Basso Reshapes All-New, Made-in-Italy Palta 3 Carbon Gravel Bike for Bigger Adventures

"The new Palta sits firmly in the middle, and I think that's a good thing. It offers a light carbon frameset with enough aero influence to go really fast, quick-handling geometry that's still plenty capable on the roughest gravel tracks, ample tire clearance to get far off the beaten track, and enough carrying capacity to handle almost any bikepacking trip you can imagine. So maybe don't feel like you have to have a different gravel bike for every different type of gravel riding."

"This new Palta 3 is Basso's third generation of the Italian bikemaker's dedicated gravel platform - named for the 'mud' it always ends up covered in the local Veneto dialect in northern Italy, where Basso uniquely still molds their carbon frames and forks. I rode the first Palta in 2018 that still retained a much more road-adapted fit, then the Palta II in 2021, which increased tire clearance significantly and provided a more upright fit."

"The biggest improvements in gen 3 vs. gen 2 come in speed, comfort & control. The new bike reduces aero drag by a claimed 18% due to reduced frontal area, even though it doesn't look all that aero. A lot of the seems to come from sleeker fork legs, a more refined downtube shape and optimized stays out back. At the same time, the new Palta 3 increases BB stiffness by 19% and rear end stiffness by 12% to improve power transfer."

Basso's Palta 3 targets a middle ground between gravel racing and adventure riding by combining light carbon construction, aerodynamic refinements, and robust off-road capability. The frame and fork are molded in Veneto, Italy, and the platform marks the third generation after 2018 and 2021 updates. The Palta 3 increases tire clearance, refines geometry for fast everyday riding and racing, enhances rider comfort, and expands carrying capacity for bikepacking. Aerodynamic optimizations claim an 18% drag reduction, while BB stiffness rises 19% and rear-end stiffness rises 12% to boost power transfer; headtube stiffness is reduced for improved control.

Read at Bikerumor