Co-Motion Cycles

Americano Testimonials

Dear Kent (&Elaine, Dwan et al):

It was good to see you at the show again this fall. As you know, I built my Ristretto in early 2004. After riding it just a few times, I had a better understanding of why musicians only use certain instruments built by artisans. Back then, I wrote that my Ristretto rode the way a Stradivirius sounds.

In mid-2005 I had major reconstructive spinal surgery and thought I might not be able to ride again—let alone ride the way I used to. After many months of recovery and rehab I was allowed to make the transition from the wind trainer to the road but I was very cautious as to the equipment I would use. I needed to ride a bike that could damp vibration as to not fatigue my back, and perhaps had to reevaluate my bike geometry and riding style altogether.

I started out on my steel Seven but this was a little rough, so I demoted it back to the wind trainer. Then I started riding my titanium LeMond, which felt a lot better and I stayed with it until I had enough endurance, strength, and clearance from my surgeon to start adding climbs to my schedule. But while the Ti is comfortable for most riding, it felt sluggish and dead going up and around my favorite canyon roads, like I had a constant slow leak in my tires.

So my Co-motion Ristretto, which had been on the storage hook for the better part of a year since my injury, was put back into service and I have never been happier. It is responsive, handles flawlessly, and required very little positioning change for my body other than a higher handlebar height. What surprised me even more was that the bike did a far better job than the titanium LeMond at damping road vibration and did everything better than my steel Seven, period!

I think having so much time away from all my bikes (including a full carbon Calfee as well) allowed me to compare each with a fresh set of senses and a newfound appreciation for being able to ride. In late August I went on a two-week vacation to ride the French Alps and Provence with my girlfriend. I took my Ristretto over climbs like the Colombiere, the Madeleine, and my first time up the Ventoux in over three years. I previously mentioned that I would add an Espresso to my collection but I am now firmly convinced that the Ristretto is the best frame I’ve ever owned, if not one of the finest road bicycles made today. Thanks again for the great work and I look forward to thousands of miles on your bikes for years to come.

Attached are a couple of pictures from the trip; one is at the Chalet Reynard turn on the Ventoux.

And yes, I really am an employee of CSC!

Joe Harris
Business Analyst Consultant
CSC Consulting Group
El Segundo, CA

Good Morning Co-Motion!! My new bike was ready to ride on Friday afternoon and I really wanted to play hooky and go for a ride. Saturday morning I got up extra early - too excited to sleep (felt like Christmas)...went down to the living room to check out (okay gaze) at my bike (yes, I parked it in the living room until the first ride). Checked the weather channel…looked iffy…Then the showers moved in.

I anxiously waited for a break in the showers on Saturday for my first ride on my new bike. No luck - it was horrible weather all day. Sunday morning we were all dressed and ready to go. I got “pinkie” out on the drive way and it started to pour! Back into the garage…FINALLY at 3pm it cleared enough to get out for a ride.

In the first few minutes of the ride I could tell that the fit was PERFECT! Immediately I could tell that this bike is more responsive than my Merlin…the best way to describe it is that it feels ‘quicker’. While I do feel the road more - it did not feel like a long ride would beat me up. It feels to me like this bike better positions me for climbing than the Merlin - which is what I wanted.

Everything I wanted Co-Motion delivered…a beautiful performance bike.

I can’t wait to go on my next ride - what a great way to turn 50!!

Thank you Co-Motion for a great experience and for being so good at what you do!
~Carolyn

PS: And Mike says I ‘look good on this bike” - and THAT is what really counts!

Hi Dan, Kent and Pat,

Just wanted to let you know that minutes after picking up my new bike I took it on it’s maiden voyage (a hammer-fest on the steepest hills in town) and it performed FABULOUSLY! I was sort of worried I might not notice much difference relative to my previous “race bike”. No way - WHAT a difference! Biking is getting dangerously fun again. You won’t be surprised to hear that it handled perfectly and got me to the top of the hills in ways that I could only dream of before. Everyone commented on the great looks too, of course. You’ve taken human-powered machine-art to the limit! Nice work and many thanks). Please pass along my thanks to the others who helped (Bob, Billy, Alan, ...).

Best regards,
Eric

PS. Here’s a picture of it (relaxing). Of course the picture doesn’t do the bike justice.

Many thanks for that sweet new compact carbon stay Ristretto! I took it for its maiden voyage yesterday and it was so cool to be on a bike that fits exactly right. And this one is SNAPPY—it sprints for me! I was so enthused that I went harder and longer than I planned and effectively ruined this week’s training schedule.

Forrest

July 29th, 2004
Hey Pat.

Raced the Ristretto for the first time Saturday. It’s very fast and solid! A lot of compliments on the bike from the guys in the peleton. You guys make a real nice machine. I have a lot of confidence racing on your bikes. Thanks again for helping out our team.

Clint C.

Great job on the bike.

I built it up with a mix of mutt components from our VeloSport warehouse, mostly Chorus, but I went with the FSA compact crankset and an 11-23. I’m also trying the Arione saddle, which after a couple of rides on the old rig and my first miles on this one, looks to be a winner.

I took it up a few climbs to shake it out and work out the adjustments today. I’m really impressed with the Easton ride quality and the carbon stays. The bike has a unique feel that is responsive and efficient without the kick of other aluminum bikes I’ve owned. I’ve been using the same geometry for 15 years, so the handling is predictable, but it climbs like a rocket!

I stand by my assessment of Co-Motion craftsmanship—- simply superb and worth the extra effort. It feels all of a single piece, like an heirloom violin, and I can’t wait to take it up the Ventoux in a couple of months… I’ll get you guys a pic from the top for the archives. I also hope that we can keep an open ticket in the future, I’m so thoroughly stoked on this machine that I think I will be riding your bikes well into the future—- and I’ll probably start by unloading my steel Seven to make room for an Espresso.

Thanks again to you, Elayne, Dwan, and Kent for all your help,

—Joe

Hi Dwan,

Saturday, we awoke to the pleasant sound of running water. No, hold on a second, that’s a torrential downpour! And thus the day continued, with rain mixed with really heavy rain and 30-40 mph winds to complete the rosy picture.

The first half of the climb is in the trees, so the wind wasn’t much of a factor. However, a large part of the second half of the climb was exposed to the wind, and with the heavy rain, the dirt sections of the road were slow going. Anyway, to make a long story short, I survived to finish 9th on the day and 2nd in the 35-39 category. Pamela was very worried by the bad conditions, greeting me at the finish with a concerned “You had better not have washed all the (new bike) Magic Fairy Dust off!”

I’m afraid my fitness wasn’t quite up to doing the Ristretto justice, but the bike was a joy to ride. It was certainly enjoyable to carry 4-5 lbs. less than my regular bike up the climb! Oh, and just in case you’re worried, judging from the way Pamela flew on the bike on Sunday, some Magic Fairy Dust (TM) survived the deluge!

Thanks to all the gang for a great bike,
John

Dwan & the Co-Motion crew,

A quick thanks for the terrific bikes! The first few races of the season have seen some nice rides on the stylish white Ristrettos. Kate’s been racking up a couple 2nd place finishes as she prepares to upgrade to the 3s. Alec had a nice ride in one of the early road races. And the men’s 3s squad looks like it’s going to pack a wallop in ‘03, with podium finishes in the first two big crits of the season. It looked like we were going to have a third podium finish in the third crit of the season, until some guy caught a pedal in the second to last turn and the Solano guys (sitting pretty in 4th & 5th at the time) scattered to avoid the slop and lost their positioning for the sprint. Oh well, two out of three isn’t bad.

We’ve been getting quite a few questions about the “new aluminum Co-Motions.” The bikes are definitely eye-catching, and they look great with the team kits.

I’ll be in touch. Hope all’s well up north.

-DS
Dylan Seguin
Sponsorship Coordinator

Co-Motion Gang:

Thanks again for your patience and hard work with my outrageous demands and even more outrageous paint job. But, that is what “custom” is all about, and you guys do it well.
I couldn’t wait to try her out, so I broke all the rules and raced my brand new bike the second day I had it. Wouldn’t you know it, I got second place in a Pro 1/2 road race. I guess I’m happy with it . . .

Sal C.
Hutch’s Bicycle Racing Team

From another happy Co-Motion family…

Hey larry, thought I’d let you know the bike is getting good use and the kids love it

– thanks again! Mike

(This is a report from a Co-Motion dealer)

Last week we received our much awaited Co-Motion Periscope Co-Pilot (S&S Coupled) tandem to add to our demo fleet. If you haven’t heard of it, the Periscope tandem was just introduced for 2004. It was designed to be a family tandem that can easily accomodate riders of different sizes with the use of telescoping stainless seat tube masts, and adjustable stems captain and stoker.

This past Sunday, Ann and I took it out for a shakedown ride around our community of Cameron Park, CA. which includes hills of 8-12 % plus grades. Being a bit skeptical about a tandem with no lateral tube, lateral stiffness during stand-up climbing was something we wanted to test amongst other attributes. We have owned a BF Tandem Two’sday and while we enjoyed it, it lacked the lateral stiffness we had with our traditional direct lateral framed big wheeled tandems. The Periscope CP comes with oversized tubing 44.5mm OD for top, down and boom tube, and 38.5mm OD seat tubes. Wheel size is 26” (559), and came with Panaracer 26x1.5 HiRoad tires. I telescoped the stainless seat masts to approximate a medium frame (22/19) tandem before adjusting the seat posts to our normal height. Put a couple bottle cages on and we were on our way.

Immediately we found the ride very smooth and expect the wide section tires helped that. Unless we looked down, we couldn’t tell that we were riding a very compact framed tandem. There was no flex in the seat masts which was something we noticed with the BF Tandem Two’sDay (however that wasn’t a real negative). First climb we attempted standing Ann was able to torque the captains seat mast with her stoker bar. This was a shakedown test, so I increased the QR clamp force on my mast. We attacked some more hills standing and no more problems. To our surprise, the tandem was very stiff laterally with our 320lb team weight. We then did a long sit down climb up a 10-11% grade. Needed to use the 34th SRAM cog and the 30th granny. There was some chain rub on the inner cage of the front derailleur despite the cage being up against the seat tube. Perhaps some more tweaking on the cage is in order, or perhaps a 1mm spacer on the right bottom bracket side will solve that issue. Coming down the backside of the hill with switchbacks, the tandem felt like it was on rails.

