MBW is proud to sell bikes from
Brompton
made in England folding bikes for your multi-modal adventures
you love to tour and tandem, why not love your bike too?
as a bicycle touring and tandem focused shop, we aim to offer cyclists of all experience levels a fun place to visit and a place to indulge their inner bike adventurers and with our partnership with Co-Motion Cycles we are able to offer our customers what in our opinion are the finest handmade-in-the-USA tandem and single touring bikes.
in case you aren't already in the know, Co-Motion is a storied bike maker out of Eugene, Oregon filled with friendly folks who have been producing dream machines at the absolute pinnacle of touring and tandem design for over 30 years.
for just a little more than the cost of a production bike made by thousands on an assembly line, you can ride a truly handmade American bike brought to life with heart and craft. their ready to ride, single bikes start at $2,995 and their tandems start at $3,695 (Oct 2024). while the initial cost of riding a Co-Motion may be slightly more aspirational than some of the other more production oriented touring lines we carry, you won't find another maker anywhere who can deliver completely such customizable tandems and singles at more reasonable prices.
for all a list of all their models, customization options and prices, visit Co-Motion's website or reach out to us and we'll be happy to start guiding you down the path to cycling nirvana.
some of our favorite drivetains
we love all the choices Co-Motion offers. here's just a few pictures of some of our favorite Co-Mo drivetrains we've built up in the shop for some very lucky customers. top tip for the nitty gritty on all the awesome drivetrain options and why you may want to consider something other than a traditional chain and derailleur, see the section below titled: what can I customize on my dream Co-Motion?
Americano: no matter if you have us build it with a Rohloff Speedhub, Pinion Gearbox or a traditional drivetrain, the Americano is the touring bike for those who are called to quit their job and ride across country. purpose built as the ultimate road tourer no matter the crosswind you have to endure or the load you hang on it. we built this one equipped with a Rohloff Speedhub and Gates Carbon Belt drive.
click for Americano pricing and build options.
Divide: though it also makes a wonderful road touring bike, the Divide was designed to gobble up mixed-surface, gravel and looser conditions with ease. it fits fatter tires than the Americano (up to 2") and can roll over terrain that would bog down more traditional touring bikes. we built this one equipped with the ultra-wide geared (read: the easiest gearing of any style drivetrain) Pinion P1.18 Gearbox and Gates Carbon Belt drive.
click for Divide pricing and build options.
Pangea: the world traveling touring bike for folks who prefer the standover clearance offered and easy of part sourcing that comes with riding 26" wheels. our customer asked us to equipped this one with the ultra-wide geared (read: the easiest gearing of any style drivetrain) Pinion P1.18 Gearbox and Gates Carbon Belt drive. he also wanted S&S Couplers so that he could quickly and easily pack the entire bike downn into a single suitcase. add in Jones Loop bars opposed to the stock drop bars for more a more upright riding position and a cockpit with multiple hand placement options and you're really cooking now. also not the steerstop to keep that front wheel from flopping when you have panniers on it as well as the polished dropouts, polished couplers, the pathfinder light and usb charing options, that custom fade paintjob and a one of a kind quick disconnect dropper post to make getting on and off the bike that much easier as the years roll by.
click for Pangea pricing and build options.
Deschutes: if anyone else makes a sub $3k (Oct 2024) handmade in the USA touring bike we'd like to hear about it! this one was equipped with STI shifters, a traditional chain and derailleur'd drivetrain ready to roll. just add racks, bags and start pedalling to the sun. click for more info about the Deschutes.
Klatch: want a sporty gravel bike that can also be racked and bagged out for fast road and hard packed dirt rides? if so, check out Co-Motion's new Klatch which accepts full racks for lighter touring jaunts, modern wider / supple tires and racy gravel grinding geometry. available with a Whiskey carbon fork from stock or upgrade to a Rodeo Adventure Labs Spork or even a Lauf suspension fork. heck, there are precious few gravel bikes which can also be spec'd out to run a Pinion Gearbox with a Gates Carbon Belt drivetrain, but the Klatch can. the build we did in the photo above is with a traditional derailleur'd drivetrain, a Spork painted to match the frame, S&S couplers and a suitcase to pack the bike into to make it easy to carry a full-size bike with you on your round-the-world jaunts. btw, this one did just that on 4 continents over the span of 10 months! a lovely, supple, gravel bike. [note: we don't keep one of these in stock, but we'd be happy to order you one.]
click for Klatch pricing and build options.
Klatch: another lovely coupled Klatch with Co-Mo's Co-Pilot option which adds on S&S couplers. our remit was to create a sporty yet touring capable gravel adventure bike. this one was blessed with the lovely metallic Pink Champagne (Co-Mo paint code #16) on the hand-brazed-by-Bob-the-brazer frame and a color matched Enve fork. when this bike was first rolled into the sun, all our jaws dropped. swit! swoo! [note: we don't keep one of these in stock, but we'd be happy to order you one.]
click for Klatch pricing and build options.
