A Race Like No Other in a State Like No Other

Each summer in the southern Willamette Valley, Co-Motion Cycles hosts an event with a unique Oregon flair that you’ll find nowhere else. We’d like to extend our invitation for you to come and enjoy the Co-Motion Classic Tandem Stage Race (CCTR), the largest and arguably the very best tandem stage race in the world. Headquartered in Eugene Oregon, Co-Motion Cycles is a world-renowned manufacturer of tandem bicycles, or bicycles built for two. Tandem bicycles are growing in popularity as more people discover the exhilaration or the extra horsepower that can be of two people

This year, Co-Motion Cycles has exciting new road race and time trial routes lined up. Both new courses begin in the town of Coburg, a beautiful small town just north of Eugene known for its antique shops, RV manufacturing and quaint downtown.

The dates for this year’s CCTR are August 21-23. A full schedule, course descriptions and overview are posted on Co-Motion Cycles’ website. We’re looking forward to a great year for the CCTR, as the size of tandem racing participation has blossomed like sweet Willamette Valley fruit here in the Northwest. A generous helping of thanks to the regional surge in tandem a racing in this part of the country are due to Bend, Oregon resident Henry Abel, who took it upon himself to promote tandem racing via a flurry of email newsletters on his www.NWtandemRacing.com website.

One of the things we’ve grown to enjoy at the CCTR is seeing the familiar faces of the racers we’ve come to know as well as new participants each year. The event has taken on the feel of an extended family, where the beauty of the setting and the friendly Oregon spirit of our race organizers and volunteers has taken on an infectious quality that is completely immune to a cranky racers’ scowl!

There are many ways to enjoy the CCTR, and we’d like to encourage one and all to give one of these ideas a try…

1. Register to race! While we have world-class racers in our A category, beginners are welcome in the shorter, easier C category, which is especially designed to welcome parent/child tandem pairs. Wait, did you say you don’t have a tandem, but you do have a trailercycle (small attachable bike that hooks to parent’s bike) that you ride with your child? Great, you’re welcome to sign up too. You can even register for the C category if you’d like to get the feel of racing without actually racing. We simply ask that you allow those who are vying for competitive times to line up in front of you. Still unsure? Come on our free introductory ride, Friday evening before the races begin. Check out our website for details.
2. Volunteer! The safety of our racers on our beautiful Oregon roads is very important to us, and without volunteers, assuring that safety wouldn’t be possible. If you’d like to volunteer, expect to be responsible for helping to direct racers and delay traffic at times. All equipment and instruction is provided prior to each day’s stage. To volunteer, please contact us at info@co-motion.com.
3. Come and watch the spectacle! There’s nothing like seeing a pack of tandems humming by at high speed. The best spectator opportunities are at the Sunday Greenhill Technology Park Criterium -a circuit race where you can see the tactics and strengths of all the racers unfold as they pass multiple times- …or the Kent Peterson Time Trial, -where individual tandems are literally racing the clock, starting at 30-second intervals, so you can get a good look and a photo op of every tandem pair- …on Saturday morning, starting and finishing in Coburg. Please refer to the CCTR website for driving directions and times.

What can you expect to see at the CCTR?

One of the highlights is seeing the little tykes riding with their mothers or fathers. Many who compete in the “C” category will be kids who are perhaps just 5 years old, pushing the pedals with a parent who may or may not have every entered a bicycle race. We make sure every child is rewarded, because seeing them here is a reward in itself! Our “B” group is where you’ll find a lot of impressive married couples, whose idea of a fun Sunday ride sounds more like punishment to most mortals. Impressive as they are, you’ll see a lot of smiles and camaraderie in the group, as even in the heat of competition, they’ve come to have a good time together in this unusual sport.

If you want to see just how fast these amazing two-seaters can go, don’t miss the “A” race. This top category is where you’ll find the racers with the gnarliest legs and storied past glory. Each year, we host past national champs, Paralympic medalists, and some of the top racers from around the region, plus some from around the US and even international entries.

Whether you’re a bicycle racer, enthusiast or just like to see something new and different, I hope you’ll join us this August 21-23 in Eugene.

-Dwan Shepard,

Co-Motion Cycles