We only had time for about 2 hours of riding, but we were thinking that we may have found our ideal travel and loaded touring tandem. There was a reason we ordered the Co-Pilot option since we do intend to fly with it in the future. As compact as the frame is, there should be plenty of space in our S&S cases for the tandem, racks, etc..

Rick Steele
Gold Country Cyclery

—Reprinted by permission of the author from a tandem e-mail list review—

Hi!

I had hoped to do my own assembly on the Co-Motion PeriScope tandem which was graciously donated to my organization by Terry Zmrhal, Microsoft, and Co-Motion, but finally had to give up the idea because of lack of time and take it to my LBS, which is where it would have been assembled anyway, since the owner’s specialty is do-it-yourself—he keeps eight repair stands open for customers and allows them to use his plentiful supply of tools, helping them if needed (in turn, they buy a lot of parts from him). The PeriScope’s claim to fame is its ultra-adjustable design with double-telescoping seat masts to accommodate anyone from the smallest to largest captains and stokers. The captain’s and stoker’s stems also have an extreme range of fore-and-aft adjustment. This is the 26-inch version; Co-Motion’s Web site now shows a 700C version and a triplet. The LBS owner was quite charmed with the PeriScope and would like to have one himself. He observed that it would be easier to keep the right size tandem inventoried since this design will fit so many different people. For myself, I am looking forward to being able to accommodate many different sized stokers without the hassle of a kidback adapter.

Friday afternoon I rode it around the block outside the shop and got the immediate impression that I never wanted to ride another bike again. It is so light (weighs the same as the Tsunami aluminum tandem that I built, despite being made of steel), so taut (but not uncomfortable), and so responsive. Then I took it for a five-mile test ride on a local trail, and was still impressed. The captain’s compartment is a bit on the short side for someone my size (6 ft. 4 in.), but not uncomfortable—I put in hundreds of miles on our original Huffy Savannah tandem, which has a captain’s compartment about the same size. I mounted an Old Man Mountain Red Rock rack on the PeriScope; it is recommended by Co-Motion and when bought from them it comes with special long braces to attach to the extremely low rear part of the frame using L-brackets bolting to the brake bosses. The stoker’s seat clears the rack at all positions.

Today we got it out for a ride with stokers. Our departing (alas—her husband got a job in Connecticut, over 600 miles away) captain/cook/trail mom rode it a couple miles solo to get used to it, then took one of our kid riders on board to stoke; it was the first time the stoker had ever complained about a bike being too small for her (we started with the rear seat all the way down)—very easy to remedy with the extreme adjustability. After that ride was finished, which went just fine, we raised the post a lot higher to fit the captain to the stoker’s position, and I rode as captain. That also went just fine, with no sign of frame flex—the bike felt tight as a drum. The adult stoker did complain of the V-brake “noodle” being a little too close to her ankles; that would be easy to fix with some Q-spacers on the pedals. It would also be fixed by using some crank shorteners; those, or shorter crank arms would still be needed if the stokers were mostly on the small side (currently-installed arms are 165mm). Since we have several taller kids who ride regularly, shorter arms are not an option, but I will probably install the shorteners, which will offer several pedal positions.

Here’s our departing captain/cook/trail mom (who is also our church cantor/organist and school choir teacher) with the first student rider.

Mark S.
Pittsburgh

Dear Co-Motion
I raced on the EWEB team a couple of years ago, and after a trip to New Zealand moved to Portland Maine. I’ve put my Norwester through the ringer, touring hundreds of miles in NZ, many of them on gravel roads. Even some single-track semi-loaded. I’ve now raced 3 Men’s B cyclocross seasons on it (including 3 trips to nationals), and put in plenty of training miles on the road, and (your framebuilders may cringe) rocky Maine singletrack too. Probably more than the Norwester was really intended to do, but it’s held up just fine. Comfortable on washboardy dirt roads, nimble in the singletrack, and quick on the pavement. It is great to get on this bike and know that there are no limits to where I can go. If I had to own just one bike this would have to be it.

Cheers and thanks for a great ride,

Erik O.
Portland, ME

Hi Co-Motion:

In October 2005 I took delivery of a Co-motion Nor’wester, NNC11405, that you built for me. Now that I’ve put about 2000 miles on it, I thought I would share with you my experiences on the bike.

In December and January I made a 1400-mile (24 days) solo self-supported tour in the South Island of New Zealand, choosing a route to include as many mountain passes as possible—9 in all, 5 on gravel roads, 4 on seal. I’ve attached a file showing the bike on the lowest sealed pass, 600 meters (2000 feet) high. The steepest uphill grade was 16%, which I did not ride, but I did manage 8 % to 10 % up-hill. The gravel roads in the back country are very rough, with large irregular stones and they are seldom maintained. I was carrying about 9 kg (20 pounds) of gear. There’s more detail and photos on the web page.

Overall, the bike has proven excellent for riding in rough country. Before starting the trip I changed the handlebar and seatpost to carbon fiber to reduce the jarring, plus a softer and broader seat. Since the trip I have swapped the regular road tubes to thorn-resistant tubes; not only does this give more protection against flats (I had 3 on the tour) but it gives a bit more bounce to the ride. I have also replaced the cantilever brakes with Avid SD 7 linear brakes, since the original brakes could not hold the bike on steep down-hill roads, even with my light load. Also, on the front cantilevers the down cable was hit by the back-brake cable if I turned the front wheel more than about 30 degrees to the right; it then applied the front brake in such a turn—not a good idea. I’d also recommend that the shifters be installed with travel agents and long cables for cyclists who use handlebar bags, otherwise the gear shift changes between bag-on and bag-off.

The things I especially like about my Nor’wester are; the excellent fit, the gear ratios (with good overlap between rear gears in the different front-ring positions), the three water-bottle cages, and the travel case that avoids hassle and expense on the airlines. I’m taking the bike to Britain in May to bike from Thurso (near John o’Groats) in Scotland to London; I made the Lands End to John o’Groats tour (and a bit more) last year on a road bike; this tour should be a lot easier with the Co-motion.

Thanks for an excellent product.

Sincerely, William T.

Hi Co-Motion

I took delivery of my Norwester Co-Pilot just before Christmas. Thanks for your on time delivery even during the holidays. It took another week to get the assembly completed and have some minor changes taken care of. I rode the bike a couple of times to try and get things dialed in before doing a longer ride. On January 14, I took the bike for a little longer ride, a 200k brevet in Arizona. This is the first event in a series of 200, 300, 400, and 600k events this spring. I know you guys are getting hammered by rain up there so I wont mention the 80 degree temperature we had to ride in. The bike performed wonderfully and has solved several problem areas that I have had on my double century bike. This is the perfect bike for randonne riding. I will be doing two complete brevet series this year on this bike in preparation for next year in which I hope to qualify for Paris-Brest-Paris. Of course, the Norwester Co-Pilot will be my PBP bike as well. I just want you to know that I consider the quality of workmanship and finish to be first rate. I notice these things in particular and I am very impressed. It is superior to my Pegoretti in these areas.

I’m sure that my riding partners will soon tire of hearing me sing the praises of this bike, but too bad. I have already detected a hint of jealousy in their voices. Thanks again for building me such a great bike!

Sincerely,

Lonnie W. Color Country Cycling Club

P.S. The attached photo was taken at the mile 83 checkpoint on this recent brevet. Feb 11 is the next event, a 300k ride in this same area

Since sending you a testimonial back in February about my Nor’Wester I would like to give you an update on the bike. I have now completed a full brevet series in Arizona on the Nor’Wester, and have put on more than 2500 kms on the bike, qualifying for “Super Randonnuer” status with Randonnuers USA. The bike has performed flawlessly which was especially important during a vicious weather 400 km event and a 30 hour, 600 km event in Arizona. I am now starting on a new brevet series in Idaho with the 200 km event already under my wheels. Even when fully loaded for a 600 km event this bike is as fun to ride as any bike I have ridden. Continuing thanks for this great bike!

Lonnie W.

Hi Elayne,

I recently purchased a Mango Co-motion Norwester with S&S couplers. I wanted to let you folks know that I love the bike and had a really terrific buying experience with Rick and Ann Steele of Gold Country Cyclery in northern California.

First off, Rick’s shop was the only one that I could find that had a Norwester and an Expresso built up in their store that I could test ride. I knew I wanted a bike with S&S couplers and had researched and narrowed it down to Co-motion and one other manufacturer, but I wasn’t ready to buy anything without trying it out. I made the drive up to the Sacramento area from the SF East Bay Area and it was well worth it! Not only did Rick have both bikes set up for folks to try, he was also incredibly knowledgeable about the bikes and very helpful in answering all the questions I had. The Norwester rode great and offered the versatility I was looking for, so I placed my order with Rick after receiving a thorough fit analysis. Of course I changed my mind a couple times on the color, panels and componentry and Rick was very flexible and patient with me. When it came in, he set it up perfectly, with an engineer’s precision.

Now I have my Norwester and it has become the only bike I need, which is something I honestly didn’t expect! I was primarily going to use it as my commuting bike and touring bike, but I found that it’s also a very fast bike, so I started taking it on group and training rides. I found that I’m faster on my Norwester than I am on my Lemond racing bike, which I always felt was super zippy. I also climb faster on my Norwester than on my Lemond and on other bikes I’ve had. I did Mt. Diablo this weekend and was 6 minutes faster on riding time than my best time on my Lemond. The gearing that Rick set me up with is excellent for climbing.

I went ahead and sold my Lemond and have now scratched plans to get a Trek carbon fiber racing bike. I don’t need anything other than my Norwester. The Co-motion is speedy, supple in ride yet steady and super versatile. I can’t wait to take it on a century and a multi-day tour come spring.

