The comfiest ATB-Hog
Once again, here's a fun twist on our Hog's Back Wiggler stock build! This one's key departure from the Wiggler is the handlebar. We wanted to achieve a much more upright position, but also have multiple hand positions to be able to move around on long days of touring. The Blue Lug-designed Nitto-manufactured Losco (here in black, 54cm width) fit the ticket perfectly. We taped the centres with Newbaum's cotton for 2-3 more spots to grab the bar. A Brooks B17 Carved was an obvious pick for an upgrade, and is the perfect support for the rider and this voluminous Arkel saddle bag. It looks just right, too! Speaking of aesthetics, how perfect is the colour match on these Blue Lug Black & Titanium finish XC-III Bear Trap pedals?! With a few minor swaps, this bike came out beautifully and is now customized to the rider's needs. It'll surely follow them on countless tours over the years! If you want a stock build but it's not quite right and you'd like to talk mods, reach out! Photos by Troy @killiskii
Nancy's retro-modern Hog's Back
Nancy's Hog's Back almost needs no explanation. It's exactly what we have in mind with every Bassi - a tasteful balance of classic and modern, drawing from the best of both those worlds! Nancy wanted to lean into polished silver here, speccing it at every opportunity. Thanks to the big brain team at Velo Orange, plenty of parts with decades-old aesthetic but modern compatibility are available, in silver! We used their Smooth fenders for all-weather riding and Nouveau Randonneur handlebar, a supremely comfy bar with flats for the palms in the center, slight backsweep, and short reach and drop. Nancy loved the Microshift Sword from the Belmont stock build but wanted the stouter Hog frame for heavier touring, so we made it happen! We're not all friction shifting retro-grouches here at C&L, these brifters are ergonomic and shift great, plus the gear range is wide enough for some serious loaded climbs. We had to top this build off with an equally-timeless saddle, of course. The B17 special (short version here) uses copper plated rails and wider, hammered copper rivets. It looks great and will be so comfy to boot. Blackburn's EX-1 Rack, although pretty low-key at first glance, actually has some great history that makes it well-suited for this build. Jim Blackburn first developed and released it in 1975, and it's astonishing that it's still being offered 50 years later! Often copied, this is the original influence for so many rear carriers to come. If you'd like to have a Bassi specced your way, please reach out! 'Til then, happy new bike day Nancy! Photos by Troy @killiskii
Antoine's Hog's Back!
Antoine came by our Rachel store with a bike-enthusiast friend, looking for a new rig to use for bike-packing. He’s a seasoned commuter and, though new to the bike-packing domain, is no stranger to putting some bags onto his bike! What we came up with is maybe the most bling Hog’s Back to ever leave our workshop. The gold accents might make you think this bike was built by Midas himself. We really went the whole hog with this one. White Industries Golden Hubs laced onto Black Velocity Blunt 35s White Industries Golden Headset and spacers Equal Growtac Brake Calipers (Golden, of course) Blue Lug Brass Crank Caps Brass Ferrules And of course the golden Forager Cable Cherries are the literal cherry on top of the build. Going on a bikepacking trip - or any kind of long distance bike ride for that matter - puts different cycling priorities into focus than commuting or rolling around town. Comfort, durability and reliability are the names of the game. On Antoine’s bike, we added the Brooks B17 Imperial Saddle for comfort, the Wippermann Connex chain for the durability and serviceability, and the Rene Herse tyres for the reliability (also for the comfort!)
