Basso info

[bikenut2010]

Hi I’ve just taken delivery of this Basso frame, it has a top tube which is crimped on one side for the rear brake cable. Is anyone familiar with this model?

You can see from the photo the left-hand downtube shifter as got bent in transit…It looks pretty fragile, any recommendations on how to straighten it?…

Not pictured is a bottle cage boat sized hole drilled in the rear of the seat tube, any idea what this would’ve been for?

Many thanks,

Chris

 

[Old Ned]

I remember that idea of grooving the top tube so that a cable would 'clip' in. Don't think it was very succesful as cable outers tend to vary a bit in diameter. The ones I remember were generally orientated so that the cable ran along the top of the tube. At least the 'eyelets' brazed on yours would help to keep it in position.

The bent lever is a shame. With those cutouts it has been weakened. You could try bending it back VERY carefully - or trace the design, get a new lever and cut the design out with a piercing saw and fine files.

 

[Midlife]

Picture of the hole in the seat tube?

 

[bikenut2010]

Re: hole

Here we go

 

[Old Ned]

That's a bit strange - but I'll put forward a theory. A previous owner wanted to fit mudguards onto a close clearance frame so had a bottle boss screw fitted into the back of the seat tube to screw the bottom end of a cut down mudguard into. Plausible?

 

[Midlife]

That's all I could think of too. Certainly not a CO2 holder lol

 

[bikenut2010]

Re:

That’s what I thought too funnily enough!

 

[Nob]

For the lever you could try heat then bend it then let the lever normalize in air

 

[bikenut2010]

Re:

I was going to put it in a vice Where the bend is and use a heat gun and give it a little pressure

 

[pigman]

Re:

The hole could also be there if there was a top-pull front mech and a wheel was used to reverse the cable direction as it ran up the seat tube. Unusual I know, but the original owner may have decided to bodge-work existing parts he had