Modern Adventure Pro Cycling have signed Australian national champion Patrick Eddy; whilst EF Education-EasyPost have signed Nicolas Milesi, a major rider that has raced for Netcompany INEOS' development team. The American ProTeam recently signed Jonas Rutsch of Lotto-Intermarch, and have confirme...

Basso Bikes is not, as you might reasonably think, owned by Ivan Basso (who has his own Aurum bike brand with Alberto Contador); rather, it was started by engineer and cyclist Alcide Basso in Italy in 1977. Today, the brand offers a compact range of Italian-made road, gravel and electric bikes.The Balta III was quick uphill (Image credit: Andy Jones)The Palta II is its premium gravel bike, available in the UK with Campagnolo Record X, Shimano GRX or GRX Di2 and the SRAM Force XPLR AXS-equipped version that I had on test.Having just enjoyed a month or two riding Handslings A1R0evoG gravel bike with similar spec, I was looking forward to seeing how the Italian bike compared on my home terrain of the Peak District.There can be no doubting the brand's heritage (Image credit: Andy Jones)Design detailsThe Palta III (not to be confused with the cheaper Palta) is a nice-looking bike. With deep carbon wheels, full-height seatstays, one-piece handlebar and classy-looking paint job, it looks fast even when just leaning against a wall.At first glance, the carbon frame looks fairly standard, but on closer inspection, some angular, even triangular, shapes are evident; Basso calls them diamond-shaped. The seat tube and down tube both have slightly cut-out sections for the wheels, similar to the original Cervelo Aspero, and the top tube widens and flattens towards the head tube. The fork's forward-hunched stance also adds to the Paltas aggressive aesthetic.The Palta IIIs frame borrows tech and design from Bassos road bikes, with a reduced frontal area for less drag and increased torsional stiffness around the bottom bracket for better power transfer. The frame isnt only fast, though; Basso says a size medium weighs just 970g.The storage was very well executed and rattle-free (Image credit: Andy Jones)The in-frame storage is one of the neatest and most integrated Ive seen, with a subtle Fidlock magnetic latch fastening the hatch over the internal compartment. If you need to carry more luggage, it has top-tube mounts, down-tube mounts, and even three mounts on the underside of the top tube. It has no fork mounts, but the frame has the most OTT down-tube protector Ive ever seen: a chunky rubber number made by Vibram, the walking-boot-sole manufacturer.Proper down tube protection by Vibram (Image credit: Andy Jones)Tyre clearance is a healthy but not class-leading 50mm, and there is potential to mount a front derailleur, although there are no 2x models available in the UK. Sizes run from XS to XXL with three colour options: Purple Dust, Galaxy Dream and Carbon Chrome, or beige, green and black to you and me. SRAM Force XPLR 1x groupset and a UDH-compatible frame (Image credit: Andy Jones)SpecificationsBolted onto and into the carbon frame is an array of rather nice components, all very much in keeping with the Palta IIIs rapid character. Ive used SRAMs dedicated gravel 1x Force XPLR groupset on a few bikes, and it never fails to impress. The levers are fantastically ergonomic, and with 13 sprockets on the wide 10-46T cassette, the jumps arent too bad, especially lower down the range. The frame is UDH-compatible.At just over 1,500g and under 50mm deep, Miches Graff Aero 48 wheels looked the business and promised drag reduction if I ever reached the necessary speed. Talking of which, the Schwalbe G-One R TLR tyres were also aimed at dry trail speed rather than grip in mud. I had no issues with the hookless rims and these tyres, but I have previously had problems with hookless rims at low pressures, so I was a bit wary of them.Basso offers two handlebar options: a two-piece setup or a one-piece aero design. The test bike had the latter, in an incredibly narrow width 37cm centre-to-centre and 33cm at the hoods, with not much flare at the drops and a stem 110mm long. This is a standard size, but you could perhaps switch it at the point of purchase.These might be the narrowest bars I've use on any type of bike (Image credit: Andy Jones)Comfort comes in the form of an interesting seatpost clamp design, which includes a vulcanised rubber piece down the back of the seatpost as part of the clamp called the '3B Clamp System Gen II'. I was less impressed, though, to see that the two seatpost clamp bolts are tiny 3mm hex bolts and sit right in the line of fire from mud spray from the back wheel. Good luck not rounding those off when they are full of dirt a strip of gaffer tape over them would be my first modification if it were mine.The clamp system house the rubber compliance device, but the 3mm bolts quickly got full of mud (Image credit: Andy Jones)The seatpost has a unique shape, deeply concave at the rear (where the 3B Clamp System