"BASSI BIKES" It's just a bicycle, yet it's so much more.

Hello, this is Kousei!
There is a mysterious charm to BASSI BIKES, a brand I absolutely love.

I believe that charm is related to “why SURLY has become such a popular choice.”
So, what exactly is the charm of BASSI when viewed through that lens?
I’ve put together my own thoughts, so it’s a bit long, but please bear with me!

An indie brand that sits between
mass-production and handmade

First off, I think many people feel that the bikes handled at Circles have a certain vibe that’s different from other shops.
I felt the same way before I joined the team.

WILDE, SURLY, VELO ORANGE, BASSI, OMNIUM…
These aren’t bikes literally made by craftsmen, like the RETROTECH or TOMII models you’d find at Circles TAILORED, nor are they mass-market bikes from major manufacturers like GIANT or FUJI.

I’m not sure how best to describe them, but let’s call them “indie brands.”
Why are manufacturers of this size so incredibly interesting right now?

What makes them interesting is their hybrid approach:
“The bike design and graphics are done by our small studio (in our home country), but production is outsourced to highly skilled factories in places like Taiwan.”

• Handmade: Since the builder welds each frame one by one, the price inevitably ranges from 300,000 to over 500,000 yen, and lead times can take months or even years.
  In exchange, you get a bike that perfectly fits your body and your requirements.

• SURLY, BASSI, etc.: Because they are mass-produced in factories, the price is kept realistic (typically 100,000 to low 200,000 yen range for a frame), while allowing for those “obsessively sharp quirks” and “playfulness” that major manufacturers would never be able to replicate.

This exquisite sense of closeness, this “accessible craftsmanship,” is exactly what makes manufacturers of this scale, like SURLY and BASSI, so attractive.

What Circles introduced to Japan, led by people like KYUTAI, is precisely this “free-spirited vibe unique to indie brands and the lifestyle that follows.”
I think the closest way to put it is that they were “selling a lifestyle.”

I’m not saying they are better bicycles than GIANT or FUJI. If anything, it’s because those brands provide such a popular, established “correct answer” that this side of the industry can shine in its own way.
Both have their merits.
In the end, it all comes down to which one you choose and how you enjoy it.

The philosophy behind selling frames

TREK and GIANT sell frames, too.
But the philosophy behind selling frames on “their side” versus “our side” is clearly different.

・Major Manufacturers (GIANT, etc.)
The focus is fundamentally on “complete bikes.”
The manufacturer provides the “correct answer” (the complete build), claiming “this is the optimal part configuration for the fastest ride!” Selling frames is positioned as an advanced plan for a niche group of racers.
Lately, they are often highly systemized, even down to dedicated handlebars, stems, and seatposts.

・Indie Manufacturers (SURLY, BASSI, etc.)
“Frame sales” are actually the core of the brand.
The premise is a DIY spirit: “We have our philosophy on frame geometry, but we aren’t defining any ‘correct’ way to build it, so whether you want to go single-speed, run fat tires, or attach a basket, feel free to build it however you like!”
They intentionally use traditional, universal part standards so it’s easy to build up using leftover parts you might already have—and that’s what a BASSI Hog’s Back is all about.

Frame sales from major manufacturers feel like “an option for winning, or for achieving maximum efficiency.”
On the other hand, frame sales from SURLY and BASSI feel more like “a canvas for creating your own form of expression and fun.”

It’s fascinating how even the same concept of “selling frames” can have such different meanings.

Perhaps the reason aluminum frames don’t sell as easily at Circles is because this DIY and custom culture is so deeply rooted here.
People who are seriously having fun with steel bikes these days are just cool.

This blog post by Baki-san is seriously interesting.

[Race Report] I entered the Fuji Hill Climb on a chromoly bike!

Things with form carry a soul

“There’s really something special in these,”
muttered Keita-san, owner of Early Birds, while we were looking at a repair bike from the early Scalar days (the handmade era).
That really resonated with me.
So it’s true, they really do carry a soul.
There’s something about them that isn’t ordinary.
They aren’t pristine; if anything, they’re covered in the grime of use.
But you know that “grime” doesn’t mean “un-cool.”

There are different types of grime. Sometimes, like with worn-in work clothes, you see patterns of wear, or something beyond just dirt.
It’s hard to put that feeling into words, so I’ll skip it. Haha.

To the main point.
What is BASSI, anyway?

BASSI was created by a bike shop in Montreal, Canada, called C&L Cycle.
They aren’t just a shop; they bring together local cyclists, foster a community, and create a local vibe.
I’ll say it myself—they’re kind of like the Montreal version of “Circles.”

The bike geeks there thought long and hard about, “What kind of bike do we really want to enjoy our days to the fullest?” and that’s how they made BASSI.

While there are other bikes with a great balance of performance and price, for us at Circles in Nagoya, thousands of miles away, to buy a BASSI from C&L Cycle means something entirely different than just buying a rare import frame.

It means taking the incredibly cool, fun-loving culture created by the bike nerds of Montreal, inheriting it through Circles here in Nagoya, and embodying it in our own city.
Locals across the sea and our locals are quietly connected through a single BASSI frame. It’s exciting, isn't it?

The expandability and pop design feel similar to SURLY, but they’re actually a bit more geared toward the enthusiast.
Both the Hog’s Back and Le Montreal show consideration for compatibility with old standards like 650B or 26-inch wheels, and both use quick-release dropouts… with just a little bit of knowledge, you can transplant parts from an old cross bike or MTB you might have laying around, giving you a chance to build it up cheaply.
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The introduction ended up being incredibly long, but I’ve built up the Le Montreal from BASSI, that assassin from Montreal packed with all that sentiment, here at the shop. 👏

Le Montreal
Circles Original Complete Bike

“BASSI BIKES”
Le Montreal Circles Original Complete Bike
360,000 yen
Those in the know will realize what a steal this is—I won’t say more.
This is the shop bike I want right now.
I want to go SNUG with this.

SNUG Vol.2 July 19th (Sun) - Held Rain or Shine

Turns out it’s actually pretty great when you hold it.
90s MTBs, for instance the Rockhopper or Trek 900, have longer top tubes compared to modern bikes, so if you wanted to fit drop bars, sizing down was the best way to go. There are various theories that these mustache bars helped with that...

26-inch tires
Old-style brakes (cantilever)
Quick-release dropouts

The sharp ones among you may have already noticed,
this is the inspiration.
The Bridgestone XO-1, which the creators of BASSI, C&L Cycles, were surely influenced by.
At the time, people called it a “strange bike” and production ended after about two years, but nowadays, it’s a machine with a huge following of collectors.

SHOVEL RESEARCH
Operated, designed, and manufactured by owner Sal, solo, in Portland, Oregon, USA, since 2022.

Products designed with her reinterpretation of parts that are rarely seen on modern bikes are beautiful, setting them apart from mere retro-fetishism.
Just adding one part like this infuses something into the object.

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I’ve talked way too much, but this is how I built up this bike.
Frankly speaking, it has become a rather luxurious bike.
There’s more I want to say, but I’ll leave the transcription at that for now. The rest is for in-store...