Basso has launched the Palta III gravel bike today, the third generation of its pacey gravel machine.
The Palta, which gets its name from the local Veneto dialect for "mud", was first launched back in 2018. We tested that bike and then the Palta II back in 2021, remarking at the time that the Palta II was fast, even against the best gravel bikes on the market.
Now, the brand has decided the time is right to roll out the third version of the bike; it's a bike still designed for speed, but it seems Basso has prioritised blending speed and off-road capability.
As usual, gravel bikes are open to interpretation, and it's always interesting to see where a brand is coming from with its latest offering. The last new gravel machine we covered was the very aggressive, some might say XC mtb with drop bars, Pinarello Grevil MX.
Basso has made a promising case for the Palta III, and there are some interesting design features to go over.
As usual, we have design features and specs, geo, pricing and other miscellaneous details to go over... including a Vibram sole.
The Palta is a well-established platform now, so what did Basso want to do for this latest generation?
Basso makes a point in its press material of stating that some gravel options on the market are forcing riders to choose between race performance and adventure-focused gravel bikes. The brand claims there is a blend of 'performance and versatility' on offer here.
The Palta III is a good-looking gravel bike, and Basso seems to be on the money with keeping the racey spirit of the Palta whilst letting riders tackle technical off-road terrain, exactly what this tech writer wants in a gravel bike.
There are several gravel bikes that achieve this on the market already, and we suspect many brands would also claim to do this. This blend will vary from rider to rider, however, and it seems that's what Basso is getting at, by allowing riders to 'define it for themselves', by providing a capable platform and allowing riders to tailor their component choices.
The Palta III frame uses a mix of Torayca carbon fibres, and the brand has reduced the weight so that a Medium frame weighs in at 970 grams.
There are some numbers claims to share, Basso claims the bike benefits from an 18% reduction in 'frontal aerodynamic impact area'. it doesn't go into detail here, but take it as the brand saying the front end is more aerodynamically efficient, or at least the frontal area is smaller. The brand does highlight the optimised and adjusted tube shapes that have been used to achieve this.
Stiffness has received a claimed increase in the bottom bracket and rear triangles by 19% and 12%, respectively, whilst headtube stiffness has been decreased by 15%, which at face value seems high, but it's claimed to aid vibration damping over rough terrain.
The frame has 52mm tyre clearance up front and 50mm at the rear, though stock bikes will come with 45mm Continental and Pirelli tyres. There's a UDH rear hanger and Fidlock downtube storage that looks similar to the Merida Mission.
Interestingly, the brand has specced Microtech Solid Oil headset bearings, said to triple the durability over standard options. Resistance to washout is a claimed benefit, which, in theory, is handy if bikes are subject to dust and mud regularly.
Unique to Basso is the 3B Clamp system, which is utilised at the seatpost. This uses anti-vibration tech to minimise the amount of buzz that reaches the rider. The bike also has a shorter seat tube, resulting in a larger amount of seatpost showing, which also claims to boost compliance for the rider.
Like the majority of gravel machines now, there is a range of mounting points. Riders will be able to fit bags to the top and underside of the top tube, and there are another pair of mounts on the underside of the downtube. The bike doesn't have mudguard mounts, but that may not be a deal breaker for a lot of gravel riders.
To reinforce their philosophy of tailoring the bike to the rider's needs, Basso is offering three handlebar options for the Palta III.
The 300 gram Fuga is an integrated carbon bar and stem, 370mm wide at the hoods, with a six-degree flare and widening to 400mm at the drops. 80-130mm stem sizes are available, and the bar has a 65mm reach.
The Levita is another integrated handlebar, but with width choices from 380-440mm sizes in 20mm increments and with a four-degree flare, producing widths from 400-460mm at the drops.
Finally, the Strato is a separate bar and stem combo for an easier-to-live-with setup. Comprised of an alloy stem and carbon handlebar. It has a recessed section that Basso says allows the use of 4.5mm thick bar tape without sacrificing aesthetics. This bar will be available in 400-480mm sizes with a 12-degree flare.
Basso offers six sizes, and claims a high stack and sloping toptube aid this. Stack and Reach numbers for a Medium bike are 570 and 373m,m respectively.
One detail that caught our eye is the new Vibram rubber downtube protector the bike has been fitted with. This neat-looking protector is there to protect the frame and 'soak up energy from impacts'.
The Palta III will be available in three colourways: Purple Dust, Carbon Chrome and Galaxy Dream.
Riders will be able to choose their cockpit, seatpost setback, groupset and wheels. The frame is also a mechanical and electronic groupset compatible. All bikes are also backed by a five-year Basso warranty.
The Palta III will be available as a frameset, or in a choice of five builds, a mix of SRAM Red and Force XPLR options, and Shimano GRX 1X and 2X 820 options and a 2x12 GRX 825 model.
Top spec bikes will come with Zipp 303 XPLR wheels; everything else will have Microtech and Fulcrum rims.
Prices will start at €3,299 / $4,795 for a frame kit, which includes headset, seatpost and Strato handlebar.
Builds begin at €4,299 / $5,995 for a GRX 820 1X12 build, and rise to €8,499 / $10.995 for the range-topping Red AXS XPLR bike.
Just three gravel builds will be available for the UK market.
SRAM Force XPLR AXS / Miche Graff Aero 48 Wheelset - £5399
Shimano GRX Di2 1x12 / Miche Graff Aero 48 Wheelset - £4699
Shimano GRX 1x12 / Miche Graff XL Wheelset - £3999