fits) and round at the front. Basso says that the stack has been raised and the reach reduced from the previous iteration, and the geometry figures seem to back this up. The 370mm reach and 570mm stack on the size medium are certainly at the shorter/higher end of the scale compared with many gravel bikes, especially speed-orientated ones. The back end is also a bit longer than the norm at 430mm, and the head tube is on the slack side for a gravel bike at 70.The Palta III felt stiff on rougher trails (Image credit: Andy Jones)PerformanceGiven the Palta IIIs set-up and spec, it was handy that my tenure coincided with such a warm, dry summer - the Schwalbe G-One R tyres might not have been so happy in autumn slop - and I enjoyed lots of fast, dusty miles on the bike.My first thought about the bike was its speed, followed pretty quickly by its stiffness. Coming straight from the super-comfy Handsling A1R0evoG, the Bassos rigidity stood out. This was more apparent at the front end than the rear, probably not helped by the narrow one-piece bars. Smooth trails were fine, but as the stones got larger, above kiwi fruit-sized perhaps, the ride became less comfortable.A lot of my gravel riding involves plenty of roots, rocks and other trail obstacles arguably better suited to a mountain bike, and here the Basso did struggle to provide as much compliance as I would have liked. I think this comes down to a few things: the 45mm Schwalbe tyres actually only measured 43mm, narrower bars naturally offer less flex than wider ones, and the frame/fork are tuned more for speed than comfort. Even with the tyres running at rim-threatening pressures, many impacts were transmitted through the bike to me.The 3B Clamp System and long seatpost do work to an extent, but only when seated, and of course rough terrain and techy descents are often tackled standing up. Interestingly, the test bike was a size Medium, whereas i would usually expect to be a size Large/56. This meant that the stack and bar height was actually pretty good for me (whereas a Large would be too high), but the reach did feel a bit short even with the 110mm stem. This is neither good nor bad, but it is worth being aware that the Palta III does fit slightly differently to some other gravel race bikes.After 400km+ on the bike, I enjoyed the speed and responsiveness, but I was never tempted to load it up and head off on a multi-day adventure. Instead, it was better suited to shorter bursts, where its directness was acceptable and its stiffness a benefit, especially when climbing. It would have been interesting to try it with some bigger tyres to see how much compliance they added, but I had nothing suitable available.The Basso is responsive out of the saddle (Image credit: Andy Jones)ValueWith the Palta III overlapping with the Handsling A1R0evoG in my garage, and both bikes aimed more at speed than adventure, they made for an interesting comparison.The long, low Handsling blended pace and compliance well, whereas the Basso leaned more toward outright stiffness despite its more upright fit. With both bikes retailing for around 6,000 in similar spec and weighing just over 8kg, the choice comes down to sizing and ride characteristics. The price spread for Force XPLR-equipped bikes is wide: the Canyon Grail is 4,799/$5,000, while the Cervelo Aspero-5 is 7,000/$9,000, putting the Italian-made Basso in the mid-pack.Despite the multiple luggage mounts and Bassos talk of versatility, the Palta III isn't a bike for long-distance epics carrying all your worldly goods. The ride is too stiff and speed-orientated (and there is barely any room between the hoods for a bar bag). It's better suited to short, fast outings, where you can relish the unfiltered ride.It is a lovely-looking bike with good components and a brilliant groupset, and a great history behind the brand. If the geometry suits you and you want an outright speed machine, this might be it.Tech specPrice: 5,999/$6,995Brand: BassoFrame: Palta III carbonFork: Palta III carbonSizes: XS, S, M, L, XL, XXLWeight: 8.44kg (actual, medium)Groupset: SRAM Force XPLR AXS E1 13-speedCrankset: SRAM Force XPLR AXS 40T, 170mmCassette: SRAM Force XPLR 13-speed 10-46TWheels: Miche Graff Aero 48 TubelessTyres: Schwalbe G-One R TLR Folding 700x45cBrakes: SRAM Force AXS hydraulicBar/stem: Fuga Carbon integrated 370mm/110mmSeatpost: Basso 15mm laybackSaddle: Prologo Dimension RS

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Making its debut at this year's MADE bike show, the Trash Panda ATTB is a dual-wheel-size, cargo-ready machine with an integrated headtube rack. It was one of the standout bikes of 2026 and is now available for pre-orderThe post The Trash Panda ATTB Is Available for Pre-Order appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

