I hope all the Basso fans out there come out of hiding and give us more info on these bikes. I've owned three, bought an 84 Gap and an 86 Loto new. Still have the Loto, the Gap was traded for a Legnano pista. Missed the Gap so much I bought another off Ebay.
Why do you think your bike is a 77 or 78? Prior to late 81 these were very low production bikes and were most likely not available in the US. The Basso brothers opened their factory in 1981 so my guess would be that 82 or 83 would be the earliest to be seen here in the US. Pictures would be best for identifying the model but the Gap has a sloping fork crown with lugs internal to the fork blades Cinelli style. The Gap was built with SL tubing with an SP down tube. The name is in honor of Marino Basso's 1972 world champion victory at Gap France.
My 1984 had one set of bottle braze ons on the down tube, braze on lever bosses and top tube cable guides. The shifter cables were under the BB. The fork crown, drop out faces and chain stays were chrome. Alcide Basso had a strong dislike for chroming but was driven to it by the market.
I think these were great riding bikes but because they came out relatively late and were production bikes so they don't seem to have the collector interest of the classic Italian brands. That said I have had off list exchanges with or CR listers that like their Bassos.
Go to the CR main page click on Italy and you will find a Basso catalog with a brief history.
Norm Lafleur
Ashfield, Ma.
USA
> Hi List,
>
> I recently picked up a 1977 or 78 Basso bike I was hoping to find out some
> information on -
>
> I believe it is either a Gap or Arrencia model. It is a red metallic
> color
> - no chrome on the fork or stays, but there is a Basso decal on each stay.
> Forged Campagnolo dropouts on both the fork and frame - Columus tubing
> sticker on the downtube along with some other Basso identifiers - no braze
> on's on the seat downtube but some on the other downtube.
>
> Shifiting cables run over the BB - the BB is stamped 58 (assuming that's
> the
> frame size) but there is no other serial # identification.
>
> Anyhow - I love the bike and was just wondering if anyone knew much about
> Basso bikes or perhaps where they fall in the hierarchy of 70's Italian
> frames?
>
> I'd love to learn more about it.
>
> Thank you -
>
> Michael Shunk in Seattle, WA USA