Reader’s Rig: James’s Bassi Hog’s Back

Words and photos by James

Hi, my name is James. My pronouns are he/him, and I live in the unceded territories of the Coast Salish peoples, including the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations in what is known as British Columbia, Canada. I am an art student attending Emily Carr, specializing in photography. My main cycling interests revolve around bikepacking and commuting.

With bikepacking, I usually venture around the local Gulf Islands, but my bucket list for more out-of-the-way schemes includes Spain, Japan, Iceland, and, goodness me, Mongolia! I ride on mostly gravel, even though it’s my least favourite surface. Dirt and mulch, fresh after a rain shower, is what I covet most. Mmmmmmmm. Where I live can get pretty hilly, which I’ve learned to love. After an incline, I usually feel like an Autechre track played too loud. Fleure to be specific. Good thing I like Autechre.

The bike shown is a Bassi Hog’s Back. I had previously heard about Bassi from one of my family members, but when I saw a Hog’s Back parked outside a shop in Tofino, I got really smitten, really fast. Besides its touchstone pulchritude, the absolutely perfect logo, quirky decals, and lugged forks, this bike had a brown Carradice handlebar bag, Velo Orange Crazy Bars, and a Brooks leather saddle, among a plethora of other consummate accoutrements. It was the perfect balance of handsome and ugly (like me!), which is something I strive for when building bikes.

• Frame/Fork: Bassi Hog’s Back in Sandy Beige (54cm)
• Wheels: 49N 27.5″ MTB/Urban Disc – QR
• Tires: SimWorks Super Yummy – Solid Black 27.5″ x 2.2″
• Handlebars: SimWorks Getaround Bar – Silver
• Headset: Velo Orange Grand Cru Threadless Polished Silver
• Crankset: New Albion XDD 46/34 11sp, 170mm, Polished Silver
• Pedals: SimWorks x MKS Bubbly – Polished Silver
• Cassette: Shimano SLX CS-M7000 11-speed, 11-40T
• Derailleur(s): Shimano GRX FD-RX810 (front) / Deore RD-M4120 SGS 10/11sp (rear)
• Brakes: Shimano hydraulic disc
• Shifter(s): Rivendell Silver Shifters Downtube
• Saddle: Brooks Cambium C17
• Seatpost: Thomson Elite Setback Seatpost 27.2mm Silver 330mm
• Stem: Some Velo Orange, don’t remember the name
• Front bags: Field and Forest Basket Bag – waxed black Cordura
• Rear bags: Wizard Works Shazam (not shown)
• Accessory bags: Wizard Works Mag-Neato Tool Roll – Camo Cordura
• Basket: Wald 137
• Cages: King Cage Bottle Cages/Manything Cage, (Big) Rivendell Jim Cages
• Other accessories: Blue Lug Sandwich Reflectors, NJF Export Can Claw, Spurcycle Bell, Safety Pizza

I rode a Sequoia Elite for roughly five years and thought I had the ultimate do-it-all bike. But for reasons I still don’t understand, I came down with a heavy case of BUBB (bottom-up build bug), and I sent an email to the folks down at Kissing Crows Cyclery. Three months later, the most sumptuous machine I’ve ever had the luxury of maneuvering was ready to shred. And shred it did.

One component I’m enjoying most right now is the locally made NJF Export Can Claw. It’s for carrying cans of all sizes: tall bois, those smaller ones, and those really big ones! You can even buy the blueprints for printing at home.

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