Klatch: an Angry Orange (Co-Mo paint code #238) painted Klatch with both S&S couplers for easy shipping and Shimano's premier GRX adventure gravel groupset. so many reasons to choose a Co-Motion and so many reasons why we love Klatchs (or should that be Klatchi?) this one was ridden on the carriage roads of Acadia 12 hours after it was picked up and off to Norway for a European touring adventure a few weeks after. how about them apples? [note: we don't keep one of these in stock, but we'd be happy to order you one.]
click for Klatch pricing and build options.
why we love Co-Motion Cycles...
at MBW, we dig bike makers that think the same way we do.
in fact, we go out of our way to find makers who like to swim against the ever encroaching tide of bike commoditization. when we pick up the phone and order a Co-Motion tandem or single for a customer, our friends in Eugene, Oregon don't just walk in the back of some cavernous warehouse stuffed with bike boxes stacked floor to ceiling* from the far flung reaches of the globe which have been gathering dust until someone randomly clicks submit in a virtual shopping cart. instead, that same call starts a conversation between our counterparts at Co-Motion and ourselves where we discuss what our customer is looking to get out of their next n+1 and ends a few months later when real American craftswomen and men turn raw steel tubes into riding works of art for that one specific customer.
with the exception of one or two of their most popular entry level rides which are built in batches of 3's and 5's, Co-Motion cycles specs out, brazes, paints and accessories each and every bike with a particular person (or peoples in the case of their tandems) in mind. over the last thirty years, they have perfected the process of creating steel bikes which really have no peer in the small space in which their operate.
because they have three decades worth of putting people on their bikes, we will consult with them frequently on the best way to outfit your new ride. when we have a question about which will be the perfect size or model or build package for you, we simply pick up the phone and speak to an Oregonian to figure out the best way forward.
likewise, they are often the first point of contact for someone looking for one of their tandem or single bikes and they will reach out to us to act as a showroom where their customers can touch, feel, ride, and chat up all things Co-Motion Cycles.
no matter whom you speak to first, MBW is the place where your frame will be built up with the same care and attention into a functional bicycle shaped object as the folks wielding the welding torches and paint spray guns gave it when it was in their hands.
we'd love to be the shop you decide to trust to build-up your next Co-Motion and we're only a click away from answering any initial questions you may have.
tandem inspiration anyone?
we'd love to get you out on your own custom tandemy n+2 :)
a Java built with S&S couplers (aka the Co-Pilot option in Co-Mo speak) and a Di2 electronic drivetrain: more about Java's in general... the tandem class winner of the 2019 Unbound 100 mile gravel race, Java's gobble up gravel and dirt yet stays highly efficient for long days on the pavement. the ability to run both skinny road racy tires or larger knobbies up to 2" makes the Java perfect tandem for touring New England and racing on our how should I put this? - less than perfect surfaces. let MBW build yours with drop bars and electronic shifting like the one we did above or go full adventure mode and have us flesh one out with upright Jones Bars for the ultimate in mixed-terrain control.
click for Java pricing and build options.
a Java with an 18 speed Pinion gearbox drivetrain?: yup! for the ultimate in low and easy gearing for grinding up hills fully-loaded. this beauty up with all the gearing inside vs. the external derailleurs and cassettes you see on traditional bikes. not only does the Pinion and three Gates Belts make the bike easy to use and maintain, it also eliminates all the most vulnerable parts for when you are adventuring off the beaten trail. along for the run are S&S Couplers, a customer stoker stem to get the rear rider a higher cockpit and a full package of titanium racks and dyno powered lighting. a true one of a kind vehicle which we hope will serve the new owners for many years to come. what about that paint job I hear you say? Co-Motion calls that fade 'milkshake', but we've christened it 'cookies and cream'. apt, methinks.
click for Java pricing and build options.
another S&S coupled Java: this one also has Di2 electronic shifting as well as Co-Mo's Pathfinder package which allows you to generate your own light and charge your USB devices (phone, garmin, GPS) while you ride. another.
click for Java pricing and build options.
another S&S coupled Java: this one also has Di2 electronic shifting and the Pathfinder package as well as polished dropouts, couplers, 3 pack rack braze-ons on the fork, Co-Mo's Max Adjust stem, Thudbuster (upgrade to the new one), 11-40t extended gearing in the back, leather Rivet saddles, kickstand plate, Brooks pleather tape, Rivendell canvas bags and upgrade to Rene Herse 700x55mm Antelope Hill tires.
click for Java pricing and build options.
