Type: Road Touring 27-speed
Purchased: November 2001 from Village CycleSport
Made: Oregon, U.S.A.
Frame: Steel
Components: Shimano Ultegra front derailleur, Shimano XTR rear derailleur, RaceFace cranks and chainrings (46-34-24), Chris King headset, Avid Single Digit 7 brakes, DT Hugi hubs with Dyad Velocity 40-spoke wheels, S+S Couplings
Additions: Speedplay Frog pedals, Terry Liberator saddle, Tubus racks, SKS fenders. Shown with Arkel panniers and REI mapholder/bar bag.
I love this bike! Everything is just right. It feels good, it rides great, and it took me all the way across America with nary a complaint. Better known for their tandem bikes, Co-Motion made the wise decision to incorporate their heavy duty tandem tubing into a single bike for loaded touring. They also had the intelligence to give it the proper gearing straight from the factory, unlike most "touring" bikes. Although this was a custom bike, the only change I made from their standard offering was to switch from bar-end shifters to STI, Shimano's integrated shifting and braking levers. With stock equipment like a Chris King headset and an XTR rear derailleur, why change anything else?
Although it looks like a racing bike (or road bike, or "ten-speed"), there are some significant differences. Most importantly, it has low gearing (like a mountain bike) to haul the heavy load up hills. There are also differences in the frame geometry, most notably a more upright seating position and longer chainstays to keep the rear panniers out of the way of my heels. I had S+S Couplings installed so that the frame can be disassembled for packing. This has also been a handy way to fit the bike inside a car (and away from the rain, bugs, etc.) on a long trip. I use Speedplay Frog pedals, mountain bike pedals with the benefit of recessed cleats. That makes them ideal for the frequent stops of a touring cyclist.
2002 Coast To Coast Bicycle Tour (3,053M)
2002 Galesburg weekend (3 rides, 200M)
2003 Horribly Hilly Hundred (67.6M)
2003 Major Taylor Ride To Remember (70.8M)
2003 Las Vegas Century (80.4M)
Copyright © 2002-2013 David Johnsen. All rights reserved.