Specialized Langster - can anyone recommend it?

Quoted message said:

3) On One "Pompino" (c. œ450) - mainly because I love the fact that it
has a rude Italian name.

Yeuch, that's a horrible colour. Makes a hard choice quite easy - stealth
black of the Langster every time.

<http://www.on-one.co.uk/index.php?module=pagemaster&PAGE_user_op=view_pa
ge&PAGE_id=131>

<http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?sid=06Langster&bikeTab=tech
spec>

Pompino if you can get it in a different colour thobut I'm worried about
it's 'track hub'. Does that mean no seals to keep crud out?

Mark Thompson said:

Quoted message said:

3) On One "Pompino" (c. œ450) - mainly because I love the fact that it
has a rude Italian name.

I saw an On-One with gears last week; what's all that about?!!

Quoted message said:

I saw an On-One with gears last week; what's all that about?!!

Was it cycling on the street? Then it's about Speed.

<g,d&r>

"Bronzie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
So I'm thinking of getting a Winter fixie in search of the fabled
"souplesse" that old school roadmen talk of with a glint in the eye.
My options are:

Thoughts arising on the Langster are:
- 48x16 seems a bit big for anything but flat riding (according to my
calcs, at 90rpm you'd be doing 21mph) - I thinking more along the lines
of 42x16 for that silky smooth leg spin
- can I fit guards on it? Does it have m/g eyes and clearance?
- has it got a bottle boss braze on?
- I've read elsewhere that the fork is too stiff ("like riding a
jackhammer"😉, does it need swapping for carbon?

I have an 06 Langster and like it a lot...
There are a few around now for about £320, as the (red I think) 07 model is
out, which is apparently 'softer' (frame angles and carbon fork).
I have no problems with the alu fork, but haven't used it for rides over 50
miles yet. It is buzzier that my otehr bikes, but fine by me.
There are no mudguard eyes on the front, there are single eyes on the back
for a rack. Clearances are a bit tight - I don't think you'll fit guards (?)
Yes there are bottle cage bosses.
Lots of Langster discussion on the Cycling Plus forums. Weirdy Beardy (but
lovable) bunch. Apparently everyone in london has a Langster...
Oh, and it came with a 48/18 freewheel on a flipflop hub - so I put a 18
fixed on t'other side.

To be different, what about a Kona Paddy Wagon (no idea what it's like
though, or the new Pearson (which does look good).

Peter

Peter

in message <[email hidden]>,

Bronzie (') said:

Thoughts arising on the Langster are:
- 48x16 seems a bit big for anything but flat riding (according to my
calcs, at 90rpm you'd be doing 21mph) - I thinking more along the lines
of 42x16 for that silky smooth leg spin

I asked my friend Dougie for a go on his fixie recently. He looked at me
rather pityingly. 'I dinna think ye'll turn it' quoth he. 'Why not?' I
asked naively. 'What gear have you got on?' '55x12,' he said,
succinctly. He'd just averaged 25 mph /uphill/ for five miles on the
beast.

48x16 seems quite a moderate gear to me. It equates to about fourth from
the bottom on my twenty speed road bike or second from the bottom on my
old twelve speed road bike. I'd get up most normal hills on it.

However, if 48x16 turns out to be too stark, you can easily slip a 17 or
an 18 on the back.

I keep looking at a Langster in my LBS; I fancy a fixie. It looks very
nicely made, but last time I had £400 in the cycling fund I bought
myself a new front wheel.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
;; If God does not write LISP, God writes some code so similar to
;; LISP as to make no difference.

Simon Brooke wrote on 21/08/2006 21:08 +0100:

Quoted message said:

I asked my friend Dougie for a go on his fixie recently. He looked at me
rather pityingly. 'I dinna think ye'll turn it' quoth he. 'Why not?' I
asked naively. 'What gear have you got on?' '55x12,' he said,
succinctly. He'd just averaged 25 mph /uphill/ for five miles on the
beast.

That would be a 24 minute "10" which for uphill on a fixed is ....ummm
pretty good going.

--
Tony

"Anyone who conducts an argument by appealing to authority is not using
his intelligence; he is just using his memory."
- Leonardo da Vinci

"Tony Raven" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Simon Brooke wrote on 21/08/2006 21:08 +0100:

Quoted message said:

I asked my friend Dougie for a go on his fixie recently. He looked at me
rather pityingly. 'I dinna think ye'll turn it' quoth he. 'Why not?' I
asked naively. 'What gear have you got on?' '55x12,' he said,
succinctly. He'd just averaged 25 mph /uphill/ for five miles on the
beast.