I should also note that Rick’s post-sales support is also excellent. I’ve e-mailed him a few bike maintenance and setup change questions since purchase and he always responds within hours with just the info I need!

Thanks to Gold Country Cyclery and Co-motion for a terrific bike and buying experience. I’ll be enjoying my Norwester for miles and years to come!

—Kandice M., Pleasanton, CA

I AM IN LOVE WITH MY NOR’WESTER!

Our weather really wasn’t conducive to riding the first week, but on Sunday I rode the annual Royal Palm Classic in Fort Myers Florida, and broke the first 100 miles. Five of us rode a pace line and we averaged 17.8mph on a 56 mile loop - in spite of the headwinds. A friend from Philadelphia writes, “17.8 mph is quite Hammerheaded! Good going!” (Gee… I am such a novice - I didn’t know! Hammerheaded?! ME?? Really! It’s all in the Co-Motion, I swear!!)

What can I say? It rides like a dream. I really can’t believe the difference in my Co-Motion and my beloved old (old old, did I say 31 years old?) lovely old Fontan… Dave Williams gets a big ol’ grin on his face - he knew the difference! (And I’m sure you did too!)

I ride with the pride and grace of a new Mom and the courage of a Captain on a 50 ton tanker.

I know that my Co-Motion will take me - where ever I want to go!

Thanks again for taking photos of the building of my bike. I love the picture of the tubes laid out on the desk, and the welding and painting - but most of all - THOSE FACES!

Thanks Thanks Thanks to all the Co-Motion gang for the great work that you do. Everyone here admires your craft - - or rather, my craft - - especially me!

Sincerely,

Toni F.

Alan

The bike is amazing. I use it to commute from a town called San Lorenzo Alle Corti, through Pisa and into Livorno. It’s about 40 minutes each way. It is by far the smoothest ride I’ve ever had.

Jason K

Alan and Co-workers at Co-Motion:

I just wanted to tell you how much I like the Nor’wester I got last week. I had the parts waiting and built it up right away. It’s set up with road wheels, Ultegra triple, and an 11-32 cassette with an XP rear derailleur in the back. We have some very steep, long climbs in the Boulder area and this gearing was perfect for me. The fit is perfect and I love the relaxed riding position. Compared to a titanium racing-style bike I have, the way it rides is like a dream. It smooths out the road so much that at first, I thought my tires were going flat! I actually checked to make sure they were pumped up to the usual 110 lbs.! Thanks, Co-Motion for making such a comfortable bike. I own several, but I know that this is the one that will get the most miles!

Sincerely,
Paul R.

Dwan,

Finally! After 2 rainy weekends, I finally got to take the bike out for a ride. What a great bike! The handling is superb and it flys! Everything is just perfect! The Nor’wester is everything I’ve been looking for in a bicycle. You and Alan nailed the design! Thanks again to you and the group of craftsman that you have assembled. Great company! Say hello to Kent for me.

John K.

Hi Alan,

Just wanted to let you know that my bike survived the first leg of my journey without a scratch. I was rather amazed at how many cycling clothes I could fit into the case with the bike. Set-up time was only 30 minutes. I installed a Super Link in the chain so I can pack it separately.

Please tell Dwan that he nailed the geometry. I rode the bike this afternoon about 42 miles and it felt perfect once I got my aerobars in the right place. You can go ahead and send the stem while I am away if you like. I will return the generic one when I get home.

My initial riding impressions were very positive. The bike was rock solid, totally silent, better on hills than I might have guessed, a little faster steering than my Klein, and it soaked up bumps better. My guess is that having standard spoke wheels has a lot to do with this also. It descended like a champ and seemed to corner better than my Klein. The frame appears to be perfectly aligned.

Now….to do some miles. Thanks again.

Best wishes,
Dave M.

Hi guys,

I want to compliment and thank you both for my Nor’wester. I have been able to do several rides, and commute everyday for 10 days now.

I am really happy with it because:

1) The fit is perfect
2) The fenders fit really well, and the triple is perfect on this bike—which was a big part of my choosing the Nor’wester.
3) The paint and overall quality is flawless
4) Co-Motion(you guys) delivered exactly on time exactly what I wanted.

Thanks.

P.S. I enjoy reading about your business in BRAIN with the new bike shop in Ohio. Best of luck.

Bobby M.

Alan,

The Nor’wester is absolutely beautiful. My Dad brought it up Wednesday evening. The balance is excellent, handling, performance, comfort, speed, everything. It’s a dream. I don’t know who in particular to thank for building my bicycle, so I’m going to thank YOU. I’ve gotten so many compliments on it in the few days I’ve had it.

Thank you,
~Tess.

Dwan and Alan,

We spent last week at Pac Tour’s desert camp in Arizona and had wonderful weather, so welcome after the cold weather here. I want to tell you that I am still every bit as pleased with my Co-Motion after 460 miles of riding that week, including the 200K and 300K brevets ( I’d never ridden over 200K before). The bike is comfortable and smooth and I know I couldn’t find a better fit. Again, thanks so much for your time and patience.

A lot of the people there didn’t know Co-Motion made single bikes, but they know now. The bike was much admired (Jerry’s, too) and, needless to say, we gave you good press.

I do use my bike for errands and about town, not just for touring. It’s my all-purpose bike, and actually my only road bike.

Isabel

Hi Co-Motion,

You probably don’t remember me from email but if I show up in person Dwan would recognize me as I visited your old location in Eugene in September 2000 and the new location in August 2001. At that time you didn’t have the Nor’Wester so I bought an Americano in November 2000 for a New Zealand South trip and a Tasmania trip in January - March 2001. Since then the Americano has spent 6 weeks in New England including some dirt roads, New Zealand North Island, France from Toulouse to Provence and back with a climb of Mont Ventoux, a trip from Amboise to Biarritz France, and an Alps trip from Geneva to Provence and back. These trips have been with the Bicycle Adventure Club on trips that go from hotel to hotel with a van to carry the luggage. To say that the Americano is overkill for this kind of touring is an understatement.

I have just returned from 2 months in Europe on trips in Sardinia, Spain, and France. Sardinia and Spain were BAC van supported hotel to hotel trips and I stayed in Luz St Sauveur for 5 days to climb the Col de Tourmalet, Luz Ardiden, and the Hautacam. Finally I went on a self-contained hotel to hotel tour from Toulouse to the Pyrenees and into Spain at the French Spanish border long the Mediterranean. I used Tubus front and rear racks and Arkel front and rear panniers. I estimate that I carried 40 lbs of stuff (prepared for rain and cold in the mountains and got 90 - 100 degree heat) and maybe 50 lbs if you include the bananas and melons that I carried for lunch.

So after riding 16,000 miles on my Americano since December 2000, I have finally ridden with a load on the bike! I find the Americano to be very stable, smooth, and relaxed with a 40 lb load. It actually rides better with a load than unloaded.

That is why I am considering buying a Nor’Wester. It is probably designed for the kind of touring that I do. I don’t have time to buy one and test it before I return to France for a van supported hotel to hotel trip from Bayonne to Aix en Provence in September followed by a self-contained hotel to hotel trip in Dordogne but I will be ready to order the bike in October.

Steve T.

Greetings from Texas.

A little feedback on a bike I bought last year, a Supremo Co-pilot. This replaced a Schwinn Duosport, so there’s a big difference in all points of reference.

Our new bike is fitted with the Woundup fork, FSA carbon cranks and seatposts, a Campy Record 9-speed groupo with Record Delta center pull brakes, and hand-built wheel on White Industries hubs. I used 40/36 spoke, 3 cross with tied & soldered spokes.

The highlight of our Co-Motion is the handling. I can swing a sharp low-speed corner, or handle high-speed descents without feeling any wallowing. The bike handles more like a solo sport/touring bike than a tandem. While the ride is not as soft as the old Schwinn, the carbon bits & pieces take care of lots of vibration.

While we (the engine) are not at the same level as the bike, every ride we’ve been on is easier, faster, and more fun. When I can trust the bike to perform and handle like this, it makes any ride better.

While we haven’t traveled by plane with our bike (yet), we have used the S&S feature to knock down the bike for road trips with extra passengers in our van.

We look foward to lots of adventures and miles on our Co-Motion…thanks for building one for us.

Bill & Deborah K

Temple, TX

This is William G.

It’s been a while hope your doing well. Julie and I thought we would drop you a line and say hello. We love our Supremo Tandem and hope to ride more this season last season we did not get out as much due to the fact Julie was finishing getting her business degree and pushed three years of school part time into a year and one half program.

The Tandem is the best riding Tandem that we have ever ridden to this day. Anyway I keep the Tandem and the Espresso spotless and they really turn peoples heads. Both bikes are by far one of the best investments in my opinion that I have made in bicycling gear.

I love, and have had a great experience with the custom Espresso you guys made for me it really is one of a kind and the fit and comfort is great. It turned out very nice the ride is awesome just like the Tandem, the fit is great, what else can I say I love steel.

Tell the owners and the guys hello from use we enjoyed our visit both times to your plant and wish the best to everyone.

Take care

To our friends at Plano Cycling and Co-Motion,

Thanks to Plano for excellent customer service. Especially to Glynn for his assistance. To Co - Motion, you guys are true artists and artisans. You have made a sweet tandem. Note that her maiden voyage was Lance’s Ride for the Roses last weekend that raised well over $4 million for cancer research. A very cold and windy day. Lance and Tyler led the group off and of course we never saw them again but it was very inspirational and a very moving experience just the same. Many complimentary comments about the bike. The one responsible for the paint scheme deserves a special Kudos for making it happen. Please pass our appreciation on to all involved in a very pleasant and rewarding experience in creating our Tandem.

Mike and Sherrie M.

OK! We just got back from 5 days of very vertical training in the Blue Ridge Mtn.s and the tandem is outstanding, no amazing! It is so much better than the other folks there on tandem we were with that we were running circles around them on technical descents and braking.