Marianne's Tan & Purple Hog's Back
Marianne's Hog's Back is yet another great example of the kind of stock build remixes we love! With the Wiggler as the starting point, she chose to keep the wheels, Microshift XCD transmission and Avid brakes as on the basic configuration. Seatpost and saddle remain the same, too. That's where basic ends and the fun begins! The stock tires were swapped for faster-rolling and tan side-walled Schwalbe Billy Bonkers. Anodized purple bits match the frame's colour scheme. Headset, headset spacers, chainring bolts and M5 eyelet bolts all by Wolf Tooth. Nitto X Blue Lug B812 Commuter bars are a refined touch and purple Oury grips round out the cockpit beautifully. Photos by Troy
Matt's Heavy Duty 58cm Hog's Back
Matt and his partner Erin, having recently moved from Vancouver to Montreal, were in the market for a couple bikes for getting around town with the occasional longer outings sprinkled in. A quick test ride of a floor demo was all Matt needed to have his heart set on a Hog’s Back! With the intent on replicating the vibe of the Philly Bike Expo show bike we had on display, we sent off on spec’ing the most robust yet fun and lively build. Let’s take a look! Being a tall and heavy-set person, Matt had difficulties with stock bikes’ durability in the past. His most recent one, from a very reputable brand with a seemingly sensible spec list, gave him trouble particularly with the wheels and the cranks getting repeatedly wonky after every few rides. Here’s how we addressed those concerns: Hand-built wheels were a no-brainer for this project. Not only is the end product always tougher, straighter and longer lasting than stock machine-built equivalents, we also get to fine tune component selection. We opted for made-in-USA Velocity Cliffhanger rims, the most robust in their catalogue and a perfect size for the desired tire width. Sapim Strong spokes, designed for tandems and ebikes, were an easy choice with 36 of ‘em on each wheel. The venerable Shimano M525 were the top pick due to the tried-and-true construction, serviceability if ever anything does go wrong and unbeatable value. Ultradynamico Cava Robusto 27.5x2.2" tires offer enough protection and way more comfort compared to stiff-as-hell “flat-proof” tires. For cranks and bottom bracket, we looked no further than to Shimano’s SAINT lineup. Designed for the extreme rigours of downhill mountain biking, we knew it would be perfect for the task at hand! Featuring steel pedal thread inserts and their toughest steel crank spindle, they’re probably overkill but we wanted to leave no stone unturned! This build needed to not only be actually tough, but we also wanted it to inspire confidence in the rider. Headset issues weren’t discussed but they’re arguably one of the more important elements when thinking of durability and keeping the frame safe. We’ve seen numerous frames with ovalized headtubes rendering them useless over the years, all because they were ridden for far too long with a poorly adjusted or a totally cooked headset. The FSA The Pig, intended for BMX use, has an oversized CrMo bottom cup for extra strength. And, both the bottom and top cup inserts that go into the frame are taller in order to dissipate forces further along the headtube, making it much safer the frame. Here's the rest of the spec, also thought up for strength and durability: Frame: 2022 Bassi Hog’s Back Frame, Aqua Blue, 58cm Headset: FSA The Pig headset Stem: Thomson BMX ø22.2mm clamp Seatpost: Bassi forged ø27.2mm Saddle: Brooks B67 Handlebar: Surly Sunrise Grips: Ergon GP1 Shifter and Rear Derailleur: MicroSHIFT XCD, 11-speed Cassette: MicroSHIFT 11-speed, 11-46t Crank: Shimano FC-M820 SAINT Bottom Bracket: Shimano SM-BB80 SAINT Brakes: SRAM Guide T, 4-piston Rotors: Jagwire SR1, ø160mm Hubs: Shimano M525, 36h Rims: Velocity Cliffhanger 27.5” Spokes: Sapim Strong Tires: Ultradynamico Cava Robusto 27.5x2.2" Pedals: Crank Brothers Stamp 1 Large Rear rack: Blackburn EX-1 Bell: Crane E-ne Neo Polished Black Kickstand: Greenfield KS2 Bottle Cage: Blackburn Mountain aluminum Photos by Troy
Johan's 58cm Hog's Back
We've known Johan for quite some time. In fact, he's the graphic designer we entrusted to come up with our Rachel's look about 8 years ago already. We were stoked to build him his very own Hog's Back, and love how it turned out! This build is a prime example of the kind of upgrades we believe in. We think money is almost always best spent on contact points: saddle, grips / handlebar, pedals and tires. Fine-tuning these elements usually make a bigger difference in how you experience your ride than, say, a fancy rear derailleur. In this case, we're talkin': Brooks Cambium C17, Orange ESI Chunky silicone grips, wrapped à la Rivendell with Newbaum's Orange and Burnt Orange cotton tape, finished off with hemp twine Velo Orange Klunker bars, Nickel Sim Works by MKS Bubbly Standard Silver pedals, Sim Works by Panaracer Super Yummy 27.5x2.22", Peanut Butter sidewalls Let's take a look: Photos by Troy
Tony's Hog's Back
Tony bought this demo Hog's Back last Winter and instead of having it shipped to his home in California, he decided to make a trip out of it and pick up his new bike in person! All it needed was a front rack and basket, and a slightly shorter stem. A testament to Troy and Luc-Antoine's powerful build curation skills. Photos by Troy
A bikepack Hog's Back
This Hog's Back is ready for all sorts of off-road exploration! The Tumbleweed front rack, Widefoot cargo cages and Tubus rear rack provides plenty of hauling capabilities for long stretches away from home. Photos by Troy
Marie's Hog's Back
C&L mechanic Félix and his partner Marie will be leaving very soon to live and tour in New Zealand for a year! It seemed like a perfect opportunity for Marie to get a new bike fit for such an endeavour, and they totally nailed it Can’t wait to see this Hog’s Back loaded up with gear over an epic mountainous backdrop but we’re gonna miss you! Happy travels!
