I also recently picked up an early '80's Basso frame off of eBay. I confirmed with Yellow Jersey that it is a Gap model. I checked with them because apparently they were the distributor of them for a while and there was a YJ sticker on the frame. S/N is 402070, from which I assume the first digit indicates the year of manufacture ('84). Columbus sticker, chrome fully-sloping crown, chrome chain stays, pencil-thin seat stays, under-bb cable routing, top tube cable guides, one set of bottle braze ons, Campy dropouts. I don't know how it rides yet. I'll know pretty soon.
Drew Ellison Everett, Washington USA
On Jan 22, 2009, at 11:37 AM, Michael Shunk wrote:
> 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