Bike at Bedtime: Basso Diamante SV

The Diamante SV has speed as its main aim, but Basso has also ditched rim brakes in favour of disc-only, added compliance into the frame and eased the geometry for a slightly more relaxed riding position in its 2020 redesign.

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With its new OpenFlow fork design, Basso has opened up the space around the rim and tyre for increased airflow with less hindrance to cut drag.

> Video: 2021 Basso Diamante SV Disc first ride

Even the paint on the Diamante has been aero optimised. “Thanks to the 3D structure of the ceramic nano particles the paintwork becomes less porous and more compact, making the resulting surface more uniform and less prone to drag.”

By widening the gap at the front fork, the frame is compatible with tyres up to a whopping 32mm wide. This, Basso claims, helps to make the Diamante faster on a wider range of surfaces, or the very least, the often rough reality of tarmac roads: “Specific speed or rather speed that can be applied only on certain, perfect terrain is useful…versatile speed, however, is paramount."

Road vibrations are also absorbed by the 3B seatpost clamp system that uses a rubber gusset surrounding the seat post.

The OpenFlow fork has been designed to be vertically compliant, yet horizontally rigid. “This simply means that the while there is some shock absorption within the carbon lay-up of the fork, it’s completely rigid and reliable when you’re out of the saddle and sprinting,” claims Basso.

Now let’s take a look at the Diamante DV’s clean front end. The integrated head tube/top tube has all the cables hidden: “The seamless connection between bar, stem and frame, with each being optimised aerodynamically as a cohesive unit makes for aerodynamic form and performance design,” says Basso.

The stem uses what Basso calls it's Super Safe Clamping System, which it claims offers “increased clamping surface for better rigidity”.

Basso has helpfully made it possible to make positional changes without disconnecting the brakes by using interlocking semi-circle spacers. These also feature an ‘Internal Blocking System’ to stop the cables from being pinched.

Geometry wise, it has a taller head tube and shorter reach. Now don’t get worried, this is still a slammed position, it’s just that the Diamante was super aggressive before; even more so than the Cervelo S5 and the Specialized Venge, as Jack found when he reviewed the previous model.

The Diamante SV Disc comes in at £6,699 for a Campagnolo Record 12x build, with Campagnolo also supplying the Shamal Carbon DB 2-Way Fit wrapped in Schwalbe’s 28mm wide One Performance TLE tyres.

www.bassobikes.com