Pink Hog, Two Ways
From its inception, the Hog's Back was conceived with swept back handlebars and knobby-but-fast 2.2" tires in mind. The prototypes got ridden and tested with Salsa Bend and Jones Loop H-Bars, and Maxxis Ikon and Schwalbe G-One fat tires. Jerome's pink 47cm custom build is in line with that thinking and features some C&L favourites: Sim Works CowCow riser bar for throwback MTB sensibilities, Rene Herse Humptulips Ridge tires for quiet, fast, and smooth running grippiness, and Microshift's excellent and affordable wide-range Advent X drivetrain. Check it out! But ever since we received our first batch in early 2020, folks have been building them all sorts of ways! The most recurring characteristics are larger diameter wheels, narrower tires, and drop bars. This led us to offer a stock build along these lines, that we called the "Sporter" in honour of friend and Bassi Dealer Dan from Winooski Wheels. Morgan's pink build is a stock sporter with a few modifications to make it their own: Grepp Gripper handlebar tape, that'll last forever and looks fantastic, Ultradynamico Rosé tires for the refined palate, and a comfy Brooks B17 for long distance sittin'. The result looks great! As always, reach out if you're keen to discuss our stock builds, customs, or anything in between! Pics by @devolution514 and @simondoesittohimself
Danny's Funnest Hog
Danny was so stoked about his thoughtful, tasteful, fun-as-heck Hog's Back build that he sent us this ode and accompanying pics! I don’t know if people usually have their builds all figured out beforehand or improvise as they go. I had no clue what this bike would be when I got my hands on the frameset last summer. I had many of the parts already from previous builds, but no real vision or direction to the whole bike. I had my eye on the Hog’s Back for a while, notably because of its easy-to-build, versatile nature. You look at the various builds people made with the Hog's Back and no two are the same. Drop bar, flat bar, Clydesdale forks, 26”, 650b, 700c, bikepacking rig, commuter bike… It's specced with a lot of recognizable features making parts sourcing and swapping a breeze: 68mm BSA BB; 100/135mm QR wheel dropouts; straight 1-⅛ steerer; ISO disc brakes; 27.2mm seat post, etc. No proprietary stuff that would add complexity to the already complicated bicycle supply chain amidst/post pandemic. The only thing that could’ve made this frameset futureproof are thru axles instead of QR skewers but it also means you can currently build a Hog’s Back with a set of wheels you already have laying around, collecting dust somewhere in the dark corners of your bike altar. For inspiration, I spent (too) many hours scrolling through endless pictures of beautiful builds on all channels. As a first iteration, I opted for an ATB, 90’s-rigid-MTB inspired ride. I’ve had people call it the retroneo (a play on neoretro). Call it what you want. It’s a do anything, go anywhere kind of bike and its sole purpose is to be fun. And whoa is it fun. The silver parts are a nod to beautiful randonneur bikes. Smoke and Dart tire combo is essential to any 90s MTB build as is the Hite Rite. Cranks are from a friend, who was paid in full with brunch. Friction shifting to spice things up. Bear traps keep my feet stable and my shins bloody. How does it ride? Darn well, but the issue with this quality control is between the saddle and the handlebars at the moment. I’m still a novice at riding dirt roads and shredding the gnar. From my perspective though: It's super stable on its wheels, provides confidence in descents, and has proven a great climber so far. This quote from Steven Smith on The Radavist about the Doppo High Plains Drifter seems to be very fitting to describe the ride: “This bike does not skimp on trail manners, nor leave you feeling as though you’re piloting a relic. It’s not a beach cruiser dressed in trail rubber, or a bike begging to have a suspension fork added to its front end. Rather, its soul lives in the wide-open spaces and far-flung singletrack ribbons of your imagination. If you push it, it will take you to those distant lands and deliver you home again; but it asks for your attention, and that you pick your line with confidence.” Parts list Frameset: Bassi Hog’s Back, 2021, Dazzling PurpleWheelset: Velo Orange Voyageur rims laced to Koozer XM490 HubsTires: Panaracer Smoke & Dart combo, 26x2.10Fenders: Velo Orange Smooth FendersBrakes: Avid BB7 Mtn with Avid 160mm discsBrake Levers: Avid Speed DialHeadset: Dia Compe CB-2Handlebars: Surly SunriseStem: Thomson Elite X4 MTBShifter: Rivendell Silver 2 friction shifter w/ IRD thumb mountGrips: Wolftooth KarvSeatpost: Thomson Masterpiece w/ classic Hite Rite.Saddle: Brooks Cambium C17Cranks: Raceface Evolve (2008-ish?)Chainring: Wolftooth Narrow-Wide 36t, 104 BCDPedals: MKS XC-IIIRear derailleur: Shimano XTR RD-M986-SGS w/ Wolftooth Tan Pan and Goat LinkCassette: Shimano HG50 10spd 11-42Bottle cages: Velo Orange ModernisteFrame bag: Atwater Atelier Frame Wedge Words and images by Danny Tran