The 1999 Campag. Record brakes are insanely strong and someone even “caught” me getting the back end up in the air on a hard braking manuever as we were diving into a tight downhill right turn. Everyone was blown away with this bikes stability and manuvering.

We did a number of field tests trying to heat the rims enough to raise tyre pressure + 20 lbs. Sorry boss, it was just about impossible. The Velocity rims are deep enough that they dissipate heat nicely. I’m pretty confident that I’ll never need a drum brake except for touring.

We are surprised to find that the bike has a VERY compliant ride yet is stiff as a board under hard pedaling. THAT is exactly what I wanted. The WoundUp fork brings much needed stiffness to aggressive riding as well and is much appreciated at 50 mph when we were getting blasted by strong side winds.

We got alot of positive comments and quite alot of envy over the paint job. Now, we DID as for battleship grey DWAN with purple pearl clear coat BUT!!! Your super talented painter just could not contain himself I suppose. (just kidding) The paint job is very classy.

WoundUp Seat posts are well made, look strong and setup is similar to old style Campag.

FSA Team Issue cranks are flat sexy looking, that aside they are stiff as heck and craftsmanship is a 10+. No flex what-so-ever under hard efforts. Let’s bribe FSA into making their BB’s with optional offset to the drive side? 2mm would solve a ton of setup problems.

S&S couplings up front are a no-brainer…every tandem should have them.

I used Kestrel EMS Pro handle bars with the Ritchey WCS stem. This is one stiff setup, I am surprised to get this result from such a light setup. Try it, you’ll be shocked.

We have 5 more time trials, 1 team time trial and a criterium on the slate AND Doreen decided she wants to do PAC tour this year. The new tandem will certainly earn her keep this year.

Dwan, we can never thank you enough for lending your great skills and thoughts to making our tandem work so well. You are a lucky man to have a job where making people happy is a paid position. Well done my man.

Warm Regards, Josh S. Doreen C.

Hi Dwan—

C.D. and I are just back from a one-month trip astride our trusty Co-Pilot through the as always lovely French countryside. This is the sixth year in a row we’ve toured on our tandem in Europe. I’m beginning to think I’ve done this enough to have a few valid opinions. Bike touring, like just about everything, is mostly about people but the bike is rather important too, wouldn’t you say? So here are a couple of things I think CD and I have learned about how a tandem should be set up for touring:

1. Bar end shifters—I remember you recommended we get bar end shifters because of their durability. This was the second best piece of advice we got from you (the best was to get an S&S coupled bike

2. Drum brake—Useful for preventing rim overheats, but essential for parking your bike. I can’t imagine, for example, what one does with a loaded tandem without a drum brake in an Italian hill town where there’s not a level street around and you want to pop inside some establishment for a little vino and lunch.

3. Shock absorbing stocker seatpost—If guys rode back there, they’d be standard equipment on every bike. No touring tandem should be without one.

4. Panniers—I’ve never seen any poor fool in Europe with a Bob Trailer so perhaps the word is out that such is not a wise choice. For credit card tourers like us, two big rear panniers are perfect. We carry 30-35 pounds total back there, including the panniers.

5. One other thought: We continue to be happy with our backpack case. We’re on the second one now; the first having become battered enough that we retired it last year.

We had intended to end our latest bike trip in the Loire Valley, but got ahead of ourselves a couple of days and decided to ride to Chartres to see the cathedral. We then thought, well what the heck, we’ll ride to Versailles, which proved to be an all-time, albeit successful, adventure in determining and executing on a decent route. We were thus able to visit Versailles on a Sunday morning before the tour buses showed up. We then thought, it’s Sunday, why not just ride into Paris? So that’s what we did. One result is the attached picture of our Co-Motion Co-Pilot and Happ at the Trocadero. We even made two laps around the Arc de Triomphe and briefly tested the cobblestones on the Champs, a nice ending to a wonderful trip.

Best,
Hap

I thought you might enjoy a look at how my wife and I left our recent wedding.
Like our life in general, it wouldn’t have been the same without our Co-Motion! Our tandem has become such an important part of our relationship that it ended up being a main theme at our wedding. Not only did we ride away from the Chapel to the tune of Daisy Bell on the Organ, references to the bike made appearances in toasts at the rehearsal dinner and the reception. On top of that, my wife had a hand-blown glass cake topper made in the shape us on the tandem. And of course, we took the bike on our honeymoon and rode from Jasper to Banff in the Canadian Rockies. It was certainly a lot of fun for us, but more importantly, all of our family and guests really got a kick out of it.

Thanks for making great bikes,

Heather and Stephen S.

As our outdoor riding season comes to a close here in Ohio I wanted to take a minute to say thanks. My wife and I purchased our Co-Motion Speedster last year and its so refreshing to see that your marketing copy isn’t something that someone made up to sound good. It’s not exaggerated, Its dead-on accurate. I can’t say enough about our bike. The quality, the handling, the finish… you can tell that everyone there has a passion for creating an exceptional product.

The handling is so predictable that we’re not afraid to push is hard through a turn or up a hill, only to let it scream down the other side. I truly would rather be riding our bike than driving any of our cars. We constantly get compliments on the finish. Other cyclists are always coming over to see what kind of bike we have, or commenting on how awesome it looks. Its a two tone purple pearl fade with black, white and purple cork tape.

We just want to say thanks. We never dreamed a bicycle would bring us so much joy and enjoyment. We have quickly gone from recreational riders to avid cyclists. We just hate getting off the bike!
Regards,
James F.
Marysville, Ohio 43040

Hi Pat,

Thought you might like this photo of our tandems taken in the Piazza Il Campo in Siena, Italy (September 2003).

It looks like a Co-motion advertisement. The bicycle trip, nine days through Tuscany, was fantastic and the tandem is wonderful!

Creed M.

It’s been way too long to say Thank You for a fantastic tandem. Our names are Bill & Nancy S. from Cashmere, WA. and we purchased our custom built tandem from you this spring. We have logged 1250 miles since then and have loved the bike. We’ve been to Utah with Adventure Cyclying and took the opportunity to break down the bike, pack it into the cases and check it with the luggage. We were pleasantly surprised by the number of bikers complaining of the expense that they had in shipping there bike to Utah for the ride. Our shipping cost was zero.

We’ve done a lot of riding fully loaded with panniers and the bike handles great. At the very beginning we had a little trouble with the derailer rubbing in high gear, but after a couple of trips to our local bike shop that problems is gone.

We are biking back to Michigan the end of April and was wondering what, if any, items should be replaced, chains, brakes etc. We are getting new tires this winter, but we were concerned about any other items. Could you please advise. We could possibly drive down to your shop and have it looked at if neccessary. But that would take an overnighter and some planning so you could work on it as soon as we arrive..

Thanks again for building us a GREAT bike, we have had a lot of WOW, WHAT A BIKE.comments.

Bill & Nancy S.
Cashmere, WA 98815

I thought I would like to drop a short note about our new Speedster Co-Pilot. Thank you for making such a wonderful bike. This bike truly rides and handles like a single and my wife likes the extra room! Since June we have put 750 miles on the bike and we expect it easily to surpass our old Cannondale. You could never take away my new fork, I can now make u-turns without fear and in half the distance.

Thank you from satisfied customers Joe and Arlene M. from Petaluma

Dwan, Dan Kent, Pat and all your people who built our beautiful bike,

We’re getting pretty good at breaking down, packing and re-assembling our tandem. Everytime we do, we are amazed how perfectly it functions. (must be the superior design and craftsmanship)
Best Wishes
Ollie and Pam

P.S. We were one of 25 tandems of the 6500 bicycles at this year’s “Ride for the Roses.” Next spring we’re off to Holland, Belgium and Luxemburg for 4 weeks of cycling.

Alan,

We picked up the bike last Friday! The first comment from The Bike Shop was, “WOW!” We are very pleased with the bike but more importantly we are very pleased with the feel of the ride and handling! Thanks for all of your efforts on the bike! The look and feel of our tandem is great and we are looking forward to hours and hours on fun riding. Thanks,

Dale and Barb

Howdy folks, Brad H. here.
Let me just start by saying after short time of riding and a pair of century’s under our belt, I’m convinced we made the right choice by going with a Co-Motion! By the time we got the Speedster down the street on our first ride it felt like I’d been riding the bike for years. I’m amazed at how it handles and tracks so close to my 1/2 bike.

The workmanship of the frame is perfect. Anyone that sees it comments on the custom paint job you guys did. My wife and I could not be happier with the Speedster. Well, we would like more time to ride it but, that’s not under your control.

I’m wondering if you could suggest an upgrade wheel set? I’ve no complaints with the wheels that came on the bike stock, not at all. I’d just like to start entertaining the idea of maybe getting an upgrade and keeping the wheels that came stock as backup.

I guess I asking if there is a Strong/lightweight/everyday use tandem wheel set?

Thanks,
Brad

Hi Dwan and super bike-building crew!

Scott and I have enjoyed another fabulous year on our Co-Motion Co-Pilot. We pedaled another 3,000 adventurous miles and have enjoyed every climb, descent and tailwind. Thank you so much for our two-wheeled companion.

Another bit of info. I work PT at Quality Bicycle Products. They solicit the employee base for photos to include in their annual product catalog. The “Dynamic Davie Duo Co-Motion Copilot” will be pictured in the catalog It should be printed and distributed in January.

We’ve enjoyed every mile together,
Thank you,
Rhonda & Scott D.

We love our Speedster!!!

My wife Karen and I purchased a beautiful light blue metallic Speedster from Mel at Tandems East the end of April (it was one of our 30th wedding anniversary presents to ourselves), and we have enjoyed it more than we ever imagined. We have ridden 1300 miles in a little over three months, and now practically all of our riding is on the tandem. My wife bought me what I thought was the bike of my dreams about three years ago - a made to order Rivendell. It was the bike of my dreams until three months ago when the Speedster took over - now the Rivendell gathers dust. I can’t say enough good about the bike, and we plan to put in many, many more miles on it.