That would be a 24 minute "10" which for uphill on a fixed is ....ummm
pretty good going.

Wow, imagine if he was going in the opposite direction. He'd be overtaking
the flying pigs...
:-)
Peter

in message <[email hidden]>, Tony Raven

(') said:

Simon Brooke wrote on 21/08/2006 21:08 +0100:

Quoted message said:

I asked my friend Dougie for a go on his fixie recently. He looked at
me rather pityingly. 'I dinna think ye'll turn it' quoth he. 'Why
not?' I asked naively. 'What gear have you got on?' '55x12,' he said,
succinctly. He'd just averaged 25 mph /uphill/ for five miles on the
beast.

That would be a 24 minute "10" which for uphill on a fixed is ....ummm
pretty good going.

That would have been a 24 minute 10 but his hernia popped out at the
turn. Tough [censored].

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; Friends don't send friends HTML formatted emails.

Bronzie said:

So I'm thinking of getting a Winter fixie in search of the fabled
"souplesse" that old school roadmen talk of with a glint in the eye.
My options are:

1) Roof space special (c. £150+) - somewhere above my head resides a
23" Reg Holdsworth steel frame in need of a bit of a re-spray. It has
horizontal front-facing rear dropouts so I guess I could cobble a fixie
together with this, although I'd probably fit new forks, headset etc
and I'd need to search Ebay for a fixed rear wheel. However, what I
really want is ..........

2) A Specialized Langster (c. £400) ................... or if I'm a
really good boy .............

3) On One "Pompino" (c. £450) - mainly because I love the fact that it
has a rude Italian name.

So anyone got any recommendations?

Thoughts arising on the Langster are:
- 48x16 seems a bit big for anything but flat riding (according to my
calcs, at 90rpm you'd be doing 21mph) - I thinking more along the lines
of 42x16 for that silky smooth leg spin
- can I fit guards on it? Does it have m/g eyes and clearance?
- has it got a bottle boss braze on?
- I've read elsewhere that the fork is too stiff ("like riding a
jackhammer"😉, does it need swapping for carbon?

Cheers
Bronzie

2007 Langsters have a 42T chainring and carbon forks/seatpost.

Also has two sets of bottle bosses (dunno about mudguards tho.)

druidh

Bronzie said:

So I'm thinking of getting a Winter fixie in search of the fabled
"souplesse" that old school roadmen talk of with a glint in the eye.
My options are:

1) Roof space special (c. £150+) - somewhere above my head resides a
23" Reg Holdsworth steel frame in need of a bit of a re-spray. It has
horizontal front-facing rear dropouts so I guess I could cobble a
fixie together with this, although I'd probably fit new forks,
headset etc and I'd need to search Ebay for a fixed rear wheel.
However, what I really want is ..........

2) A Specialized Langster (c. £400) ................... or if I'm a
really good boy .............

3) On One "Pompino" (c. £450) - mainly because I love the fact that it
has a rude Italian name.

I have a pomp' which I love. Its great for baltting around town and suits
mudguards.

For winter its got plenty of room for big tyres and guards, twin eyelets on
the back for a rack as well. Not so sure about the funny bars they are
putting on but that would be a personal thing.

A done up old road bike would be very cool as well, why fit new forks?

--
Andy Morris

AndyAtJinkasDotFreeserve.Co.UK

Love this:
Put an end to Outlook Express's messy quotes
http://home.in.tum.de/~jain/software/oe-quotefix/

--
Posted via NewsDemon.com - Premium Uncensored Newsgroup Service
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"Simon Brooke" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

in message <[email hidden]>, Tony Raven

(') said:

Simon Brooke wrote on 21/08/2006 21:08 +0100:

Quoted message said:

I asked my friend Dougie for a go on his fixie recently. He looked at
me rather pityingly. 'I dinna think ye'll turn it' quoth he. 'Why
not?' I asked naively. 'What gear have you got on?' '55x12,' he said,
succinctly. He'd just averaged 25 mph /uphill/ for five miles on the
beast.

That would be a 24 minute "10" which for uphill on a fixed is ....ummm
pretty good going.

That would have been a 24 minute 10 but his hernia popped out at the
turn. Tough [censored].

Isn't that averaging about 70rpm?

