The Hog's Back is Bassi's true all-road loaded touring frame. This bike has ridden all over, from Montréal's streets to Vermont's highways to Peru's dirt roads, as loaded-down with baggage as you please.

It's made to keep you comfortable and relaxed while you enjoy your long days in the saddle. Smaller frames use smaller wheels, so the proportions stay right for your body. Larger sizes use different steel in certain sections, to keep the bike feeling solid and keep you in control, no matter the load on your racks. The geometry is made for even front-rear loads, or slightly front-biased.

This is the road-touring model, but when we say road we include gravel and dirt, as well as paved roads and paths. Do what we do and ride it all over, push its limits, then come back and tell us all about it.

For the curious, if you want to bring your Hog's Back to visit its namesake mountain, it lives in Gaspésie National Park. You can hike up it, but you'd best ask the park rangers before you ride up it, too.

Features:

• Columbus Cromor tubing (frame and fork)
• Geometry optimized for balanced front-rear load, or front-biased load.
• Ideally used with swept-back "alt-bars" rather than road drops. If using drops, you'll need a short stem, this bike has a long front to it.
• 27.2mm steapost, 29.8 or 30.0mm seat clamp
• EC34 headset (1-1/8" standard)
• 28.6mm steerer
• Disc brake ISO mounts, 160mm rotor recommended
• Downtube mounts for shift levers or housing stops
• 135mm rear spacing, quick-release vertical dropout
• BSC threaded bottom bracket (1.37" x 24TPI)
• Higher BB than many touring bikes
• Includes cable guide for shift cables under the BB shell
• Kickstand plate (please don't overload the kickstand, we stand by Soma's recommendations for touring bikes and kickstands)
• Pretty darned rugged weight limits, as far as luggage on a properly installed rack goes. We tested with 26kg of weights in panniers, up and down steep hills, and handling didn't change much, so you're probably good. But be reasonable.
• So many eyelets, I haven't even counted them. Put racks, cages, fenders, whatever you want on this bike. Keep putting 'em on. No, more than that.
• Eyelets for a Bassi Strap, too. It's for helping you handle the bike when you've taken the luggage off. Don't try hauling it onto that train with the bike's weight and the luggage's weight all on the strap, please. You'll hurt the bike, the strap, and probably yourself.

FRAME GEOMETRY