Reed (and Karen) N.
Williamsburg, VA

Just a quick note to let you know how much we have enjoyed our tandem so far. We bought our Co-motion Speedster Co-pilot specifically for our trip to Holland. Well, we have just returned and can report that the tandem worked great!! We were really zipping along on the dikes. And the packing and unpacking into it’s two hard cases went smoothly. We love our bike and are considering Co-motion travel single bikes when our other road bikes need replacing.

Here we are in front of the Zoeker wind mill at Zaanse Schanse, the last windmill in the Netherlands that was used for extracting oil from nuts.

Mark and Lynn P.

Lake Oswego, OR

Alan,

I just wanted to let you know that I have received my new Co-motion Speedster Co-pilot. I want to thank you and your company for the fine product and service you have provided. The frameset is a work of art! The craftsmanship and the attention to detail are immaculate. The two color fade paint is amazing! The filet brazing is beautiful and the cable stops on the head tube and the other cable guides clearly demonstrate fine design and execution of detailing.

I also want to mention that I like the pinch bolt design you have used for securing the eccentric. I do not like the set screw method that I have on my Santana tandem.

Once again thank you and all your colleagues for the fine product and service.

You guys are the best!

Bruce R.

This e-mail is to thank your company for producing such fine tandems. I just purchased the Speedster model a few weeks ago and am very pleased with the quality and even more so the ride. I have ridden many different tandems including Burley, Santana and have found yours to be superior.

Thanks again, Gary

Yes, you can ask Diane, I was muttering the “thank you Dwan” thing descending that hill!

About Seattle bikes, I think the whole time-line of R&E could be viewed on the ride, saw an old Erickson made with Prugnat lugs, old Rods and Davidsons, every Northwestern made bike. Also a lugless Tesch, two California Masi GC’s, a bunch of 70’s Raleigh Pros and Internationals, a couple of Hetchins’, Jack Taylor singles, and a Stella. What can I say, Elvis Presley and Jesus Christ could have ridden next to us on Trek OCLV’s, and I wouldn’t have noticed since they weren’t on interesting bikes!

Dave F.

Hi Alan,

I thought I’d drop you a quick note about our new Speedster. After we picked up the bike on Monday, we drove down to Marin and set up our riding base at a friends house in Southern Marin. On Tuesday we took the tandem out for our first ride - we rode two laps around the Tiburon Peninsula. During the ride we made a few stops to work out seat and bar positions and generally had a lot of fun getting to know the bike over the 30 mile ride.

On Wednesday we got a little more serious and rode a long lap up and down the Napa Valley. We hit some nice climbs and really started to get the feel for ascents and decedents. On the way up we felt the whole ‘Tandem Momentum’ effect (or lack there of on the steeper hills) and had fun working the drag bake on a few steep grades. All in all we started to feel like a real team on the 40 mile ride.

On Friday we took the bike up to Point Reyes Station and rode a 40 mile loop out to the Point Reyes light house. This ride let us stretch our legs on some long flats that we pushed to our off season limits and just loved the feel of working together to get the bike up to speed and keeping a blistering pace. While we don’t have a computer on the bike yet (seems that no bike shops in Marin carry the Flight Deck and we’ll have to order one over the net) we did hit speeds that must have been approaching 45 mph or so on some long descents and the bike was rock steady and went through the curves like it was on rails!

Some feedback - Overall fit feels great with the measurements working out just right. The handling is supreme with ascents feeling solid and descents feeling steady.

Here’s a picture that we took yesterday up at the Light House with the blue Pacific in the background.

Thanks again for all the help in getting us set up with the bike, and thanks to all the guys in the shop for putting together a great bike that we’re sure to enjoy for years to come!

All the best,

Mark and Trix

This note was forwarded to us, with permission, from MBS Tandems.

Brenda and David,

We had a great time in Tuscany. Our tandems were frequently scrutinized by the Italians as they are very bike-knowledgeable. In one small town, while we were having lunch at an outside café in the piazza (town square), we watched as a group of men gathered and jabbered away in Italian, looking at our two parked bikes from all angles and checking out the connectors, components, wheelsets and gesticulating in admiration as only the Italians can!

The Arai drum brake was perfect as the hills were surprisingly steep and long. Our computers calculate grades, altitude, etc. and we often hit 12-15% grades both up and down - the record was one short grade of 17% (up) and lots of descents of several km averaging 6-7%. Loaded with all our gear, we were happy to save some brake rubber with the Arai. Bikes handled superbly and our confidence level is now very high. We cannot say enough about how great a way for a biking couple to travel and stay together. We are already dreaming of our next trip.

We were able to pack our bikes in the soft and hard cases without too much trouble but found them a bit heavy if included tools, shoes, helmets, etc in the same suitcase. Got a couple of minor dings in the frame (cosmetic only) from rough handling of the soft case by the airport and am considering a 2nd hard case to better protect the frame.

We are happy indeed with the Co-Motions and are sad to see the end of bike season approaching. Keep us posted on your rallies and tours for next year.

Mike took this picture of Jane and I outside the ‘farmhouse’ we had for 5 nights in Greve-in-Chianti. Notice the bread on the rack-pack and leeks in the frame pack. We cooked up a huge pasta dinner that night!

Bob and Jane

Alan,

We really enjoyed seeing all of you again. Thank you for taking the time to treat us like family and giving us a quick tour of all the new and exciting upgrades at Co-Motion. Most people never realize the expertise and knowledge it takes to build a top line product like Co-Motion. The passion shows in every Co-Motion that leaves your facility.

I finished putting everything together on Sunday morning and we decided to take her out for a spin. WOW! The feel and the ride was every bit as great as we expected. We noticed the response to speed was exceptional. The Robusta was exceptionally fast handling and steered as well as any single bike I have ever ridden. Julie and I thought for a moment we could actually catch Lance Armstrong! HA HA! That was short lived. The Rolf wheels were everything you said they would be and look great on the tandem. The custom paint job looks awesome and really comes to life in the sunlight. It was great seeing all the heads turn on the bike path. Every now and then you see a tandem or two, but not too many stop you in your tracks like this one. Again the quick handling, ride quality, and custom paint job are hard to beat at any price.

We love our new Robusta every bit as much as we have loved our other Co-Motions in the past. We are true loyal Co-Motion fans and can’t thank you enough for building a quality product that has brought me and Julie closer and allowed us to cycle as one as only a tandem can do.

Thanks again,
Bill and Julie G.
Bakersfield, CA

Hello to everyone at Co-Motion,

My wife Connie and I wish to extend our profound gratitude and thanks to everyone at Co-Motion for building us such a wonderful hi-performance tandem. We have enjoyed several rides on board this red “speedster”! Our latest event was the Stagecoach Century. Smiling all the way to the finish line we enjoyed the flawless shifting and rideability of the Robusta (all Campagnolo), coupled with its light weight and down right good looks. We get questions all the time about the bike and as always our response is, ” buy a Co-Motion, you won’t be disappointed!

Thanks again John and Connie T.

Hi Elayne,

Well we’ve had our Custom Robusta for almost 2 weeks and have managed to put about 250 miles on it. We are thrilled with the way it feels. The set-up was pretty close to initial specs so dial-in was a snap. We are both very comfortable and I experience less difference moving between the tandem and my single. Sandy loves the saddle-probably means I’ll be looking for one for her single, assuming she’ll ever get back on. We have a couple of shifting bugs and a reluctant Flightdeck to fine tune, but overall performance is stunning.

We have a favorite ride that includes a 12 mile climb of around 1400 feet. The twisting descent usually puts me in a slight state of panic whether on the old tandem or my single. Not this one. I never touched the brakes once. We carved and hammered corners that I used to wrestle the bike through. Although I didn’t, I felt as though I could have taken my hands off the bars on the straighter parts even though we were pushing 50 mph and rarely dropped below 45 until things flattened out near the bottom. Sprinting and climbing out of the saddle are so much easier, we look like we know what we are doing most of the time. We were topping some rollers in the mid-20’s that we crawled over in our granny a couple of years ago.

Saturday we tore off 70 miles including a lot of rollers and an 8 mile climb home. We pulled our club for the entire ride, except one single who finally dropped us on that last climb. We felt only mildly fatigued as if we just made that leisurely jaunt to the ice cream parlor you mention. In two weeks we will to tackle the Sandia Crest. This ride will take us nearly 80 miles with the highlight of a 19 mile, 6,000 foot climb to an 11K peak right out our back door. We will circle all the way behind the range as we make our way to the crest. We will be able to see our house from the top. The descent on this bump will test the brakes and our nerve to the limit. The top 6 miles alone features over 20 switchbacks, many of them the 180° kind. Speeds of +60 are pretty common for the young and foolish or brave and experienced. I’ll let you know how it goes.

The bike gets lots of oohs and ahhs, and may have a name-Sundance Express. We haven’t settled on it for sure but it seems fitting. We have some negotiation. Sandy moved from wondering why we needed to name it at all, to suggesting Sundance-blurted out over one of the rollers mentioned above. I added the Express for continuity from the old Big Blue Train.

I’ll keep you posted from time to time. Still looking for someone with a digital camera to grab a photo. None of the people we ride with are the stop and take a snapshot type. We take glorious vistas and breathtaking scenery for granted here in New Mexico.

Chris

Yo Pat,
Merry Christmas!!! Hope all is well on your end of the country.

Just wanted to drop you a Happy Holidays Greeting, and tell you that the Robusta rides and fits GREAT. I’ll email some pics soon. It looks really sweet! All D/A 9sp…...STI, Brakes, BB’s, Derailleurs,Pedals, cassette…... FSA CarbonPro cranks, Thomson black seatpost and stem, FSA Orbit X h/s, Kestrel carbon bars, orange Cinelli cork ribbon, Velocity DeepV dark grey anod 36/32 3x XT M760 black hubs, Michelin ProRace 700x25, Selle Italia.

So far, we have done three group rides on the new tandem. We did two 45 mile, fast group rides and finished in the “break” both times. On our third ride, I organzied a SoFla Tandem group ride(7 tandems showed-up) and we did 38 miles…..nice and easy. Pretty cool.