Graham

in message <[email hidden]>, Slark ([email hidden]'😉

Quoted message said:

"Simon Brooke" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

in message <[email hidden]>, Tony Raven

(') said:

Simon Brooke wrote on 21/08/2006 21:08 +0100:
>
> I asked my friend Dougie for a go on his fixie recently. He looked
> at me rather pityingly. 'I dinna think ye'll turn it' quoth he. 'Why
> not?' I asked naively. 'What gear have you got on?' '55x12,' he
> said, succinctly. He'd just averaged 25 mph /uphill/ for five miles
> on the beast.

That would be a 24 minute "10" which for uphill on a fixed is
....ummm pretty good going.

That would have been a 24 minute 10 but his hernia popped out at the
turn. Tough [censored].

Isn't that averaging about 70rpm?

Probably.

Not everyone spins, not even everyone who is fast. I couldn't do it,
because I don't have the strength.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
;; First they came for the asylum seekers,
;; and I did not speak out because I was not an asylum seeker.
;; Then they came for the gypsies,
;; and I did not speak out because I was not a gypsy...
;; Pastor Martin Niemöller, translated by Michael Howard.

Thanks for the comments folks.

The 2007 Langster is looking favourites in my mind at present, but
strangely my wife is leaning towards a new handbag and another pair of
shoes for herself. A topic for continued "discussion" with her
methinks.

Quoted message said:

A done up old road bike would be very cool as well, why fit new forks?

I just prefer Aheadset forks now, but I could just get the whole frame
re-sprayed and see how it goes. Also, if I got new forks, I'd go for
carbon with mudguard eyes, but I used to use the old frame as a Winter
hack so I know it has clearances anyway. Will need to check I can get
the right chainline and axle spacing on the rear wheel (long axle)
before I go to that expense though.

Bring forth the loft ladder!! I may be some time!

Cheers
Bronzie

Bronzie said:

So anyone got any recommendations?

I have a pompino (bought as a frame not a complete bike though), and a
friend has the langster (2006 model I believe). We're both happy...

Quoted message said:

Thoughts arising on the Langster are:
- 48x16 seems a bit big for anything but flat riding (according to my
calcs, at 90rpm you'd be doing 21mph) - I thinking more along the lines
of 42x16 for that silky smooth leg spin

Yep. I tried 48x16 for a while thinking that it wouldn't be *that* much
harder than my normal 48x17, and just couldn't get comfy. If the
Langster comes as standard with a freewheel rather than a fixed
sprocket, I'd suggest just leaving the chainring as it is and getting a
17t or 18t sprocket.

Quoted message said:

- can I fit guards on it? Does it have m/g eyes and clearance?

I'm pretty sure it doesn't have much clearance, and I'm not sure it has
mudguard eyes either. I think the pompino will beat most bikes in that
respect.

Quoted message said:

- has it got a bottle boss braze on?

It's certainly got one, and I think it probably has 2.

HTH,

Anthony

Simon Brooke said:

last time I had £400 in the cycling fund I bought
myself a new front wheel.

I could really learn to dislike some people!

Al C-F said:

Simon Brooke said:

last time I had £400 in the cycling fund I bought
myself a new front wheel.

I could really learn to dislike some people!

400 quid would buy me a new front wheel
....with a Schmidt in it
....and a 1203D
....and i'd still have ~100 quid to spare

Bah.

I think I'll have to visit my LBS to try out a Langster.

-Alex

Bronzie said:

The 2007 Langster is looking favourites in my mind at present, but
strangely my wife is leaning towards a new handbag and another pair of
shoes for herself. A topic for continued "discussion" with her
methinks.

Yeah right. And just how far does she think she's going to be able to
ride on her handbag? It seems to me she hasn't really thought this
through.

Daniele

in message <[email hidden]>, Al C-F

(') said:

Simon Brooke said:

last time I had £400 in the cycling fund I bought
myself a new front wheel.

I could really learn to dislike some people!

But it's /pretty/, Aloysius! It has One Red Spoke!

http://www.jasmine.org.uk/dogfood/story?article=41

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
Das Internet is nicht fuer gefingerclicken und giffengrabben... Ist
nicht fuer gewerken bei das dumpkopfen. Das mausklicken sichtseeren
keepen das bandwit-spewin hans in das pockets muss; relaxen und
watchen das cursorblinken. -- quoted from the jargon file

"Simon Brooke" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

in message <[email hidden]>, Slark ([email hidden]'😉

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

That would have been a 24 minute 10 but his hernia popped out at the
turn. Tough [censored].

Isn't that averaging about 70rpm?

Probably.

Not everyone spins, not even everyone who is fast. I couldn't do it,
because I don't have the strength.

No, indeed - I guess I was just concerned that the 'pushing' might not help
hernia.

Graham