I bought this Basso Gap frame and fork last year from a Basso bike shop, paying full retail asking price because it was such a stunningly beautiful frameset and because new vintage lugged Basso steel frames are so hard to find. This frame was prepped for me (bottom bracket threads chased and seat tube honed) and I put it away, safely stored in my garage until I could build it up.
I decided get the Basso out today to start the process of getting it ready to build up. It is just as beautiful as I remember it! This Basso still has the Basso inventory tag on it (warehouse date 4-8-94) and the paint still looks wet some thirteen plus years later.
I knew the frame was 2cm smaller than what I am now riding (I have been riding a 56cm Schwinn Paramount for over a year now and really like the larger frame), but what I didn't remember was the Basso head tube being 122mm. I have my 3T stem in the Paramount raised all the way to the minimum insertion line, but if I do the same to the Basso the handlebars will be 2cm lower than they are now on the Paramount (that head tube is also 2cm bigger than the Basso head tube) and that will be too low for me.
This Basso Gap measures 54cm from the center of the bottom bracket to the center of the top tube with a 54.5cm top tube. The seat tube angle is 73.5 degrees. The head tube measures 122mm and the uncut threaded steel steerer tube is 185mm long, with the top 55mm threaded. Rear spacing on the horizontal rear dropouts (no screws included) is 130mm.
This Basso Gap frame is painted in a rich and wet racing red and competition yellow paint scheme, with white decals outlined in black. The head tube and majority of the top tube and down tube are competition yellow, with a defined transition to racing red for the rest of the top tube and down tube and rear triangle. The matching 1" threaded steel fork has an engraved sloping crown and is painted racing red.
The frame has two sets of water bottle bosses, a braze-on derailleur tab, down tube shifter bosses, and the rear brake cable housing is routed at 7 o'clock on the top tube. The tubing is steel proprietary Basso Tube Concept Super Light steel tubing designed and manufactured especially for Basso. An Italian threaded Campagnolo bottom bracket spins in by hand, and all of the tubes have been treated with Boeshield T9 rust prevention spray.
$495 professionally packed, shipped, and insured to the lower 48 United States. Please e-mail me for many pics or any questions.
Thanks,
Frank Phillips
McAlester, OK