I am calling my new tandem group the BADCOWS(Broward and Dade Couples On Wheels). Broward and Dade are the two counties that make up South Florida-Miami and Ft.Lauderdale. There are 14 tandem teams(5 Co-Motions) so far in the group. Our next group ride is scheduled for Jan.4th, as a final “tune-up” before the 8th Annual Sebring FL Tandem Rally(Jan.17-18). This will be my first Tandem Rally. So far there are 44 teams confirmed. I’ll email a re-cap if you’re interested.

Talk to you soon.
Alex G.

December 2003
Dwan,

So I was holding off giving you feedback on our new bike until I had an opportunity to log some saddle time on this new machine. I’ve been out on it a half dozen rides (ranging from 2 to 4 hours each) now with several stokers (including Alison) and would like to report that the bike is just great. I even put a pretty powerful small racer on it the other day and, wow, we hauled.. We are actually climbing very well out of the saddle already. We’ve been on several large team/group rides, and everyone loves the bike (until we pull away, ha). Anyway, I just wanted to thank you and your Co-Motion team. Now if it would only stop raining long enough to get out on it more, then life would be good. Please pass along our thanks to Pat and Kent.

Thanks again.

Clint C.

Alan,

Summer has been full of rides including the Tandem to the San Juan Islands. From there to Seattle, then to Cle Elum, Ellenburg, Roslyn, and on to Gold Beach. Down the PCH to Monterey. Yep, we’ve been enjoying the little Robusta, not that many total miles but lots of fun. Conclusion: Excellente’. I think Lance wants to ride one next year in the Tour. I made a grave mistake though. I let those other folks we were camped with in Paso Robles ride our bike. Now everyone wants one, or so they say. Since Mike ordered the Erikson and has been waiting over a year for it, all bets are off on him but he’s very easily persuaded and if it weren’t for having a guilty conscience forcing him to own 2 tandems, I’d shame him into a Co-mo just for having to wait so long.

So there you have it, all in a nutshell.

Here’s info for the next anal-retentive customer you get equivilant to me.

Tell anyone stressing over the suspension seat post to try the bike first. This bike does not need a suspension seatpost because the ride is so good already.(Wanna buy a brand new Tamer seat post?) Actually the Tamer works quick nicely but it’s not necessary, Brenda had me change it back and the seat bag attaches much cleaner on the standard seat anyway. Thanks for checking in. I’m doing my part to help sell bikes.

Hope all is well for you too.

Scott

Thought you might want an action shot of our Robusta struggling up a Tennessee mountain.

We keep meaning to send our Co-Pilot in for a rehab/repaint but we keep it on the road too much.

We had it in Maui about two months ago. Unfortunately, we aren’t going to be able to make it to the races again this year so someone else will have to bring up the rear.

Martin B. and Betsy B.

The attached photo was taken by David W. of his wife Debra riding with Mike M. at the CA state TT championships.

This next quote is from Mike M.:

FYI - I rode with a group on Saturday and there was a Calfee carbon tandem along. It had carbon bars and ultra light parts and the same component group that I use. He had his custom race wheels on as well. I had my training wheels (DA hubs 32 hole with Mavic rims) and my tandem was lighter. I also received more positive comments on cosmetics. To top it off, the Calfee dropped the timing chain while climbing a steep grade (due to flex). Worst part was that I had to fix it for him (he was a nice guy). Thought you might like to hear about real life tandem comparisons.

From Tennessee…

Just wanted to let you know how much myself and more importantly, my whole family is enjoying the Periscope. It’s our first tandem and we are loving the experience. My five year old and I have logged the most miles and even commute to school and work on it during the warmer months. The local bike shop, Cycology Cycles, here in Maryville has been very helpful and we just wanted to let you know how much we are enjoying your product.

Thanks,

K Turner, Maryville, TN

Hi Kent—

I just wanted to let you know that now that we’ve got a few miles on our new tandem, we love it!! It’s everything we’d hoped for and we’re thrilled; we’ll get you a more detailed report from our trip to England, which we’ll depart on this week—thanks again for all your help in this process, you made a big difference and helped ensure that we got exactly what we wanted—lots of friends are drooling over our gorgeous new ride, maybe you’ll have some new customers out of that, too—

Thanks again—d2g

(This is from a Co-Motion Dealer and was written in 2002, just after the Primera was introduced)

Warning: dealer speak! Every once and a while, Ann and I still get to ride tandems when we’re not selling or servicing them. At the shop yesterday after handling a test ride session and repair delivery, I suggested we take out our new 2002 Co-Motion Primera demo tandem. With all the early winter rains and our busy schedule, we hadn’t had an opportunity till yesterday to see how a base priced $2799 Co-Motion tandem would stack up to all the other fine tandems we sell for more, ride, and own. I must say both Ann and I were amazed after a short, but hilly test ride loop.

On this loop, we have some very steep, but short hills. On the first hill I shifted up a few gears and said let’s stand. What a surprise! The tandem felt solid from the FSA ISIS splined AL cranks, bottom brackets and thru the frame making stand up climbing a breeze! For lateral stiffness it reminded me of some of our aluminum tandems. We went on and cruised up some more hills standing and finishing them off now with confidence. We were smiling about this experience on the way back to the shop. Neither of us wanted to get off the tandem, but sunlight was rapidly diminishing.

When the (Large/Small) Primera was first built up I weighed it and came up with 36 lbs. This was under the spec sheet weight by just a little. Still not bad for a large steel tandem. It uses a different tubeset than the Speedster and Supremo, which gives it a little more weight, but this frame is really solid. The whole package is pretty incredible since it comes standard with the same DT/Hugi -Dyad wheelset as the Speedster. The black FSA cranks look really cool against the White Mica frame. The new 105 5500-CA STI shifters seem just as crisp shifting as the new Ultegra 6510 STI’s. Other magic is done to bring the price down. We’ve always been happiest on steel framed tandems like the latest Speedsters, our Supremo, now this new sub-3K tandem (all with 28.5” stoker top tubes). This new tandem is certainly worth a look if it’s more within your budget. Despite the lower price, it’s a great performing tandem in our opinion.

Rick and Ann Steele

Gold Country Cyclery

I have sent you several questions over the last couple of months about Co-Motion tandems and appreciate the help you have given me. On Saturday, my fiancée and I rode our new cranberry red Primera Co-Pilot for the first time and absolutely loved it. I’ve spend many thousands of miles riding and touring, and even a fair amount on my mountain bike, and our ride on the tandem was as much fun as any time I have ever spent on two wheels. We are really excited about riding every chance we get.

While I’m writing this, I’ll add a few comments about my experience in choosing a bike. Although we did prefer the ride of the Co-motion over the Santana, a large part of my preference came from my experience in researching different options. Your quick and helpful replies, the information on the website, and the speed with which you sent out the catalog when I requested it worked strongly in your favor. I did not have the same experience or feeling with Santana. I also received fantastic customer service from Doug MacKenzie at Belmont Wheelworks.

Ordering the bike was also a great experience. I asked for a tire upgrade, a headset upgrade, and a decal deletion, and all three were done exactly as I wanted. On top of that, the bike actually came early.

Don’t underestimate the impact of a complete website, an informative catalog, and quick and helpful replies to questions. In this case, they made the difference between us buying a used bike to be safe and taking the plunge on the bike we wanted (OK, I wanted the Speedster, but my fiancée had to draw the line somewhere). For most things, it is easy to start slowly and invest in equipment gradually. Having to make a $5,000 decision up front was very difficult for us (bike, couplers, and two cases), and one I could not make without doing enough research to feel comfortable. Your help and Doug’s attention were a huge help. I will definitely be recommending your bikes to my friends.

By the way, this is the prettiest bike I have ever seen. The cranberry red paint, the couplers, and the Co-Motion Logos are all perfect. I am particularly amused that people riding behind us will be able to read Co-motion down the stoker seat tube.

Thanks again for your help,

Stephen S.

Co-Motion

I just had to write and say how much I am enjoying my Co-Motion Espresso Co-Pilot. I received it in August 2004 and have ridden it many miles, including doing Seattle-Portland in 10 hr 45 min last summer.

It has been on 16 airline adventures with me and still does not have a scratch. I have gotten to the point I can pack it in 20 unrushed minutes and assemble it in 10 min. So easy and convenient.

I get tons of compliments on the two tone yellow-red fade paint job. Even the bike techs at Bike Gallery talk about how nice looking it is when I bring it by the shop.

I have two other bikes and the Co-Motion has the best ride. It is a little heavier than my Trek Carbon but unless I am doing lots of climbing the Co-Motion is my bike of choice.

The attention to detail the staff at Co-Motion put into building it is obvious.

Thanks for a great bike

Garry K.

I just had to write and tell you how pleased I am with my Co-Motion Espresso Co-Pilot. It is everything I hoped for and more. Purchased it through the Bike Gallery in Portland in July and it is just wonderful. The ride is perfect. I have it tricked out with full Dura-Ace triple with FSA cranks. It cruises the flats wonderfully and climbs almost as well as by carbon bike. The ride is significantly better than the carbon frame and the handling, especially on descents, is superb.

Best part is travel. Just got back from a trip to Chicago. Bike, softcase, and lots of clothing weighed in at the airport at 33 lbs. No hassles at check-in, getting a cab, etc. Bike came though without a scratch and just messing around it only took about 30 min to assemble. Packed up in 20 min and again was so easy to handle at the airport. Have winter trips planned to San Diego, LA, Santa Barbara and Phoenix and you can be sure the Co-Mo will be along for all the rides.

Great craftsmanship and I get complements on the paint job from everyone from hard core riders to people in hotel elevators.

Thanks for a great product.

Garry

Dear Dwan,

You may recall we conversed by phone shortly before my trip to Italy in May about some packing issues for my new Espresso Co-Pilot. I am back and wanted to express my extraordinary appreciation for your bike design and the construction (as well as the packing counsel).

