Riders looking for a road bike that's as much at home in the city as it is on dirt tracks and mountain trails will likely find what they need in the shape of a gravel bike. Italy's Basso Bikes has now launched a lightweight pedal-assist model with a 220-km battery.
The Volta was originally launched in 2020 as a pedal-assist version of its versatile city/gravel/road Palta model. Now the latest flavor is based on last year's Palta II release, with Basso saying that "the most sophisticated gravel platform we have ever created is combined with the most recent technological innovation of ebikes."
The gravel ebike is built around a carbon fiber frame that contributes to an overall weight of just 15.2 kg (33.5 lb). Basso is promising a comfortable ride "on uneven and bumpy surfaces" thanks to an integrated three-bolt system for the seatpost that absorbs vibrations thanks to an elastomer. And the drop handlebar allows the rider to lean back a little for more relaxed pedaling or lean in with some extra grunt.
The the top tube is home to fixing point for attaching bags, and various optional accessories can be mounted around the ride, including fenders, cargo racks, a double bottle cage and a dynamo to power lights or top up mobile devices.
A 250-W Polini EP3+ mid-drive motor produces 75 Nm of torque and provides pedal-assist up to 25 km/h (15.5 mph), in line with European rules. This is paired with a 500-Wh Polini Evo downtube battery that Basso reckons should be good for up to 220 km (136 miles) of per-charge riding, which seems on the generous side to us. A 250-Wh range extender is also available should riders need even more time on the road or dirt and less plugged in.
A 2.5-inch color display with adaptive backlighting sits mid-handlebar for at-a-glance ride info, with a companion mobile app also available for tweaking two of the five available pedal-assist modes.
The Volta is available in a base configuration with an 11-speed SRAM Apex gearset for a starting price of €5,999 (about US$6,680), or there's the €6,599 (~$7,350) model rocking a SRAM Rival 2x12 ETAP AXS groupset.
Product page: Basso Volta