This bike has seen very little use and is in perfect condition.
Can a racing bicycle be versatile and performing at the same time? Can it be the expression of a lifestyle, capable of enhancing it in any situation?
Astra is developed around people’s lives to make it suitable for various occasions, even very different from each other.
Its features are designed with a very specific purpose: to amplify the lifestyle of those who get on the saddle, whatever their definition of cyclist.
Some bikes can be customized, Astra was created to be one.
Training in the dark to be ready to shine
Changing clothes when is already dark outside. The suit fits like a second skin, thin and elastic. Shivering in the cold air, the bike light illuminates the asphalt. Kilometer after kilometer, the fatigue clears thoughts, and mental tiredness vanishes. Constancy and dedication.
In two weeks there is the race, an amateur circuit. You win a medal from some unknown alloy and a basket of typical local products. But for a competitive mind, any challenge is a matter of life or death.
So I pedal in the dark, in the rain, even when the cozy warmth of the sofa calls me with a bewitching voice. I push on the pedals as long as I have the strength, trying each time to stop a little further, to move the limit of my tiredness.
Because riding makes me feel alive.
To discover new beauty, and share it
The moment to be myself, together with the people I share this passion with. With the whistle of the wind in my ears, my muscles tense, my gaze glued to the road. My friends pedal next to me. We look like a colorful flock of migratory birds flying close to the ground.
Each weekend, a different area to explore. Routes that cross cities, villages, parks, and become an opportunity to discover the beauties of the area and to savor local flavors. I wanted a bike suitable for this, but also comfortable and practical for going out in the city. A beautiful, Italian bicycle, still made with craftsmanship.
Because riding makes me feel like myself, and it’s also a matter of style.
Restless symbiosis
An urban nomad, someone would say about my constant need to move, to explore, to get lost. My bike is an extension of the body to amplify the adventures I want to experience. This is why I made it as versatile as possible, ready to transport everything needed to cross Europe from Venice to Amsterdam. I made her less racy but more reliable on bad roads, even when I stress her on rough terrain and she patiently takes all the hits.
When I need inspiration, I pedal leaving behind buildings and asphalt, eager to immerse myself in the sounds of nature at least for a while. I pedal until fatigue rearranges my thoughts. Only then I reverse the direction. I stop at a car wash to get the mud off the frame and we are both vaguely presentable for a stop in the city center, for a glass of wine and two “cicheti” before returning home.
I ride because it makes me feel free.
Versatility and completeness
Astra maintains its vocation for road cycling, but the attention to detail has made it less nervous and more comfortable. Light but without pushing the carbon of the frame to the extreme (which weighs about 980 g), it adopts Basso’s high-profile technological solutions.
The 35 mm tire clearance allows you to mount wider tires and venture beyond the tarmac on light dirt roads. The integrated cables with Paradigma technology and the All Road handlebar by Microtech increase safety and comfort, while maintaining clean aesthetics.
Geometry
Astra’s geometry is the most Basso of all, derived from the steel models. A platform improved year after year, preserving the racing DNA but making it transversal and able to adapt to those who are not an athlete who ride bikes every day. An evergreen consistent with its past, but capable of perfecting itself from model to model becoming more versatile.
3B Clamp system Gen 2
A totally hidden fixing solution that is invisible on the frame, intertwining technological and aesthetic innovation.
The result is a lightweight, invisible and strong integrated system with three screws, which has been further implemented through the vulcanization of the steel plank. This Basso solution gives the 3B system an anti-vibration function, which improves the riding experience by elevating comfort on uneven and bumpy surfaces.