Bike at bedtime: take a look at this beautiful Basso x Faema Diamante

“Pre, during or post...or all three... you can rest assured there is a coffee to be consumed at some point during the rider’s outing,” Basso acknowledges.

With this in mind, the Italian bike brand has announced its partnering with Italian coffee machine company Faema for “several interesting collaborations that celebrate the multiple synergies the two brands enjoy”.

Faema also enjoys cycling a lot of course, having famously sponsored plenty of pro teams including Faemino–Faema, whose most famous rider was of course a certain Eddy Merckx... you also voted the jersey one of the best of all time in our Full Kit Ranker competition last year! 

“Two companies producing, in Italy, two of the most iconic and authentic ambassadors for the Italian culture the world knows, coffee and cycling, make for not only a coherent collaboration but one that was, in Basso’s opinion, necessary to establish.”

To kick it all off Basso has launched a special edition model of its racey Diamante with an elegant Faema paint job.

Only three bikes are being produced to mark the occasion. Two remain with Faema, on display at both their headquarters as well as in the Museum of Coffee-Making Machines in Milan (MuMac).

The remaining Basso x Faema Diamante will be set aside for a good cause, an auction with the proceeds going 100% towards the World Bicycle Relief charity fund.

> Review: Basso Diamante SV frameset

The Diamante has speed as its main aim, and with the redesigned 2020 model's new OpenFlow fork design Basso claims the aggressive race bike is more aero than before.

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The Italian bike brand has opened up the space around the rim and tyre for increased airflow with less hindrance to cut drag.

The fork has also been designed to be vertically compliant, yet horizontally rigid. “This simply means that the while there is some shock absorption within the carbon lay-up of the fork, it’s completely rigid and reliable when you’re out of the saddle and sprinting,” claims Basso.

By widening the gap at the front fork, the frame is compatible with tyres up to 32mm wide. This, Basso claims, helps to make the Diamante faster on a wider range of surfaces, or the very least, the often rough reality of tarmac roads: “Specific speed or rather speed that can be applied only on certain, perfect terrain is useful…versatile speed, however, is paramount."

Road vibrations are absorbed by the 3B seatpost clamp system that uses a rubber gusset surrounding the seat post.

While one Basso x Faema Diamante will be up for grabs in the charity auction, the standard Diamante SV Disc comes in at £6,699 for a Campagnolo Record 12x build, with Campagnolo also supplying the Shamal Carbon DB 2-Way Fit wrapped in Schwalbe’s 28mm wide One Performance TLE tyres.

www.bassobikes.com