iendicott
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Peterborough
Bought a Specialized Langster in early August 2010. Ridden about 200 miles on it
so thought I would write a review if anyone is thinking of getting one. Basing
this review on coming from a hybrid and road bike background I found the
following.
When I first thought about buying a single speed I had heard it was a good
training tool for high cadence and general fitness. I looked at a few single
speeds mainly hybrid upright styles and didn't give the road geometry a thought.
Visiting Condor one afternoon in London I took a look round their shop and saw
lots of single speeds including the Langster. First thing I find allot of people do
is pick up the bike and see what kind of weight it was and I must say I did
exactly the same, it was very light due to lack of gears. Sat on the bike and it
felt comfortable.
Few weeks later whilst in my LBS I ordered one and picked it up a week later all
ready to ride. Didn't get a chance to use it for a couple of days but set it up
for my body size. Now been on a few Sunday runs with my local bike club and must say
I am very impressed with it. Due the lack of gears you don't find yourself faffing
about with shifting up or down at the hills or getting caught out whilst on a
hill. If you are new to single speed \ fixed speed bikes you may ask yourself
won't I struggle with hills or be able to keep up with other cyclists on the flat,
well no not really. I was a little worried with it first time I went out with a
group of lads for a Saturday morning blast. I easily kept up with them on the flat
and when it came to hills because the bike is light it is easy to blast up hills.
The gearing on the bike is 42 Front and 16 rear which converts to 69 gear inches
which I thought was a little low but this was a perfect mix for my abilities. I can
still hit 35mph on the flat which works out around 170rpm cadence and hills are
not a problem. The frame is the Specialized A1 Premium Aluminium compact frame
which if you push hard enough on the pedals does tend to flexi the bottom bracket
area a very small amount. The forks are Specialized FACT carbon blade forks, these
provide very precise steering but very little in the way of dampening vibration
front the front of the bike.
The Geometry is in my opinion not as aggressive as my road bike and it certainly
doesn't feel as lively as the road bike which is good as you are not constantly
trying to keep the whole bike in check. The seat is adequately padded and is OK
for a 60+ mile ride. The brakes are fine in the dry and useable in the wet but the
stopping power is nothing like a set of Shimano 105 brakes but they don't need to
be as you can on fixed mode use your legs muscles to help to slow down . The frame
on my alloy Langster comes in a matt black which is a real pain to keep clean and
can scratch easily if care is not taken when storing \ riding it. Decals can
easily be removed if you like the bike plan looking and not attention grabbing.
In fixed mode this bike is transformed into the training tool. After completing a
63 mile ride in fixed the tops of my thighs where sore but this was due to trying
to reduce speed using my legs as well as the brakes, this will get better with
time and practice. Remembering to keep pedalling all time is not hard after you are
reminded the fact the bike is in fixed mode whilst going down hill but steep hills
down will be daunting at first until you master the fixed mode. The flip flop hub
is a great idea but due to a lack of adjustment bolts it can be a fiddle at times
to keep the wheel straight and the chain reasonably tight. Wheels are semi aero
style and are susceptible from cross winds and they are generally light.
Pros :
Very light bike in total
Good value for money
Easy maintenance
Great training tool in fixed mode.
Cons :
Paint is a little to thin a scratches easily
Gearing may not suit everyone
Brakes could be a little better
Not enought ground clearance for pure track riders
so thought I would write a review if anyone is thinking of getting one. Basing
this review on coming from a hybrid and road bike background I found the
following.
When I first thought about buying a single speed I had heard it was a good
training tool for high cadence and general fitness. I looked at a few single
speeds mainly hybrid upright styles and didn't give the road geometry a thought.
Visiting Condor one afternoon in London I took a look round their shop and saw
lots of single speeds including the Langster. First thing I find allot of people do
is pick up the bike and see what kind of weight it was and I must say I did
exactly the same, it was very light due to lack of gears. Sat on the bike and it
felt comfortable.
Few weeks later whilst in my LBS I ordered one and picked it up a week later all
ready to ride. Didn't get a chance to use it for a couple of days but set it up
for my body size. Now been on a few Sunday runs with my local bike club and must say
I am very impressed with it. Due the lack of gears you don't find yourself faffing
about with shifting up or down at the hills or getting caught out whilst on a
hill. If you are new to single speed \ fixed speed bikes you may ask yourself
won't I struggle with hills or be able to keep up with other cyclists on the flat,
well no not really. I was a little worried with it first time I went out with a
group of lads for a Saturday morning blast. I easily kept up with them on the flat
and when it came to hills because the bike is light it is easy to blast up hills.
The gearing on the bike is 42 Front and 16 rear which converts to 69 gear inches
which I thought was a little low but this was a perfect mix for my abilities. I can
still hit 35mph on the flat which works out around 170rpm cadence and hills are
not a problem. The frame is the Specialized A1 Premium Aluminium compact frame
which if you push hard enough on the pedals does tend to flexi the bottom bracket
area a very small amount. The forks are Specialized FACT carbon blade forks, these
provide very precise steering but very little in the way of dampening vibration
front the front of the bike.
The Geometry is in my opinion not as aggressive as my road bike and it certainly
doesn't feel as lively as the road bike which is good as you are not constantly
trying to keep the whole bike in check. The seat is adequately padded and is OK
for a 60+ mile ride. The brakes are fine in the dry and useable in the wet but the
stopping power is nothing like a set of Shimano 105 brakes but they don't need to
be as you can on fixed mode use your legs muscles to help to slow down . The frame
on my alloy Langster comes in a matt black which is a real pain to keep clean and
can scratch easily if care is not taken when storing \ riding it. Decals can
easily be removed if you like the bike plan looking and not attention grabbing.
In fixed mode this bike is transformed into the training tool. After completing a
63 mile ride in fixed the tops of my thighs where sore but this was due to trying
to reduce speed using my legs as well as the brakes, this will get better with
time and practice. Remembering to keep pedalling all time is not hard after you are
reminded the fact the bike is in fixed mode whilst going down hill but steep hills
down will be daunting at first until you master the fixed mode. The flip flop hub
is a great idea but due to a lack of adjustment bolts it can be a fiddle at times
to keep the wheel straight and the chain reasonably tight. Wheels are semi aero
style and are susceptible from cross winds and they are generally light.
Pros :
Very light bike in total
Good value for money
Easy maintenance
Great training tool in fixed mode.
Cons :
Paint is a little to thin a scratches easily
Gearing may not suit everyone
Brakes could be a little better
Not enought ground clearance for pure track riders
