Thoughts on Co-Motion bikes?
 

I don't hear much about them around here. The tandems are very well regarded. They sure are expensive!

I lust for a Norwester w/ S&S Couplers (co-pilot option) for winter commuting and traveling. I worked at a shop in Raleigh that sold the Co-Motion tandems and they are in fact beautiful machines. I also saw their singles at the Seattle Bike Expo this past spring and want one badly. I think that'll be my next bike purchase.

Yeah, their bikes look gorgeous. I also think it's pretty cool that they are made by hand in Oregon. Are they roughly comparable to someone like Rivendell?

I had a Ristretto.
Loved it.

We have a Co-Motion Robusta, which we like a lot. We've been to the factory, and met the owner. They're nice people, they do quality work, and they have a reputation for honoring their warranty.

That said, they're a niche builder. I would definitely look at Co-Mo for a tandem, loaded tourer, perhaps a cross bike. For a mainstream road bike, I think you may find better options elsewhere.

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i1...wart/deb-1.jpg

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z...e/P4130350.jpg

I absolutely love mine. Beautiful welds, wonderful geometry and the fact they sell them with the S&S coupler system is great. They custom made a fork for my bike to help me get some extra storage on a tour I did. Great people to deal with.

http://img809.imageshack.us/img809/8712/img3808o.jpg
By nachomanh at 2011-01-02
+1 on the tandem aspect of co-motion cycles.

Beautiful bike.

But isn't that steel?

It is steel, but the Litespeed Ti seat post keeps my username honest.

I've got a CoMotion tandem, price seems comparable to other reasonable-quality tandems. (On a recent rando ride, we had 6 bikes, two tandems, 1 recumbent, and 3 single bikes. I'm pretty sure my tandem was the cheapest bike there that day.)

I've ridden with a guy a few times that has a CoMotion single, he likes it, but that's about all I know about it.