Basso’s Palta has built its name on being race-ready, while being up for the odd gravel adventure. Now in its third version, the Basso Palta III continues the versatile theme but introduces more aero shapes, sheds some weight and refines its stiffness characteristics. The result is a mega-efficient gravel machine that can be loaded with luggage… but should it be?
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Aesthetically, there’s not all that much that sets the Palta III apart from its predecessors. Rather, its tweaks are more refinements to the formula. Now, the Torayca Carbon frame receives diamond-shaped tubes in a bid to shave off excess grams while remaining stiff. Basso goes on to say that the diamond shape means that carbon is only added where structurally necessary. On a size medium, Basso reckons that the frame alone weighs 970g.
Moving to the downtube specifically, it’s also a more diamond shape, but the brand says that it’s been “aerodynamically optimised”. It makes sense, too, as the forwardmost facing edge has been narrowed while there have been further efforts to get rid of weight and maintain stiffness.
Towards the rear of the bike, the Palta III uses a similar elbow design as the previous model, which we’re told adds vertical flex to the frame but without sacrificing torsional stiffness. There’s also a high but long seat stay that’s also in that triangular diamond shape. Again, its length and height have been chosen to promote compliance, without throwing lateral stiffness out of the window.
The fork has even seen a bit of a change, with a slightly new shape. That, added with the diamond shape downtube, apparently results in an 18% reduction in drag, or “frontal aerodynamic impact”, Basso says. Additionally, all of the tube sections employ an airfoil tube design to improve aerodynamic efficiency.
A balance of stiffness and compliance is a big story behind the Palta III as Basso has tweaked the carbon layup to boost pedalling efficiency. Special attention has been paid to the bottom bracket and rear triangle, while the headtube has been made to be more compliant, to improve steering performance and vibration damping at the front of the bike.
I’ve spoken a lot about stiffness here, but Basso has added some features in an attempt to bring welcome compliance to the Palta III. There’s a revised version of the brand’s 3B vibration-absorbing seat post clamp, and the bike can fit a 50mm tyre at the rear and a 52mm tyre at the front. It’s a modern choice that allows for lower pressures, more traction and more comfort.
Elsewhere, the bike gets a lot more bikepacking-ey. There’s Fidlock-closed storage on the downtube, and the three mounts under the top tube are complemented by two new mounting points on top of the top tube. Basso has also thrown on a couple of mounts on the underside of the downtube, just in front of the bottom bracket. Those mounts are then surrounded by a Vibram downtube protector.
As for the geometry, the large bike I rode features a 385mm reach, a 590mm stack, a 71 degree head tube and a 73.5 degree seat tube angle. The wheelbase measures in at 1035, and the top tube is 560mm in length.
Basso Palta III – Componentry
The test bike I was given deviates a little from what’s available in the UK. I rode it with SRAM’s Red XPLR drivetrain, Zipp’s 303 XPLR SW wheels, and Basso’s Fuga integrated handlebar. There was also a set of Pirelli’s Cinturato M tyres with 45mm widths.
While this bike is not available in the UK, SRAM Force XPLR AXS, Shimano Di2 and GRX-equipped models are available with prices starting at £3,999 and going up to £5,399.
Basso Palta III – Ride impressions
With the Palta III, Basso has aimed to build a racy gravel bike that can also cover the needs of those who like the odd bikepacking adventure. That’s mostly clear in the slew of luggage and rack mounts dotted around the frame; however, in its ride, the Palta III does little to progress from Basso’s racy roots, as it’s rammed full of aero, stiffening and well… race-focused features.
Admittedly, I wasn’t graced with the finest of riding conditions. I spent most of my brief time with the bike trying my very best to keep the 30mph crosswinds from taking the deep-section wheels from underneath me, so I was riding conservatively, to say the least. However, during the few breaks in the wind, the Palta III ignited, making its racy intentions starkly known.
Over smooth, mildly manicured gravel, the Palta 3 came to life, where it transfers every ounce of power to the rear wheel. Then, when up to speed (and quite some speed, I’ll add), it’s an absolute breeze to ride fast. In fact, it’s a bike that’s most at home at its impressively high cruising speed. When the gravel’s smooth, it glides.
Right in line with its racy nature, stiffness is the name of the Palta III’s game, as evidenced by the new range of tube shapes the bike employs. Under heavy pedalling loads, there’s minimal torsional flex around the bottom bracket and through the stays. With that, the bike accelerates effortlessly and is incredibly communicative. Even the one-piece bar-and-stem combo shows little sign of compliance.
That is almost to a fault, however. Although Basso has added the odd bend in a tube, lengthy seat stays and the fancy second-generation 3B seat post clamp in pursuit of compliance, the Palta III relies more on its higher volume tyres for comfort than it does on flexy frame features. Therein lies the bike’s mild identity crisis, as it makes for a top race bike, but it’s not one I’d like to spend bikepacking weekends aboard.
While the larger tyres certainly add a level of cushioning (and an impressive level of grip) to the Palta III, the frame itself doesn’t do much to damp vibrations. Over smooth gravel, this is absolutely no bother, but in the UK, not much of the gravel is smooth. With that, I wouldn’t say that the bike is harsh, thanks to its cushy tyres, but a little more compliance through the bar and rear triangle would make for a more comfortable and confident ride.
But all of that rigidity results in heaps of response. Both in its ruthless efficiency and in how it handles. When leaning through sweeping corners, the fat tyres make the bike corner as if it’s on rails. Then, the head tube angle and shorter front centre provide a telepathic feel when dodging potholes. Cornering the bike simply doesn’t require any thought. Simply look where you’re going, and it’ll get you there.
Owing in part to the lengthy stem, my test bike was equipped with, its overall stiffness and its racy shape, the Palta 3 isn’t exactly a distinguished descender. On smoother surfaces, sure, it gets the job done, but when the track steepens and gets even mildly more technical, the front end becomes nervous simply because there’s so much weight loaded through it, as a result of its low bar and lengthy stem. Additionally, the bike’s tendency to transmit a heft of feedback becomes distracting, diminishing confidence and blurring vision, to a point. Even dipping the front wheel into potholes felt like a gamble. However, a shorter stem length would do something fix this, and thankfully, your desired stem can be chosen upon checkout.
Basso Palta 3 – Early verdict
The Basso Palta III is proof that the adventure/race line is tough to straddle. With its stiffness comes excellent efficiency, and its aero features help it hold high speeds without requiring all that much effort. So without a doubt, it’s a fast bike that’s most at home at speed over flatter terrain. But, with all of that stiffness, its aero shapes and low bar, the Palta III lacks the overall comfort and forgiving nature of purpose-built bikepacking machines.
I can’t help but think that Basso has designed a race bike first, then has thrown a load of luggage mounts at it, which, really, is no bad thing. But it’s for that exact kind of rider, one who prioritises all-out speed and efficiency and should be riding a race bike, but one who might want to open up the opportunity for longer, unsupported rides every once in a while, but with some compromises.
