Julian and Roberto from BASSI BIKES in Montreal, Canada, recently visited Japan. After spending some quality time at Crumb Works in Tokyo, they enjoyed a four-day ride to Nagoya.
Although a planned ride in Nagoya had to be canceled due to rain the previous day, the weather cleared up in the afternoon. With SimWorks USA brother Steven also in town, Mr. Kimura and I showed them around Circles, Culture Club, CWD, and SimWorks, before hanging out in the city of Nagoya.
As we talked with them, I asked Julian (Instagram) and Roberto (Instagram) about what kind of brand BASSI is and what kind of people create their frames, and they answered very thoughtfully.
We're happy to be working with you.
Julian: We’re just as excited that Circles will be carrying BASSI.
First off, could you tell us about yourselves? We'd love to hear about your background in the bike industry.
Julian: I’ve spent half my life in bike shops. It feels almost natural at this point.
When I was 18, I visited my uncle in the Netherlands, a cycling paradise, and learned how to tune utility bikes. Thanks to that, I learned about old, beat-up bikes, internal gears, coaster brakes, and all the fun stuff!
After working as a mechanic in several shops for a few years, I started at C&L Cycles in 2015. The "C" and "L" come from the co-owners, Jean-Michel Cauvin and Jean-Daniel Lafleur. BASSI is our house brand, and we’ve been producing it ever since the shop opened in 2009.
Roberto: I’ve also spent half my life working in bike shops. My interest in cycling started with mountain bikes when I was a teenager, and eventually, I started maintaining my own bike.
One day, I came up with a project to convert my father’s BIANCHI Ocelot MTB into a fixed-gear, and the shop I went to for advice offered me a job on the spot!
Later, I moved to Montreal to study product design, worked as a mechanic at C&L during my summer breaks, and in the following years discovered cyclo-touring and bikepacking, which fueled my passion for cycling even more.
At the end of 2020, I had the opportunity to join C&L / BASSI as a part-owner, and I think that’s proven to be the best decision I’ve ever made.
What kind of riding style or bike types do you like?
Julian: I love bikes that can handle everything! I commute on my tourer, tour on my commuter, and ride singletrack on both. We try to design our bikes with this principle of versatility at the core.
Roberto: At Bassi, we love designing bikes we want to ride ourselves.
Personally, I like bikes that are highly functional, capable of carrying gear on unpaved roads, have a comfortable ride, and above all, look cool!
What were you into when you were younger?
Julian: Skateboarding was my life! My dream back then was to open a skate shop, and I still have the old blueprints I drew when I was 12. My passion for bikes outweighs skateboarding now, so I think running a bike shop is very logical, but the idea of having a creative space to sell what you believe in hasn't changed.
Roberto: When I was young, I was most into snowboarding! Actually, my friends and I started mountain biking to find something to do in between snowboarding seasons.
Also, I studied classical guitar for about 12 years at music school.
What do you like to do besides cycling?
Julian: I studied music, so I love music. And I love splitboarding. Quebec, as well as Vermont, New Hampshire, and New York in the U.S., have wonderful mountains, so I can explore the backcountry for days at a time. My current travel dream is to take my splitboard gear on a tour and access more terrain.
Roberto: Having studied product design, I really enjoy the design process and problem-solving. I feel very lucky to be able to combine that with my passion for cycling and apply all the skills I learned at design school to BASSI. Also, I got into splitboarding thanks to Julian! (laughs). I also like rock climbing and do it often in the winter.
Where do you like to ride? Where would you like to ride in the future?
Julian: I was just on a two-week tour in Colombia recently. I’ve been riding in South America for several years, and it’s had a huge impact on my cycling life. It taught me what kind of bikes I like to ride and that my approach to touring gear (not too much, not too little!) is good. And the touring experience taught me how to keep a healthy balance between the "speed" of riding and the "slowness" of taking time to visit people, meet them, and eat.
After the last three years of travel restrictions, I’ve felt a stronger desire to do more local cycling around Montreal. I want to learn as much as I can about the food and ride spots that aren't well-known in the city where we live and its surroundings.
Roberto: Mountain biking is my favorite, but last summer, I really enjoyed doing short, leisurely rides with my partner, Sarah, to visit different food and swimming spots. I’m learning right now that not every ride has to be about overcoming difficulty to be fun!
Also, my parents are from Latin America, so I think it’s important for me to learn as much as I can about that region. I hope I can plan a bike tour in South America in the near future.
Can you tell us why you also operate a local bike shop called C&L Cycles?
Julian: We opened the bike shop because running a bike shop is what we do best. We are all mechanics, and besides our administrative roles, we still regularly pick up a wrench and do repairs.
