11 speed is an 11 tooth cog, then it's a big waste of money.

Some people ride down long mountain passes, and want a really big gear that they can get with an 11.
I have short steep hills, and do a lot of shifting in mid and lower gears when climbing, but my downhills are not long enough to benefit from an 11.

Stucky

Hmmmm....hard choice!

I'm of Eye-talian descent, and even have a friend whose last name is....Basso....

But that carbon stays business worries me. Seems like they're just perpetuating something that was never a very good idea, just because they are a small company, and likely adapted that design/changed their tooling when that design was "state of the art", and probably don't want to incur the expense of updating again....

On the other hand...it would be a plus to have a bike that one doesn't see on every corner. If it truly has a threaded BB, that'd be a big plus. Campagnolo (Although, from what I've been hearing, the new Campy isn't what Campy used to be)

But CAADs are awesome bikes, too....

I guess you should ignore this post, since I am being of no help here

Marcus_Ti

Campag wheels for 9/10spd are the same as 11spd wheels. Shimano wheels aren't.

Sure you can replace the group...but buy what you want to start with. Depending on where you live and whom you are buying from....a replacement group is going to be $500-1500+ in cost of parts, plus install on top of that. Which is better, buying a $1000 bike you then spend $1000+ in making what you want...or buying the $2200 bike that is what you want it to be from the start?

Valencia81

Thanks for the inputs. By no means am I planning to change components. I'm happy with Campy and don't see myself changing to a Shim. Good enough with a 10s too. Only saying that because this frame is a 2012-2013 model and most likely its stock gruppo would have been the 2012 version Veloce. I'm only checking if the LBS would let me have the 2015 Veloce and it would be pretty good. All in all technically I think is going well. But i wish the Basso colours were more badass though.

rpenmanparker 

You put Basso in that class? That is the point, not to buy something just because it is Italian, but to buy it because it merits it on its own characteristics. Ferrari vs. Chevy yes. Basso vs. Caad 12, um, not so much.

rpenmanparker 

Zackly.

rpenmanparker 

Look around you.

rpenmanparker 

OP folks are telling you the Basso wins because it is rare and the CAAD is not. Hmm. I wonder why that is.

Marcus_Ti

OTOH, there's several Ribble bikes available with Campag Veloce-Super Record...and I've never seen one of those around here...

rpenmanparker 

I dunno. I would have said that is on the same hand.

Marcus_Ti

All about what you call it.

The United Kingdom takes in 2 billion+ GBP in tourism dollars...mostly from Yanks going to see their private still lived in castles because of that ER logo. If the royalty went away and the UK became the United Republic of England Wales Scotland and Northern Ireland...what would happen? UREWSNI doesn't really have the same ring as UK.