Matt's Dad-bike
Matt had us send him a Hog's Back frame and a few parts late last year, and he took his time to build it up in his own style over the winter. He recently sent us photos of the completed bicycle and kindly let us share them with you. We think this is a really cool bike, we enjoy seeing ways of putting together a bike that we wouldn't think of ourselves! Send us yours if you haven't yet. “[Bassi people], thanks for all the guidance -- about tire width, seatpost length, and secret Rohloff eyelets. I took a lot from the Latest Builds and Staff Bikes pages of your website. I intended to build a perfect "dad bike" and I consider the completed project a success. In addition to the Bassi frame being perfect, some of the decisions I'm most happy with are the Gnome Hopper stem from Analog Cycles, the cush silicone drops, and the big footprint MKS ALLWAYS pedals (coming next year to C&L Cycles -ed). I was also a bit proud when I thought of repurposing an unneeded headset top cap as a bell mount on the unneeded shifter boss. There's a mitred tube that the top cap holds in place, the tube is just long enough so the bell has room to ding. That saddle is in year six of being on whichever bike I ride the most. Brooks are great but GB are greater. Appreciatively,Matt” All photos by Matt. He says to DM him if you have questions, he loves talking bikes!
Pat and his Hog - A Love Story
Pat, an old friend of ours who's been having his salty winter bike serviced by our mechanics for years, pulled the trigger on this very special Hog's Back that's just the way he wants it - for now! Scroll through to see what he has to say about it and for a build spec. The Hog's Back is the perfect bike for me because I'm a healthy mix of compulsive and indecisive and the setup potential feels limitless. This first build is all about easily hauling me and my summer stuff (baseball bats and tents) to anywhere within 1 to 200 km of where my cat lives. The super chunky (and yummy) 2.2" Sim Works x Panaracer tires are grippy on gravel and help me glide over any Montreal pothole. The Sim Works x MKS bubbly pedals perfectly compliment both my summer rides in Birkenstocks or my military boots in shoulder seasons. The front rack set up has completely overhauled how I understand bikepacking. Believe me, a Wald basket will change your life! To say I'm in love would be an understatement. Thank you to fine designers and bike lovers at Bassi! Build Spec Bassi Hog's Back frameset, 51cm, Purple Diatech CB-2 Headset Velocity Blunt 35 Rims Shimano M525 Rear Hub Shutter Precision PD-8 Front Hub Sim Works Super Yummy Tires SRAM Apex Transmission Avid BB7 Brakes Velo Orange Tall-Stack Stem Sim Works Getaround Handlebars ESI Chunky Grips Brooks C17 Carved Saddle Sim Works Bubbly Pedals Soma Champs Elysées Rack Tubus Tara Rack Wald 137 Basket Pics by @jochhoo
Two flavours of custom Hog's Back
Tom and Joel’s Hog’s Backs Open images in a new tab to embiggen These two customs we built this Spring are wonderful examples of what we often make for the bespoke-bike-wanters out there. They’re also a sneak peek of what we’ll be doing for our stock Hog’s in the future! Tom's Graveler First off, Tom’s ride: he’s obviously a tasteful cyclist, since he had us make a silver polished custom, giving his HB a classic look, despite being fully modern, with tubeless wheels and the dirt-drop Cowchipper bars from Salsa. Mind you, he couldn’t resist specifying the MKS Bear Trap pedals, a neo-retro throwback to 80s mountain bikes, from the same company that made the originals. Classic silver looks, totally modern machine: BB7 disc brakes, SRAM Apex transmission. The Bassi Classic Narrow-wide crank may look old-school, but it works perfectly with 1x11 bikepacking transmissions. The Bear Trap XC-III was brought back from the 80s by its original manufacturer, MKS, at the request of Japan’s famous Blue Lug bike shop. These Ultradynamico tires, also made in Japan, were set up tubeless at Tom’s request, but of course work just as well with innertubes. The