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This weeks Debrief features two fresh gravel forks, a handful of low-budget/DIY guides, your ideal bike GPS, Calvin Jones on bike co-ops, a vintage Trek rebuild, new bikepacking bags from Gramm and Atwater Atelier, ultralight down mittens, a job at Tumbleweed, four events to follow live, and more. Find it all hereThe post Friday Debrief: Low-Budget Guides, New Garmins, Fresh Gravel Forks, Down Mittens, Candy Bags, and More appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

As ebikes infiltrate the cycling world, were seeing motors and batteries added to all styles of bicycle, and it does beg the question: would it really hurt to offer pedal assist on any type of bike? Inspired by the success of their non-assisted Sauce single-speed MTB, Priority Bicycles went ahead and added a motor to create the new E-Sauce.Yes, its a single-speed e-bike, designed for urban and light trail riding. Its driven by a Gates belt drive system, and with the ability to host front and rear racks, it can haul plenty of cargo. As the nearest thing Ive yet seen to an e-klunker, it does offer a lot of versatility despite its simplicity.We have had great success with our e-Coast beach cruiser line and wanted to bring something more versatile to our electric lineup, said Connor Swegle, co-founder of Priority Bicycles. The E-Sauce is that perfect mix of performance and ruggedness for any surface, with simplicity and low-maintenance aspects that make a Priority bicycle easy to take on a quick spin around the city.Priority E-Sauce Key Specs and Features:The E-Sauce features a 6061 aluminum hardtail frame, with a 100mm SR Suntour XCM 32 front suspension fork. The bike rolls along on 27.5 wheels featuring double-walled alloy rims and 2.4 WTB Intersector multisurface tires.Priority equips all their bikes with Gates carbon belt drive, a low-maintenance system with a long-lasting drive belt that requires no lubrication. The single-speed E-Sauce comes with a 55t front sprocket and a 20t rear cog. All-weather stopping power is ensured by 2-piston hydraulic disc brakes on 180mm rotors.Keeping things fun and your riding position comfortable is an 80mm rise, 740mm wide BMX-style handlebar, bolted to a 50mm stem. One nice touch included on the E-Sauce is a sealed bearing headset.A Selle Royal Essenza saddle offers comfort without bulk, and Priority includes a set of composite pedals with chromoly spindles. The E-Sauce also comes with a frame-mounted rear kickstand.For nighttime riding, the bike includes a front headlight mounted to the handlebar and a rear light built into the seatpost.The E-Sauce is the first Priority bike to include their new Headway cargo mount. The mount allows you to bolt a front cargo rack directly to the bikes head tube. If you dont have a rack attached, a Priority head tube badge covers the mount neatly. This frame-mounted design keeps the weight of the cargo from affecting your steering. Prioritys Headway Front Cargo Rack (sold separately) can carry up to 55 lbs.Out back, the E-Sauce frame offers mounts for standard pannier racks as well, providing more options for hauling cargo or attaching child seats. There is one water bottle mount on top of the bikes down tube.The E-Sauce weighs 59 lbs complete. Its max capacity is 300 lbs (rider, bike, and cargo). Frames are available in two sizes S/M or M/L. These sizes should accommodate riders from 54 to 62.Drive System:Powering the E-Sauce is a 750W rear hub motor, with five assist levels and a throttle mode. This is the most powerful motor Priority stocks on any of their bikes. It uses both torque and cadence sensors to ensure smooth, natural-feeling power delivery.The E-Sauce ships out in a Class 2 configuration, assisting up to 20mph, but it can be adjusted to assist up to Class 3/28mph with pedal assist only The throttle stops assisting at 20 mph to keep the bike from exceeding many state and local regulations. Priority recommends checking your local laws to ensure compliance.Providing the juice for the E-Sauce is a 720Wh battery integrated into the down tube. The bikes range is listed at anywhere from 20-60 miles depending on terrain, assist level, rider weight, etc. The battery is easily removable from the frame and can be charged in or off the bike. A key locks the battery into the bike, and the push of a button releases it when unlocked. A full battery charge takes about 4 hours.A display unit sits on the left side of the handlebar. Its backlit display shows your assist level, speedometer, tripometer, and odometer, powers the bike on/off, plus controls the lights and activates walk mode. The twist-grip throttle is integrated into the right grip.*Images c. Priority BicyclesMSRP for the E-Sauce is $2199. It comes in the colorway shown above and is available now through Prioritys website.prioritybicycles.com

