Basso Palta 3 Review: An Italian Gravel Bike With Onboard Storage

Introduction

The Basso Palta 3 is the Italian brand’s newest gravel platform, launched earlier this year, and it sets out to cover a lot of ground at once. It pairs a carbon frame with an integrated cockpit, an integrated seat post, 50 mm tire clearance and a storage compartment built into the frame. It is also made in Italy rather than in Asia, which is increasingly unusual for a complete gravel bike that can be had for less than £5,000.

The build we looked at sits at the top of the range, with custom wheels and an upgraded groupset, but the same frame and the same core design carry across the cheaper options.

Who the Basso Palta 3 Is For

This is a bike for riders who want one machine that handles long gravel days without asking for much in return. The 50 mm tire clearance means it will take proper off-road rubber, and the frame storage removes the need for a saddle bag on most rides, which keeps the silhouette clean and the weight off the seat post.

It also suits riders who care about fit. Basso offers the Palta 3 with either an integrated cockpit or a two-piece bar and stem, and the proprietary seat post comes in both setback and inline versions, so there is a genuine chance of dialling in a position that works rather than settling for whatever is in the box.

The Galaxy Dream finish is worth a mention for anyone who wants a bike that does not look like everything else: a green base with a subtle purple fleck, matched to purple hubs and pearlescent bar tape and saddle. It reads as a coherent look rather than a collection of accent colors.

Frame and Onboard Storage

The headline frame feature is the storage compartment in the down tube. It holds two small bags with a felt lining, so tools and tubes do not rattle, and the rear brake hose is clipped into place inside the cavity to keep it tidy. In practice it replaces a saddle bag and the straps that come with one.

The opening is neat and the cover has a genuinely premium tactile feel. The honest caveat is capacity: the compartment is best suited to a tube, a multi-tool, a plug kit and a few small items. Riders who carry a full toolkit or several layers will still need another solution.

There is also a small bumper near the chainring area, intended to absorb impacts from rocks thrown up by the front wheel. The logic is sound, since a cheap replaceable part taking the hit is better than a carbon tube doing so.

The bottom bracket is a Press Fit 86 unit. Press fit designs have a long history of creaking, so it is one of the few areas of this frame worth approaching with eyes open.

Groupset and Drivetrain

Shimano’s GRX groupset handles shifting. The rear derailleur is essentially a mountain bike unit carrying a GRX badge, which is good news on gravel: it is clutch driven, so the chain stays put over rough ground, and it accepts a wide 10-51 cassette. Paired with a 42-tooth chainring and 170 mm cranks, that gives a very low climbing gear without losing too much at the top end.

The revised GRX levers include small function buttons on top of the hoods that can be mapped to control a cycling computer. The previous generation offered the same idea, and it remains a genuinely useful detail on long rides.

Wheels, Cockpit and Contact Points

The build we looked at rolls on 38 mm carbon rims laced to White Industries CLD hubs in purple, with 28 spokes and DT Swiss Competition spokes. Those hubs have a reputation for reliability and decent sealing at a price well below some of their better known American rivals, and they come in a wide range of finishes, which is how the purple pair on this bike came about.

The wheels are set up tubeless with Panaracer Gravel King X1 tires and Muc-Off valves, and braking comes from Shimano CLD 900 rotors.

Up front, the integrated cockpit uses the Fuga handlebar with a 100 mm stem, and it is only offered in a 37 cm bar width. That is a narrow choice for a gravel bike and worth checking against your own measurements before ordering. The saddle is a Selle Italia SLR with titanium rails in a 135 mm width and a pearlescent finish that ties into the bar tape.

Things to Consider Before Buying

Two points deserve a hard look before you commit. The first is bar width. A single 37 cm option will not suit every rider, and on an integrated cockpit there is no easy swap later. The second is the seat post: it is a proprietary Basso design, so replacements come from Basso rather than from any brand you like, although the availability of setback and inline versions softens that considerably.

The Press Fit 86 bottom bracket is the third thing to weigh. It is not a deal breaker, but press fit interfaces have historically been more prone to noise than threaded ones.

Finally, the storage compartment is genuinely useful but not large. If you routinely carry a lot of kit, treat it as a bonus rather than the whole plan.

Buying Advice

There are two sensible ways into this frame. The build we looked at comes in at around £6,500 with custom wheels and the higher tier GRX groupset, and it leaves very little to change. A comparable build with the lower tier GRX groupset, Miche or Mavic carbon wheels and different finishing kit lands at roughly £4,700, which is about £1,500 less for the same frame, the same tire clearance and the same storage.

If the frame is what attracts you, the cheaper build is the better value, and the money saved can go towards a wheelset of your choosing later. If you want the bike finished exactly as intended and would rather not swap parts, the higher spec version is the simpler route.

Basso also allows the handlebar width to be chosen at the point of order, which takes some of the risk out of an integrated front end. It is worth confirming those details at the point of purchase rather than after delivery.

Conclusion

The Basso Palta 3 is a well considered gravel bike. Frame storage, 50 mm tire clearance, an Italian-made frame and a fit system with real adjustability are the things that matter here, and an entry price below £5,000 for a complete bike puts it in reasonable territory against larger international brands. Go in knowing that the bar width is fixed at 37 cm, the seat post is proprietary and the bottom bracket is press fit, and the rest of the package is easy to like.