another S&S coupled Java: this beauty went to a lovely couple who had big plans to get out and ride America's rail trails. We built it with front and rear pannier racks from day one and ensured it had as low as possible (ie easy!) mechanical gearing to allow them to carry the kitchen sink. we've since heard back from them with reports at how happy the stoker was to have chosen to go with the Thudbuster bump-minimizing seatpost - "essential" was her exact word for it. we loved their request for the SteerStop up by the stem to keep the front wheel from flopping over when the bike is parked - it sure makes taking pretty pictures of your bike easier! .
click for Java pricing and build options.
a Carrera: a go-fast road tandem that will enable you to go farther and more efficiently then ever before. a tapered headtube and Co-Motion carbon disc fork will ease the bumps for the captain and custom Reynolds air-hardened 631 steel will take care of the stoker. even though Carreras are designed to be lightweight, speedy bikes, they smartly come with rack braze-ons and fender mounts for rides where you want to stop and smell the roses opposed being first to arrive at the brewery lunch stop. .
click for Carrera pricing and build options.
a Bluebird: a sub $4k handmade in the USA tandem? sure - if you choose a Co-Motion Bluebird. a lovely riding road tandem that accepts up to 32mm tires, you'll be hard pressed to find a friendlier introduction to the world of road and smooth path tandeming than this. click for more info about the Bluebird.
a Steelhead with S&S couplers and wireless SRAM AXS drivetrain: this beaut of a bike was created for a father and daughter gravel racing team. custom machined stocker crank arm shorteners and super swept back bars allowed the stoker to ride an adult bike while she continues to grow into it. the S&S couplers make it easy to stash in the trunk of hatchback on the way to their races and the SRAM eTAP wireless AXS 1x12 drivetrain means no shifter cables to reconnect to start riding. of course the sweet steel blue (#10) to dark plum (#12) fade means they'll be racing in style. if you want to go fast on mixed surfaces, the Steelhead is your bike. click for more info about the Steelhead.
what can I customize on my dream Co-Motion?
the short answer is: pretty much everything. between Co-Motion who will wield the torches and braze your frame and ourselves as the bike shop who will bring the build to life, we can customize sizing, paint design, touch points, components - you name it. unlike more traditional brands, choosing which particular Co-Motion model you want is just the first of many choices you get to make in order to truly customize your dream bike. we'll help you with the sizing, so don't fret about that, but you also get to choose the color / style of paint, the color / style of decals and whether or not you want any of the extra accessories the wizards in Eugene have dreamed up.
like what accessories? lots of options here, but some of the more popular ones include generator front hubs so you can light up your path as well as charge a phone while riding, front and rear racks, extra fittings on the frames like kickstand plates or even the installation of S&S Couplings which allow you to reduce the size of your touring bike or tandem to fit within a small suitcase for easy traveling. check out the pic below to see a few of the parts that might make up your new bike.
the biggest choice most people will need to make however, pertains to the style of drivetrain they want to hang on the bike. 'what's a drivetrain?' I hear you ask. well, a drivetrain refer to the gears, cogs, chains and other things on your bike which propel you forward when you start to pedal. because 99% of the bike you see on the road or trail these days use traditional chain and derailleur set ups, you may not even be aware of the alternatives out there. we've outlined the three types below and you can click on each for some additional information including pro's and con's of each straight from the horse's mouth by our buddies at Co-Motion. don't worry about trying to absorb everything below, just get in touch and tell us you are open to trying something new and we'll ask you a few questions which will point you towards the one which makes the most sense for your style of adventuring (and your budget). while traditional chain and derailleur drivetrains aren't going away anytime soon, we love walking people through the benefits of the alternative drivetrain options out there - plus they're just damn cool to ride and play with!
S&S Couplers - aka 'Co-Pilot' option in Co-Mo speak
who needs a car rack? put your tandem or single bike in your trunk.
S&S Couplers rock: while you could certainly have your next tandem or single bike built without S&S couplers, take it from us, splash out on this option so that you can easily break it apart and put it safely in your car away from road grime and envious eyes. ask us to demo how our quickly our tandem comes apart and all will be revealed.
what's possible in 25 seconds?
check out us building a Co-Motion Cycles Bluebird tandem from scratch.
(btw, Bluebirds are handmade in Oregon and go for around $3k which is pretty unbelievable considering the time and artisanship that goes into each one. click here to see what Co-Motion has to say about this sexy bike.)
the rabbit hole
the next time you're sitting at a desk and pretending to work, get up-to-date with all things Co-Motion with the following resources:
- Co-Motion's website which lists models, options and prices
- looking for Co-Motion clothes, parts and accessories?
- Co-Motion's blog which has some cool info about their alternative drivetrains
- Co-Motion's Facebook page
- Co-Motion's Instagram account
- Co-Motion's YouTube channel
- Co-Motion Cycles Vimeo videos
- in-depth review videos about Co-Motion bikes
- tour of Co-Motion Cycles HQ by BicycleTouringPro
- BicycleTouringPro's (a fellow Co-Motion Cycles bike rider)'s YouTube channel