We traveled with Chuck and Judy Nichols (Nichols Expeditions/Moab) who introduced me to your company years ago and still ride their Co-Mo tandem on all their trips. We started with 5 days on the island of Sardinia, then transferred by ferry/bus to finish with another 5 days of riding in Umbria and Tuscany. As you probably know, road quality and paving can be a little unpredictable in parts of Italy but that did not phase your bike. It has remained as comfortable and reliable a companion for dirt, gravel, mud, steep climbs and ridiculous descents, as it was for the well paved portions of the trip. We put in over 700 km…my body showing more signs of abuse than the bike ever did…I couldn’t wait to get on it every morning! As I transition back to my “other” bikes, I am noticing what a nice difference the “comfort” positioning made for my aging/post-surgical neck, so yes, the Co-Pilot may become more of a regular ride.

The bike, parts, wheels etc all survived the transport well, so thanks again for all your help. Take care and don’t be surprised if you hear from Chuck about a new bike pretty soon.

Buzz

“Buzz ” W

Sacramento, CA

Dwan,

I have to take the time to give you and your staff an appreciative ‘Thank You!’. I received my Espresso 2 weeks ago, last Saturday. Although I have only ridden it two times, I am very, very pleased with it! The appearance of it is visually stunning and has elicited a number of positive comments. Typically ‘Very nice paint job!’. The Black on White Mica makes for a very attractive bike.

The effort you and your staff made to get my bike deleivered to me (despite the efforts of Homeland Security) were exceptional. I will gladly promote your bicycles to anyone who is looking for a custom-made frame!

Sincerely,

Joe C.

Hi Co-Motion folks:

Just a note to let you know that I think that my Espresso is the best performing bike that I’ve ever owned. Hands down!

I have owned over 50 bikes in the past 10 years. From Moots and Litespeed, to Rivendell and Colnago… I’ve had them all (and money was no object). However, I just landed a fantastic deal on an Espresso (bought it used from a guy with 900 miles) and I cannot tell you how pleased I am with this steed. I’ve owned a Mocha Tandem for the past 2 years too and my family and I have ridden with great pride and pleasure (in Nova Scotia, Pr. Edward Island, New Brunswick, Penn., MD, VA, DC, etc.).

Your team makes fantastic bikes and I am so pleased to now own two of them. Thanks so much for making my passion an art.

Sincerely,
Jeff R.
Rockville, MD

Bought my Espresso in August from Two Wheel Transit here is Spokane. I have ridden 1,000 plus miles since.

The bike is awesome. I get compliments on it where ever I go, even from people riding Sevens, Merlins, and Serottas. The bike is so comfortable and the ride is smooth. I finally have found the antidote to chip-sealed roads.

Did I mention the bike is awesome?!

Mike W.
Spokane, WA

Hey,

This spring I had ordered an Espresso. I didn’t want to write a review after only a couple of rides so I’m writing now towards the end of a great season on the bike. I must say that the fit is wonderful and the handling and feel of the bike is superb. It strikes a great balance between stability and agility. Also, I had always experienced upper back pain and had always thought I needed a smaller bike. This bike is the largest frame with the longest top tube that I have ever owned but I find being more stretched out is more comfortable on long rides. I just wanted to thank you guys again and let you know that I’m a satisfied customer!

Thanks,
Jason

Alan:

Just wanted to give you a quick report on my inaugural trip (to Arizona March 2-17) with my new Co-Pilot. The packing went fine, thanks to your last minute suggestions. No questions from Northwest Airlines, my former employer, and the bike arrived in perfect shape in its soft case. Got the bike together more quickly than expected, then proceeded to ride over 1200 miles in 14 days at the annual Desert Bike Camp run by PAC Tour. Prior to the camp, I rode about 100 miles on the bike here in MN.

Other than the usual stretching of cables, the bike felt great, always smooth over the often rough roads of Arizona and New Mexico. The bike was the object of much admiration, from some people who knew immediately what it was and others who were fascinated and determined to get one or have couplers added to an older bike. Fred Matheny and Ed Pavelka (if you know the names) were present at the second week and were also suitably impressed by the Co-Pilot and its packing box. There were several other Co-Motions, including two tandems and a touring bike the first week and a single Espresso the second week. All the riders are huge Co-Motion fans. I also met another enthusiastic Co-Pilot owner who was arriving for the third week of camp just as I was leaving who said he had written an article (to appear in Bicycling?) about taking his bike on cruise ships. He said he has done it many times and will be offering suggestions and best/worst places for cycling where cruise ships typically call.

The rides in Arizona included lots of climbing, strong headwinds, and several long days, all of which tested the bike, and I was delighted that it performed just great!

Thanks again for your help with the bike.

Charles B.

Hi Alan et. al.,

As you may recall, I purchased a Co-Pilot in December. Since then it has been with me to several Caribbean Islands and several U.S. states. Most recently I rode it during the Desert Training Camp run by the Pac Tour folks in Arizona.

I just want to tell you that I love the bike more all the time. While heavier than my “competition” bike, it makes up for it in handling. It is the steadiest descender I have ever ridden. Since coming back from Desert Camp three weeks ago, I have not been back on my “main” bike and have no desire to do so!

I will be taking the Co-Pilot out to Ohio next weekend to do Calvin’s 12 Hour Challenge. I could care less about the 2.5 pound weight penalty….at least I know I am going to be comfortable. That may be more important in a 12 hour event.

Thanks,
Dave M.

Hey Alan,

Hope all is well with you. I have a bit of a problem that you hold some responsibility for. Georgene is soooo fast on her new Co-Motion that she passes GL and me on the downhill runs. Dang! What has her bike got that GL doesn’t? (We are naming her Co-Motion “SD” for Speed Diva.) I would appreciate your help with this situation!

Thanks.
Sara B.

Howdy.

I recently purchased my first Co-Motion custom built bicycle through Plano Cycling & Fitness.

Having logged more than 125,000 miles as a recreational cyclist, I expected a little bit of adjusting to the new ride.

Not only did I not have to go through any adjustment period, I rode it for the first time with no aches and pains. That may not sound like a big deal, but my first ride was 100 miles. You can read the whole story on my website. The link is attached below.

Thanks for building an excellent bicycle. I plan to ride it for many years to come.

Mike

Just dropping you a line to express my complete satisfaction with my new Espresso. I bought it through Hutch’s in Eugene a few months ago. I have over 1000 miles on it so far and this is the best bike purchase I have ever made. The craftsmanship… paint, welds and attention to detail are truly top notch. I have not seen a finer crafted bike. But the best part is the ride. It’s indescribable! Very, very nice smooth and responsive (I think my wife is jealous of it). Here is a picture of my Espresso.

Cheers to Co-Motion and Hutch’s for making this a great cycling purchase.

Kevin P. H.

Philomath, OR

Alan,

Thanks again for putting together a great bike.
We had a wonderful experince on the Mocha the first ride out.

John Aldaya

We love the bike, no questions asked.
We have only put about 200 miles on it so far, but it is a lot of fun. In “road bike mode” with the light skinny wheels it is quite quick and responsive. Even though the bike weighs within a pound of what out old Santana did, it feels much lighter as far as how it handles and even feels like it accelerates (that might be due to the much lighter, smaller wheels). We put the fat tires on and rode 50 miles of crushed limestone this Sunday – what a hoot! I call it our “cycle-cross tandem.” We had a blast in the forest preserve trails around here.

I am still getting the stem height “dialed in” and finding that perfect position, but even Kristin notices how much better it handles corners and it does fit her better with the longer reach. You definitely have another believer here in Chicago!

I’m attaching phots from our virgin snow ride on the new bike – it was awesome! Check out the smile on Kristin’s face…

Troy H.

Hello Dwan,

The tandem arrived well in the Netherlands. It was assembled by van Herwerden and we took it nearly immediately on holidays. Fully packed with panniers front and rear and a Bob-trailer we did some 1500 km in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. Holidays was very good, no shortage of attention with two tandems. After 4 weeks we managed indeed to get the tandem in the suitcases and returned with most of our gear to Vietnam. Here we assembled the tandem again, and from the past weeks it is taken out by my wife and I for early morning and weekend rides.

The Co-Motion is doing very well. It might be slightly less stiff than the Cannondale, but it’s a much more smooth and soft ride. And the position on the tandem, for both of us, seems better. Happy to inform you that we are not regretting our purchase for a second!

Thanks for producing such a well balanced and well finished bicycle. Thanks for your help and best regards, Felix

Hey Alan!!

I just wanted to tell you and the rest of your co workers how much I like my new bike! I only have a couple hundred miles on it but it feels great! It is stable, strong, smooth, and it fits like I was born on it. Wow! The components are perfect, and the workmanship is truly astonishing. It is a pleasure in every way. It also is not too hard to move along reasonably fast. It’s like a bradley fighting vehicle with a coy turn of speed.

Ok..enough, but thanks so much. I’ll be back for a road bike soon.

Gordon M.

I have had my Americano for 5 years now and have crossed the USA from sea to sea twice. I have also toured extensively in the UK and European continent. Last year my son Ryan also purchased an Americano and we toured together through the French alps. I continue to be amazed at the bike’s durability and reliability. The rock solid tandem construction allows the transport of heavy loads on high speed descents with total confidence. Through many thousands of heavily loaded touring miles, I have never broken a spoke, thanks to the 145mm rear spacing and symetrical spoke design of the rear wheel. The S&S couplers eliminate much of hassle of airline transport.

Yes this bike is top end in terms of price, and it should be! The exeptional craftsmanship and attention to detail make it worth every penny! Thank you for making such a wonderful product available!

Sincerly,
Bob and Ryan T.

My name is Larry, and I live in Jacksonville, Florida. I’ll be 61 this year (2005) and I’m recently retired. I retired early so that I could do some of the things that I’ve always wanted to do but never had the time. One of them is riding my bicycle across the United States. And that is what I’m getting ready to do during the spring/summer of 2005.