Remaining a resource for the Montreal community and providing high-quality, reliable, and personal repair service is important to us, and is definitely part of our unwritten mission statement. We believe in keeping old bikes on the road! And by having a physical shop, we can answer directly to those who want the custom bikes that C&L has excelled at for years.
Roberto: Exactly. Another important part of our mission is to spread the word that the bicycle is the best tool for urban mobility and a tool for moving inside and outside the city to discover new environments!
Furthermore, by interacting directly with urban cyclists, we get inspiration for BASSI. Knowing the needs and interests of our customers is important when thinking about new BASSI designs.
What was the motivation behind starting your house brand, BASSI?
Julian: C&L co-owners Jean-Michel and Jean-Daniel both loved classic track bikes and launched this brand. The first model, the Roma-Tokyo, was heavily inspired by Keirin frames and Italian pista track bikes. Having a house brand as a shop is always very meaningful. Over the years, we’ve developed the BASSI brand by focusing on versatility, durability, comfort, and good looks.
What is the most unique point about BASSI?
Julian: It's the perfect fusion of the old and the new!
For example, we aren’t ready to let go of quick-releases, quill stems, or rim brakes just yet. But we can see the value in adopting modern standard specs where it makes sense. I believe that kind of fusion of specifications leads to versatility in function and also versatility in customization.
For instance, you can combine classic MTB parts with a modern, wide-range drivetrain, allowing builds that are impossible on other modern frames. We work with local designers in Montreal to finish our frames as beautifully as possible. Aesthetic sense is, needless to say, important.
Roberto: I think our customers are really happy with the bikes that have been customized with specific parts or are fully custom. Because customizing is about expressing individuality and creativity.
By the way, I love mixing old and new parts to build bikes, and as Julian said, BASSI frames easily accommodate that.
What is the atmosphere of the C&L shop like? How many people work there?
Julian: We have two locations. The Villeneuve shop is our original headquarters; it’s a very small store, but we have five workbenches and it gives off that small-town bike shop vibe.
In 2015, we opened our second location on Rachel and designed a larger retail space to showcase BASSI. The repair area is still just as important there, but to encourage more test rides, we made sure all the models and sizes could be displayed on the floor.
We have about 20 employees during the warmer months, and about 10 in the winter.
Roberto: At the headquarters, we have a small patio—an open-space courtyard of sorts—which is used by customers and staff to enjoy food and drinks, and serves as a meeting and ending spot for group rides.
What is the cycling scene like in Canada? We'd specifically like to hear about Montreal.
Julian: That’s an exciting question!
The current mayor and administration are committed to improving cycling infrastructure. The number of urban cyclists, commuters, and utility cyclists is on the rise. Also, there are more people doing cyclo-touring and bikepacking to enjoy a fulfilling holiday, both locally and from afar or abroad.
There are many local makers contributing to this scene, and we love supporting their work through our shop. For example, Gurp Stitchwork, Atwater Atelier, Memento Cycles, and many more!
Montreal winters have a lot of snow and the cold is harsh. But more people are commuting by bike in the winter, which is very exciting.
Roberto: Montreal has the best cycling infrastructure for commuting in Canada, but other areas are fantastic, too. You can camp in the seemingly endless national parks, and there are infinite dirt roads that are easy to find. Canada is huge! Montreal is surrounded by interesting terrain and is overflowing with the potential for all kinds of riding. That said, I dream that one day we can access more terrain without using cars, just like Japan’s rail network!
What potential do you see in bicycles?
Julian: Any and all practical bicycles are exciting! Whether it's the efficiency of urban cargo transport, an alternative means of transportation for families, or compact bikes for apartment dwellers, it makes perfect sense for people in small, medium, and large cities around the world to shift toward cycling as a means of transport!
Roberto: I don't think we at BASSI will be releasing an e-bike anytime soon, but it's interesting to hear people say they've used an e-bike in places or situations where they would usually drive. Whether they are e-bikes or not, bicycles are fantastic tools for getting around, exploring, and having fun. Montreal is a great city for cycling, and while that is certainly thanks to the current administration, I think a big factor is that more people have come to want to ride bikes efficiently and safely. I believe the mission of us at C&L / BASSI is to respond to the ever-changing needs of the world, both at home and abroad, and to support the growth of cycling so that it becomes a more accessible and inclusive option for commuting, exploration, and adventure!
Finally, is there anything you'd like to say to our readers?
Julian: We’ve got lots of exciting things in the works! We’re working on road bikes and anniversary re-releases, so stay tuned!
Thanks for reading!
All photos in Nagoya by Masashi Kimura
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