Let EK be the simplicial suspension of a pointed simplicial set K. We construct a chain model of the James map, α K : CK → ΩCEK. We compute the cobar diagonal on ΩCEK, not assuming that EK is 1-reduced, and show that α K is comultiplicative. As a result, the natural isomorphism of chain algebras T CK ∼ = ΩCK preserves diagonals.In an appendix, we show that the Milgram map, Ω(A ⊗ B) → ΩA ⊗ ΩB, where A and B are coaugmented coalgebras, forms part of a strong deformation retract of chain complexes. Therefore, it is a chain equivalence even when A and B are not 1-connected.