handsome bronze-finish valves are made in the US for Discord Components. Joel's Tourer This second bike is Joel’s, and he intends to ride it in his native Rockies, doing sections of the Great Divide trail, a network of off-road routes running in the wilderness from Canada to the Mexican border. To be happy riding everything these routes will throw at him, Joel wanted wide-range gears, which he’ll get with this 46/30 double crank and 11-36 cassette, for a super-low gear of 22.5-inches and a respectable top gear of 113-inches. The 9-speed Shimano Deore derailer (my favourite in the whole wide world) will happily wrap all those gears, and will be shifted with the reliable and straightforward Microshift bar-ends, as is normal for long-distance touring bikes. This build is very close to how we intend to build the Hog’s Back (road/touring version) in 2023, which will replace the Sporter with its gravel Apex transmission. We’ll also use more silver, like on Tom’s bike. Stay tuned for that, since nothing is set in stone yet and there’s still most of 2022 to get through! A Hog’s Back for all roads and off-road: 700 x 44C tires will roll over even nasty stony dirt tracks, while staying road-comfy, and the long wheel base on the Hog’s Back will enhance the comfort and handling. I also suspect Joel won’t stick with just one bottle cage! The TRP RRL levers are, in the words of Julian sitting next to me, “absolutely sick”, and I stand by those words, too! You can install them properly on both compact bars like the Cowchipper, and curvy traditional ones like a Nitto Noodle, just by swapping out a little spacer block to get the right angle. The strange curves in the lever’s arm give you good leverage both on the hoods and in the drops. The drilled arm is strictly æsthetic, calling back to the “drillium” parts racers enjoyed in the 70s. The shifters at the bar-ends are convenient to access while riding, and these Microshifts are thoroughly reliable. The left lever is friction-type (really micro-ratchet) so you can easily adjust the position of the front derailer, doing away with rubbing from temperamental indexed derailers. The right-hand shifter in indexed to match the rear cogs, but if Joel feels like it (or needs to on the road) he can also switch it to its friction mode. The Easton EA90 cranks are our favourites for those who want a versatile, narrow-width (Q-factor), lightweight crank. It’ll take basically any 30mm bottom bracket and the rings are easy to swap for any Cinch-type replacements. The Shimano Deore M591 derailer is just incredible, and this wide gearing isn’t even close to pushing its capacity. All the adventures this bike will go on won’t even cause it to blush. Photos by YT
Van's Hog
Van asked us to put together his dream bike using the wonderful platform that is the Hog's Back frameset. His request: use all the super special bits from the USA and Japan; and make him feel like he's back in his BMX heyday. With plenty of Paul Components, White Industries, and Sim Works, this balleur build also apparently wheelies like a dream (under no circumstances should any Bassi bicycle be wheelied -ed). Expect to see this stealthy whip loaded up with some lowrider panniers this summer for weekend cruises outside the city! Build Spec Bassi Hog's Back Frameset, 47cm, Matte Black Chris King Nothreadset White Industries BB/Crank/Chainring SRAM Apex transmission White Industries XMR Hubset Velocity Blunt 35 Rims Sim Works Super Yummy Tires Paul Component Love Levers Paul Component Klampers Sim Works Little Nick Stealth Sim Works Rhonda Stem Sim Works Froggy Stealth Seatpost Brooks C17 Special Saddle MKS XC-III "Beartrap" Pedals Photos by #lightbro @killiskii
Étienne's Classic Tourer Hog's Back
Étienne's pink Hog's Back is one of the last of that colour way to leave the shop. He opted for a classic European style touring configuration - alt-bars reminiscent of northern Euro trekking/butterfly setups, components from Shimano's hard to find in North America Deore trekking group, and four panniers. Those panniers are special - made in Sherbrooke by Arkel, Étienne has had them since forever and has toured with them in Europe, with patches from everywhere he's been! Spec Highlights Bassi Hog's Back frameset, piggy pink, 54cm Cane Creek 40 headset Shimano T4000 crankset, derailleurs, and shifters Sun Ringlé Rhyno Lite rims Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires TRP Spyke calipers and levers Surly Moloko handlebar Brooks B17 saddle Vintage Arkel panniers Classic touring pics by @jochhoo