Co-Motion Deschutes

When our customers have asked for a "classic steel touring bike", and wanted something American-made, the choices were somewhat limited. Now Co-Motion has added an excellent new model with plenty of value.

The Descheutes brings stable handling and rugged construction for rides across town or across the country. Double-butted cro-moly steel tubing gives the Deschutes a light, springy feel over rough and choppy pavement. The long wheelbase and relaxed frame geometry adds a stable handling quality, especially when tackling broken pavement, gravel trails and fire roads. The Deschutes boasts rack mounts, fender mounts and three (yes, three) bottle mounts for expedition-level touring. If you're into old-school full-length frame pumps, there's a pump peg at the back of the head tube. There's even a kickstand mounting plate doubling as a seat stay bridge. The cro-moly unicrown fork also features eyelets for fenders and front low-rider racks, improving carrying capacity and weight distribution when front panniers are used. An upright fit allows a wider range of riders -and rider flexibilities- to get comfortable on multi-day trips. Five stock sizes give plenty of riders an excellent overall fit.

The drivetrain of the Deschutes brings a massive gearing range to the table, pairing an FSA Omega 46/30T crankset and an 11-40T cassette for loaded touring. Yes, that's a very low 30T chainring and 40T cassette low gear for those 15+% grades and fully loaded panniers. TRP Spyre cable-operated disc brakes with 160mm rotors boast plenty of stopping power, even in wet and rainy conditions. Loaded touring requires stong wheels, and the Deschutes' handbuilt alloy Alex ATD 490 rims are more than up to the task. 700x32c Continental Ultrasport tires add low rolling resistance and a comfortable ride, but even wider rubber can be added for rough gravel and jeep double-track roads. An FSA Gossamer stem, Omega Compact handlebar, 31.6 alloy seatpost and Selle Italia XR Flow saddle completes the cockpit of this outstanding handcrafted beauty.