Double Magazine Reviews Co-Motion's Primera ... - Co-Motion Cycles

Review-Co-Motion's Primera http://www.co-motion.com/Pridblmag.html
Double Magazine reviews Co-Motion's Primera
Tandem
Originally published in the Spring 2002 issue of Double Magazine
Photos by Candace Feeland are from the original review
Road Test - Co-Motion Primera - "Double dating on a budget" Double Magazine Spring 2002
BACK IN 1988 TWO FRAME-BUILDERS NAMED Dwan Shepard and Butch
Boucher threw a party. At this party, a freshly built tandem was placed on
a table and friends were invited to help the entepreneurial pair come up
with a name for their new company. A few cold ones and a hundred
suggestions later Co-Motion Cycles was born.
Co-Motion has been building bicycles ever since, and its tandems have
made it famous well outside this initial circle of friends. This party, it
seems, was just getting started.
Fast forward to 2001. Co-Motion¹s tandem models had gotten better every
year- but they were also getting more expensive. Co-Motion had refined
its tandem line beyond the price range of many new tandem teams and,
as of last year, the only new Co-Motions available for less than three
grand didn¹t provide seating for two.
Not wanting to turn their backs on impoverished and well-deserving
tandem teams, these warmhearted frame builders from Oregon decided to
add another, less expensive, tandem to their line. But instead of insulting
one of their current frames with budget components, they decided to take
another approach to making a more affordable Co-Motion. Constructing a
very Speedster-like frame using a variety of cost-saving materials and
methods, they were able to build a less expensive tandem that still
performed well enough to earn its Co-Motion decals. The end result is the
$2795 Primera.
The Primera's frame tubing, while not the air-hardened steel of the higher
end Co-Motions (such as the Supremo or Speedster) is a far cry from
1 of 3 5/20/08 10:54 AM

Review-Co-Motion's Primera http://www.co-motion.com/Pridblmag.html
some no-name tubes you¹d be embarrassed to introduce to your friends.
In fact, the Primera¹s heat-treated steel tubes are the very same ones
used on Co-Motion¹s coupled tandems (such as the Co-Pilot and the new Mocha S&S). And yes, they even share the
same triple-butting that we've come to expect from its higher end.
But alas, new pipes alone doth not make this frame a Primera. A host of subtle differences add up to saving the
Primera tandem buyer $700 compared to its closest relative, the Co-Motion Speedster. The first thing you¹ll notice is
that slip-on seat clamps reside atop the seat tubes in place of brazed-on collars (found on every other steel-framed
Co-Motion). Anytime you eliminate brazing, you eliminate lots of production cost in building a frame. Following through
with this less brazing = less cost philosophy, Co-Motion has simplified their brazed and sculpted rear dropout to a
welded-on version for the Primera. Also, the famous Co-Motion tandem fork has been given a similar treatment in place
of the brazed dropouts found on its more expensive siblings. (Welding aside, the Primera fork is identical.)
In the wake of all this Primerafication we were delighted to find that all of the functional braze-ons are still present and
accounted for. Expect to find four bottle mounts, plenty of rack and fender eyelets, a drum brake pac-man and the
cutest little pump peg we've ever seen. Need more bits? The Primera can be outfitted with most any additional braze-on
your heart desires. Just keep in mind we¹re on a budget here.
While many will argue that the ride is the reason people buy a Co-Motion, it¹s the paint that can make it such a
satisfying purchase. For 2002, Co-Motion has 30 stock colors to choose from (and countless more, should you choose
to pay extra). The Primera, being the newest member of the family, is entitled to this same treatment at no extra cost,
but by using the ever popular "because we can" philosophy we added a two-color fade and $95 to the cost of our
Primera to blend Tropical Green into Lemon-Lime. Looks good, no?
Fortunately the parts that have been hung on the Primera didn't detract from our new Sprite-like finish. Cost savings in
frame construction have kept component downgrades to a minimum. The FSA Gossamer crankset is an acceptable
substitution for the RaceFace cranks found on the Speedster and contribute to the lower retail price of the Primera. The
black powdercoated arms are available in your choice of 170 and 175mm lengths and use ISIS Drive (splined) FSA
Ultimax Extreme bottom brackets.
Shimano 105 STI shifters make a fine place to rest our grubby paws, and are FlightDeck compatible should you
choose. Out back, an XT rear derailleur rearranges chain on the nine-speed 11-32 LX cassette. The wheelset, available
in 36, 40 or 48 spokes (your choice upon ordering), is identical to those found on the Speedster and uses a Hugi
hubset and Velocity Dyad rims. Even the Salsa skewers remain. Very chi-chi, indeed.
DOUBLEUPS:
Looks and rides like
the more expensive
Speedster
Customers may
choose spoke count,
crankarm lengths and
handlebar
widths/style
30 stock colors to
choose from and
optional fades are
beeyooooteeful
DOUBLEDOWNS:
Recent Speedster
buyers may be a little
jealous
LX cassette limited to
11-32
Long list of
hard-to-resist
component and paint
upgrades can make it
expensive
When departing on the Primera for the first time we were pleased to discover that "the
ride" is still there. Despite the Primera¹s differences in construction methods, geometry of
the frame and fork is identical to Co-Motion¹s higher-brow models, resulting in superb
road manners. First timers of this tandem brand may feel some initial parking lot
twitchiness as they get used to the relatively shorter rake and longer trail numbers that
make this a Co-Motion.
After the parking lot tour we embarked onto real roads and proceeded to get acquainted.
The 21/18 (size small) is a great fit for our 5'6" and 5'8" captains, who logged most of the
miles on our Primera. The captain's Deda handlebar is ergo shaped and can be ordered in
42, 44 or 46cm widths. The captain¹s Ritchey threadless open-faced stem can be flipped
quickly to change the amount of rise and, thus, reach so we had no problem finding a
combination that made us comfy. (Those still lamenting the loss of quill stems have not
spent enough time experimenting with threadless stems and spacers.)
Shimano 105 STI shifters do a fine job of snicking us back up to cruising speeds and we
applaud Co-Motion for keeping good STI levers present in the face of cost savings.
Beginning tandem teams (likely to be purchasing this tandem) will benefit from the
hands-on-hoods-while-shifting control these levers afford. Yes, some still argue that STI
isn¹t perfect but, hey, if you started removing all the controversial elements from today¹s
tandems then stokers would be forced to pedal alone.
During our outings on the Primera, 5' to 5'8" stokers
had plenty of room to rearrange the furniture, which
some of us chose to do. The stoker¹s adjustable
stem allows 25mm of range, though some wished for
the additional hand positions of a rear drop bar and
(um, no offense) dummy-levers. Just so you know,
drops can be subbed in place of the default bullhorn
bar, upon ordering, for no additional cost. Very
2 of 3 5/20/08 10:54 AM