To put it crudely, it takes balls to be the Classic Cycle Old Crap Test Pilot:Good thing I have a pair of test-cycles, though admittedly one of them is pretty small:While I havent had the Pashley Moulton (which, going forward, I shall refer to as the PashMo) for long, Ive already started to accessorize:The rear wheel has a bolt-on axle, hence the wrench. Obviously adjustable wrenches are not the best for axle bolts, but when there are multiple bolts of multiple sizes on a bike its more convenient than carrying multiple wrenches, and certainly better than no wrench at all. This was the shortest wrench I could find, and it has a rather impressive span for its diminutive size:Whether such a short wrench even has enough leverage to remove a tight bolt remains to be seen, but I suppose I could always remove the seatpost and slip it over the handle, and with my pair of oddly-sized test-cycles and my stubby tool I feel ready to conquer the world.In fact, the sagacity of my purchase made itself almost immediately apparent, for the other day a commenter commented thusly:I had a TSR 30, it was wonderful until it tried to kill me when the bolt holding the swing arm to the bottom bracket failed.Now, a smart person would have immediately checked the bolt on his own PashMo. However, while I may have test-cycles of steel (well, technically one is aluminum), I am not smart. But at least when I noticed a little play in the bike after dismounting it this week I thought back to that comment and made an inspection:Indeed, the bolt was loose:Really looselike, this-nut-was-about-to-fall-off loose:Now I know to keep an eye on it, and with an Allen key and an adjustable wrench in my Bananasack I have everything I need to snug it up should I notice that its come loose during a ride. And yes, one could log this incident as yet more proof that Paul of Classic Cycle is trying to kill me, but the real lesson is that a test pilot should always perform a thorough pre-flight inspection of his craft before any mission, especially when his mission involves piloting Old Carp. Instead I checked absolutely nothing. Fortunately, this was a benign reminder to establish and follow a proper safety protocol.Speaking of commenters, another one shared this:It reminded me in an ironic way of Rob Halford, who of course used to ride a motorcycle onstage:Though he should have probably switched to a Moulton at some point, because as you get older those big bikes can get pretty hard to handle:In fact it appears he was falling off of them as early as 1991:And yes, you can ride a bicycle instead of a motorcycle onstage and maintain hard rock credibility. Just ask this guy: View this post on Instagram Axl Rose was an alt cyclist before such a thing ever existed, and that could very easily be a photo of Ultraromance.Moving on, Im no closer to declaring a winner in the Meh-Roica Bike Pageant:Brought to you by Dumonde Tech, the single malt Scotch of viscous fluids:But I do promise to milk it for as long as possibleand beyond!This is certainly a fine specimen:Web address on inside of non-drive chainstay, peak late nineties.DA 10s from my first road bike, a CAAD I wish I still had.Venerable ultegra to open pro wheels built myself, but kysriums would fit the assignment better (and came with the CAAD)1 with King gripnut, upside down so everyone knows Im cool.NOS Paramount unicrown fork with splatter paint.The carbon Arundel cages to me are what I remember being the hottest accessory at the timeAbsolutely, a URL on a bicycle frame is extremely Meh-roica, and worth at least 1,000 points. For all you young people, you might be wondering why companies used to do this. Well, the answer is that in the early days of the World Wide Webular Internets you needed to type in the whole URL and get it exactly right in order to visit a website. Sure, it wasnt very long at all before you could just type the companys name into a search engine such as Ask Jeeves or Dogpile instead, thus rendering the practice of expressing the entire URL in a decal completely pointless, but the practice persisted for longer than necessary. As a result, a URL on a bike went from making the company seem tech-forward (Look, we have a website!) to making them seem completely ass-backwards (Hey gramps, heres how you visit our website, we know using G**gle is hard) almost overnight. But fortunately today it is one of the easiest and best ways to identify a Meh-roica bicycle.Something that also disappeared during the Meh-roica era was the ability to walk into a bicycle shop and purchase a bicycle that came with Campagnolo components:What a time to be alive.But how do I find this Bianchi company on the Internet?!?, youd have asked the salesperson at the time.And finally, Im not sure what to do with two-bike submissions, such as this one. Heres the first:And heres the second:Theres certainly nothing meh about a Colnago C-40:I probably should have made a rule that if you submit two bikes your entry will be based on the lesser of the pair, but its too late for that now, and I guess Ill have to allow it.Also, Im not sure what Id do if someone took a new frame like this and put it together to be Meh-roica compliant:I wonder what Id do with a frame like that:I suppose I can only daydream