#PRACTICA MUSICA NEW PALTA UPGRADE#

The short wheelbase and high bottom bracket will start to feel unstuck where longer, lower gravel bikes will calmly hold a line and plough through.Дespite being a 45mm-tyred gravel bike, the Palta II is still a keen climber on tarmac and dirt alike (Image credit: Basso) Verdict That said, when things do get very hectic the Palta II will find its limit. Such a move might seem almost uncouth from a gravel race perspective, but this is the sort of adrenaline-pumping situation the added tyre clearance will encourage. If the gravel gets truly radical then dropping out the saddle, loading the front wheel, and getting a foot out will see you through. When the terrain got more technical, the Palta IIвЂ™s accuracy didn't falter, allowing you to pick lines and track through trouble with confidence. Basso was not shy about sending us down some of the gnarliest gravel tracks I have ridden, consisting of incredibly loose sedimentary limestone rock waiting to punish clumsy riders and poor line choice. ThereвЂ™s no floppy or lazy steering here, just point-and-shoot laser targeting. If it was possible to do a blind handling test on a bike, the Palta II would be almost indistinguishable from a road bike. This extra compliance hasnвЂ™t come at the cost of sharp handling and instantaneous reaction either. Smooth ride quality and nimble handling means there is nothing stopping you from turning up the gas (Image credit: Basso)

The cockpit was a mix of BassoвЂ™s own 90mm stem and an Easton bar, although the production models will come with BassoвЂ™s own gravel-specific carbon bar that has an eight-degree flare and 122mm drop, as well as a narrower circumference on the drop sections so that thicker bar tape can be fitted without greatly increasing girth.

#PRACTICA MUSICA NEW PALTA UPGRADE#

I could have done with a slightly lower gear on some of the climbs but considering most riders wonвЂ™t be winching themselves up the Dolomites, the 40T chainring and 10-44T cassette will be spinny enough for most scenarios.Д«asso treated us to a wheel upgrade on our test bike, supplied by the good folks at Hunt and equipping the bike with a set of 35 Carbon Gravel X-Wide wheels, which were fitted with a set of Pirelli Cinturato Gravel tyres. The new XPLR cassette with its progressive ratio jumps is great as well, and while a go-faster bike like the Palta could easily expose awkward jumps, I never felt like I was inadequately catered for when I reached for the next gear. Our bike came equipped with the new SRAM XPLR groupset which, despite being SRAMвЂ™s lowest-rung AXS groupset, offers impeccable shifting performance. So although collectively there are only four different tools, they actually cover a lot of the most likely culprits that might need attention on a ride.

They comprise a simple Allen key with a hinged handle, but Basso has made sure to limit the number of tools needed for mid-ride adjustments. One of my favourite features is the stash of small tools in the Palta IIвЂ™s thru-axles. Basso even includes a neat Wahoo/Garmin GPS mount, although if you have a larger GPS device like the Garmin 1080, you will need to purchase the longer version separately which comes with a bonus action camera mount on the underside.

The top tube has bag mounts that are neatly hidden by a cover when not in use, and three bottle cage mounts (two in the main triangle and one under the downtube). The frame gets a downtube protector to combat stray rock strikes, and there is also a stem lock system to stop the bars from rotating and coming into contact with the top tube in the event of a crash. Not all the Palta II updates are an unbridled pursuit of speed, and Basso has added some genuinely useful practical details to the Palta II as well. The scooped seat tube allows larger 45mm tyres and shorter chainstays (Image credit: Basso)

Practica musica new palta