Review-Co-Motion's Primera http://www.co-motion.com/Pridblmag.html
thoughtful.
Mashing pedals on the flats, the Primera greeted us with rewarding forward
momentum and little, if any, distraction resulting from frame flex or tail wagging
(other than a happy stoker). Open-minded fans of aluminum stiffness shouldn¹t be
disappointed with this steel frame. Granted, most of the teams who rode our
Primera weighed in under 325 pounds, but none of us required kiddie-crank
adapters, so I think we¹re legit in our claim of it delivering adequate stiffness.
Climbing out of the saddle together, we found the Primera to deliver a solid
platform to work from.
Some teams may envision spinning out the largest FSA 53T chainring on the
descents, a bit sooner than the 54T found on most other (RaceFace chainring
equipped) Co-Motions but we're not as studly as we'd like to be so unfortunately it
wasn't an issue.
Fast descents mark the moments when we were won over by this tandem. The
faster we went the more we were impressed with this tandem¹s stability. Feeling
more like a heavy single than a tandem, most teams were coaxed into higher
speeds on their first outings. Leaning the Primera into a fast turn, the frame
maintains its steadfast composure and is quick to earn our confidence. The
Primera gets high marks for cornering and descending.
Avid cantilever brakes got the job done, but the Travel Agent adapters (to
increase the amount of cable pulled by the non-V brake levers) cause a little
vagueness in the feedback department. Ultimately we found that, despite what
some of us felt was a mushy feel in the levers, as the pads wore in, the brakes
felt (and worked) better.
The drivetrain, while not as silent as some Ultegra equipped equivalents, was
smooth shifting and hassle-free. The FSA cranks make use of 42T timing chain
rings and after three months of frequent riding the black finish of the crank arms
remains unscathed. The front timing chain ring is the first to come into contact
with the ground when the front wheel is removed, so use care when changing a
roadside flat. If the 11-32 cassette has you wishing for something lower on the
climbs, you¹ll have to upgrade to XT in order to get the lower Shimano 11-34.
The Co-Motion branded saddles work as well as they need to, but since your butts
are different than ours (something you should be grateful for) we¹ll let your cheeks
draw their own conclusions. Zoom seatposts with the little adjustment wheel for
saddle tilt are functionally and aesthetically pleasing and (at this price) hard to beat.
While the Primera does have a lot in common with the nicely brazed and slightly better equipped Speedster, we doubt
that sibling rivalry will be an issue in the Co-Motion household. A potential Primera owner is more likely comparing it to a
less expensive (non-Co-Motion) tandem, but may decide to spend a little more to possess the Co-Motion "ride" and
have access to more component and paint options. Plus, for those steel-lovers amongst us, we found that this tandem
provides more personality than some of its fat-tubed competition, without compromising frame stiffness.
Overall we came away impressed, and the fit and finish is typical Co-Motion, which means very good. We got a lot of
well-deserved compliments on this tandem. The Primera lowers the cost of C0-Motion ownership, and still lets you reap
the benefits. After replacing the stock saddles with our personal favorites, we had a tough time coming up with any
components that cried out for immediate upgrading. But should you decide to make component changes, the Primera
frame will make you feel good about your investment.
At $2795, the 2002 Primera is two sets of pedals away from being money well saved.
(END OF REVIEW)
Note: For current pricing and specifications, please refer to the Primera page.
To request our printed catalog or correspond by email, click here.
3 of 3 5/20/08 10:54 AM