【BASSI BIKES】Extending your everyday into the ride—choosing the Hog’s Back.

Every time I ride or build one, I realize that the Hog’s Back is a frame that quietly possesses a solid presence while blending seamlessly into both cityscapes and nature.

When assembled for city riding, it reminds you of those moments when a daily commute suddenly transforms into a small journey. When built for touring to aim for further distances, it offers a sense of stability when loaded with gear and a delightful ride quality. Either way, it lets you fully enjoy the scenery before your eyes.

In the lineup of BASSI BIKES (hereinafter "BASSI"), produced by the Montreal-based bike shop C&L Cycles, the Hog’s Back is like a single frame that captures the composure of a classic touring bike and the freedom possessed by 90s rigid MTBs.

Following our last look at the Le Montréal, let’s unpack this one, shall we?

An Extension of Everyday Life Beginning with a Bike

First, let’s look at C&L, the creators of BASSI. They are a bike shop that continues to cherish both bikes as daily transportation and bikes as companions for weekend adventures.

Rides that are an extension of daily life, such as commuting or shopping, and "rides to go a little further than usual," like touring that includes unpaved roads like gravel.

As they navigated between both of these, the desire to have "a bike that doesn't perfectly fit any existing frame, but snuggles up to our own lives" naturally grew within them.

It's not just about chasing new things; it's about picking up on what you notice during daily rides, identifying the necessary elements, and reassembling them. That accumulation is at the foundation of BASSI’s frame building.

As one answer to this, the Hog’s Back was born in 2020 so that C&L staff could have "a single bike that can run comfortably and smoothly on city streets, on trips, and on those ambiguous but exciting roads in between."

Geometry Drawn from Accumulated Knowledge and Experience

As many of you may already know from the in-depth blog by Issy from Circles Tokyo, the background of this bike quietly breathes with the influence of 90s rigid MTBs, especially the BRIDGESTONE MB series.

The rigid MTBs of that time had ample tire clearance to handle paved roads and gravel alike, and the higher crank position ensured solid pedal clearance even on gravel littered with rocks and branches, while the raised center of gravity created a light, responsive feel. These characteristics supported the free-spirited way of riding back then.

To this, they combined elements that support "rides that are an extension of daily life = touring," which they love.

It features plenty of eyelets (bosses) for easy mounting of the racks and fenders essential for travel, extended top tubes and chainstays to improve stability when carrying luggage, and disc brakes that allow you to stop securely even when descending mountain passes or riding in the rain.

By naturally combining such modern touring bike standards with the geometry of 90s rigid MTBs, it became a bike with both "freedom" and "touring bike practicality."

Please bear with me for a little more depth... Regarding the "higher crank position" mentioned earlier, this inevitably means the pedals are higher off the ground, and consequently, the saddle position is also higher. If that were all, the drop from the saddle to the handlebars would become quite large, resulting in a more aggressive forward-leaning posture, wouldn't it?

However, the Hog’s Back, much like its touring bike predecessor the SURLY Disc Trucker, uses a taller head tube. This allows the handlebars to be set in a natural, upright position without having to pile on a ton of column spacers or prepare a steeply angled stem, which also makes it easier to balance the bike as a whole. I love this aspect; it's bursting with the kind of ideas only true bike nerds at C&L could come up with.

A Partner Ready for Adventure the Moment You Step Outside

If the secrets hidden in the Hog’s Back make you want to start pedaling regardless of the cold, don't worry. Just in case, I’ve built a perfect one, so I’d like to introduce that to you as well.

　
For the tires, I chose the "The Homage," whose 650bx55mm volume and semi-slick tread with a low center profile work perfectly on both paved roads and gravel. For the rims, I picked the Velocity Atlas, which goes amazingly well with the touring bike aesthetic.

The combination of the Momow CrMo Bar—which always feels perfect despite its mysterious width and slight back sweep—and the TomBoy Stem is, needless to say, a golden duo. Added to that, the microSHIFT thumb shifters, with their simple, robust structure and fun, intuitive operation, don't overstate their presence and create a fitting classic feel.

Well now, we only have two left in the Cool Ade color shown in this blog's photos, but there is some happy year-end news! Matte Black and Sparkle Beige, which have a chic new look, have just been restocked! We even have sizes easier for smaller riders to handle!

For those of you looking for a new companion, this is the perfect time with the widest range of options! If your heart is stirred, this is a chance you can’t miss.

The Hog’s Back, which gives shape to the "necessities" found in daily life and play, will become a presence that gently pushes the rider's days forward. Take your time to get comfortable with the bike while waiting for the warm spring to arrive, and let’s hop, step, and jump into the new season together!