Dear Co-Motion:

On the seventh day, God rested. And on the eighth day, God made my Americano Co-Pilot. I just know it. This is the ultimate bicycle in the Universe. Tim Patterson, who sold my wife and I these bikes at Chain Reaction Cycles in Tennessee, was absolutely right when he said that I would never want to get on another bike again, once I rode this one. I bought it for touring, but in the past week or so since it arrived, I’ve mostly ridden it around Tallahassee on various errands and on a couple of pleasure rides (you know, just to “break it in”.) Heaven. Pure heaven. I’ve already sold my beloved old Raleigh (it went to a good home.)
I don’t know if it’s those big fat Conti Top Touring tires or the geometry or what, but this bicycle is s-m-o-o-t-h. And it loves to go fast. And turn fast. I’ve never taken turns so fast, but this bike corners like it’s on rails, so why bother slowing down for a little ol’ turn?
One more thing about those tires. Yesterday I heard a “clicking” sound and I checked my tires at a red light. I pulled a 1/2” staple out of the rear tire—it was in far enough that I had to use my pocket knife to pry it loose. So far the tire has as much air in it as ever. Evidently these tires just can’t be bothered with little things like road trash.

Riding home tonight from the bookstore under a clear-starred moonlit sky (I’m a little ashamed to put such a magnificent bicycle to such humble use, but I just can’t stop myself from riding it at every opportunity), it occurred to me that this is the ultimate bicycle in the Universe. I just thought I’d share that with you. The bicycle is beautiful—flawless paint and fillet brazing, and the coupler lugs are works of art against the deep green paint. You folks at Co-Motion are true craftsmen. Thanks for doing it right. To paraphrase Jack Nicholson, this bike makes me want to be a better bicyclist….

Best wishes, DeWayne
Tallahassee FL

Dwan

Thanks for making ‘Max’ a reality. Our Co-Motions are the most comfortable rides we’ve ever had.

Clive was able to join me for 5 1/2 of the 10 weeks of the Northern Tier route.

Wishing you Great Riding and Wonderful Adventures.

Louise R.
Vail CO.

Dwan,

It’s been almost a year since you guys built my Americano. I’ve put about 5000 miles on it since then, although ironically, none of them on tours. However, I did the STP this year in two days on it with an average speed of about 18 miles an hour both days. At the moment, the trusty steed is seeing daily duty getting me the 14 miles each way to and from work. Hands down, it is the most comfortable bike I’ve owned in 20 years of cycling. Sad to say, I may never have need to buy another bike again.

However, I have serious plans for the bike. I’ve decided to try combining my loves of mountain climbing and cycling. I’m going to try loading all my stuff onto my bike and riding it to the base of the mountains I intend to climb this year. At the moment, I plan on riding my bike from Portland to the base of Mt. Hood and (later in the year) Mt. Adams, summiting, then riding home. I hope to send you some kick ass photos of me, my beloved bike with all my climbing gear (ice axe, crampons, et al.) hanging off it.

Thanks for making such as bad ass bike.
Sean H.

Thanks to all of you for making our bicycle trip from Seattle to San Francisco such a success. You’re a great team. To the folks at Co-Motion, our two Americano-Co-Pilots were superb. No bike problems whatsoever - not even a flat! When we were done with the trip, we rented a car and easily fit the bikes in the trunk for the return drive home. Also, thanks for the tour of your factory when we stopped by on the way back to Seattle.

To Tom and his assistants at B.I. Cycles on Bainbridge Island, Washington, the bikes fit perfectly and your service was outstanding. Without a doubt yours is our favorite bike shop.

To the folks at Arkel, our front and rear panniers worked great. They were easy to get on and off and the pockets made for easy storage. We’ll be getting the pannier covers for our next trip, however. We had two days of very wet weather in Oregon.

To the folks at Adventure Cycling routes and maps, your maps were heavenly. We always knew exactly where we were. The tips on the back regarding motels and other services were great.

Again, thanks for your dedication to bicycling. It’s a great way to travel.

Harv F. and Margie O’.
Seattle

Greetings to all at Co-Motion:

I just wanted to comment on my new Americano. The bike is,in a word, flawless. It is nice to know that craftsmanship still exists in our world. Thanks for doing such a great job. My only problem is now my wife wants one.

All the best, Paul S. (purchased through Cycles Plus in Huntington, New York)

Hey you Bicycle Building Gods!

The Co-Motion Americano is the gift to all mankind for pleasureable touring, even when the road is 60% climbing in the rain - and hail - uphill through the snow - with bare feet and my brother sitting on my rear rack!! Seriously - the bike handled beautifully over hill and dale. - THANK YOU for the bike of my dreams!!

Renee G.

Dwan,

I have been meaning to send you a note for some time expressing my complete satisfaction with the Custom touring bike you built for me in 1999. I have ridden it about 10,000 miles so far including 900 miles in the UK in the fall of 1999, towing an Ian Schultz trailer and this year I traveled 800 miles across Oregon and Washington and most recently 565 miles and 70,000 feet of elevation over 16 passes along the Route des Grandes Alpes in France from Lake Geneva to Menton on the Mediterranean. The bike drew attention from other cyclists, initially because of its large size, but then they typically commented upon the quality of the construction. The S&S couplers work well and are trouble free. I have broken the bike down three times for airplane flights.

Here is a photo of me with the bike atop Col de Telegraph.

Steve C.

Hi Alan,

I have been riding my Americano for several weeks now and I love it. It is extremely stable and very smooth to operate. I have about 400 miles on it and I am training to take it on a loaded tour from Denver to Lincoln, Ne. on June 15th. About 500 miles. I rode it this evening for 40 miles with about 30 lbs of gear and will increase it to about 50 lbs and I was amazed at how well the bike performed. I think that the Tubus racks are also great. The bike I have used since 1985 is a Trek 720 touring bike. There is no comparison. It never felt stable past 30 mph and quite often the front wheel would start to shimmy bad. I felt extremely comfortable at 40 mph with the Americano. The only problem I had was a flat front tire on the first ride and a flat rear tire on the 2nd ride. I changed the tire and added a tuffy liner because I hate flats and rarely have any. However this was no problem. Pat and Lynn at the Tandem cycle works have been a lot of help and I enjoy doing business with them.

Thanks,
Vern E.

Hi Alan,

I ordered an Americano Co-pilot a few weeks ago and I just picked it up last night. It’s freaking beautiful! And it’s a great fit. Thanks to everyone at Co-motion for making a great touring bike.

I am really impressed with the bike, it’s beautiful, and I can’t wait to hit the road with it. Thanks for a great bike.

Best,
John

(This is a little long but it’s very thorough)

I was in the bike business in CA for 17 years and had built my own touring bike in 1959 as their were none on the market at that time. That bike, now worn out, needed to be replaced and I surfed the markets for a long time and couldn’t find, what I considered, the perfect tourer. After seeing an ad in Adventure Cycling’s Mag about Co-Motion’s Americano I deciced to check it out. I contacted the factory in Oregon, talked with some of the staff there and after learning what I needed, they refered me to Charlie Wade of Sun Coast bikes here in Central Florida. I went to his shop and was really impressed with his operation and knowledge of cycling and finally found what I considered to be the perfect touring bike. I do a fully loaded self contained type of touring and needed a powerfully built bike as I carry 80 to 100 lbs. of equiptment on my bike and I HATE things that break!

The Americano, built with tandem construction, components & wheels that come with your choice of 40 or 48 spokes gives the bike all the strength needed to carry any amount of weight, and with a real gear range that will get you over anything in your path, it handles and gives a ride that’s second to none. I ordered my Americano with 48 spokers and was very glad that I did as my first tour on this bike was the summer of 2001 and was a very rough and tough ride covering every type of road surface and non surface in existance. 7,841 miles of a grueling gut busting ride from Fairbanks, AK to Key West, FL I put this bike over, under, around, through and in and out of every imaginable condition you can think of and other than 3 flats I had zero problems. I put 1200 miles on the bike, fully loaded, before departing on my tour then I then pulled the wheels and trued them to within .0025” using a dial indicator on my trueing stand. Using 48 spoke wheels and really top quality rims this degree of trueness is not hard to achieve. Also I find by using 48 spoke wheels the spokes do not need to be tensioned as tight, as lesser spoked wheels, and this helps eliminate the problem of both rim and spoke breakage.

I never had to adjust or replace anything on the bike the whole way and on returning home I rechecked the wheels and found that the front was unchanged and the rear was now out of true to only .0045” That relates to the thickness of a razorblade folks. I met 4 other riders on this tour who were also riding Americano’s and we discussed our bikes at length and I found that they were having the same great expierence as I was. Only one fellow had a complaint about his Americano, seems he was riding with a group of 6 others and after bragging so much about his bike everyone else wanted to try it out to see what all the hipe was about, then after letting each of them ride it for a day he had to almost fight to get it back. I can understand his delema as I have loaned mine out a couple of times and have had a hard time getting it back. The only thing I did to my Americano on the whole tour, was every 2 weeks I would clean and service the drive train. Temps from freezing to 105 deg., downhills to almost 60 mph and climbs of 18% thru rain, hail and snow NOT ONE thing broke or needed adjustment. And to top all this off I purchased my Americano with frame couplings and for the first time in my life I took my bike, broke down in a suitcase, and it flew as regular luggage and didn’t cost me a dime extra.
Am I now a very happy peddle pusher? You can bet on it!!

What a ride, what a bike and what a great bunch of bike builders we have at Co-Motion. My hats off to all of you out there in Oregon for seeing to it that those of us out here in the touring world now have a real choice to purchase exactly what’s needed to get the job done and get it done right. So thanks again for a great bike and keep doing it right.

Yours in the world of cycling .......... Jerry C.

Greetings to all at Co-Motion:

All the best, Paul S. (purchased through Cycles Plus in Huntington, New York)

I just thought I’d show you that I found the time to take my new Co-Motion bike on a relatively short but worthy trip up the Icefields Parkway in the Canadian Rockies. Great experience. No problems, of course.

I almost found out how well the Americano would hold up in a broadside collision with an enormous black bear. He didn’t look both ways before crossing the road. I was enjoying the solitude of a quiet side road and studying my map case while pedaling. Fortunately I looked up to see the wall of fur before the point of impact. The brakes worked. The bear freaked and headed for the woods.

Bruce S.