Eroica Cicli are specialists in the restoration and assembly of vintage Italian racing bicycles — talk about a dream job. Their online store stock a dazzling array of frames from the masters of the business, including this Loto by Marino Basso and his brothers, Renato and Alcide.
Most of the frames, parts and accessories in the Eroica Cicli are New Old Stock, like this Basso. While it could have been built up with a gruppo more suited to the Loto’s era, ‘the customer gets what the customer wants’ — in this case, Campagnolo’s Veloce range. I’m a big fan of the contrast provided by modern components on vintage frames, especially when it’s an Italian frame laden with Campagnolo. The Loto was Basso’s flagship model during the halcyon days of the late 80s and early 90s. Constructed from Columbus SLX and Cinelli lugs, it features internal brake cable routing and the fastback seat stays so familiar to Basso frames.
It wouldn’t have taken Eroica Cicli very long to find the pantographed stem and seat post to apply their signature to this build. It’s a perfect mix of old and new, which allows the beauty of those natty retro graphics to really shine. You can see more details of the Basso Loto on the Eroica Cicli gallery. They can help you build up your Italian dream machine and help you track down those rare parts that, due to their high demand, are so hard to find. You can contact them through their website.
