# 2008 Specialized Langsters



## starseven (13 Jul 2007)

http://thebicycleescape.blogspot.com/2007/05/2008-specialized-bicycle-sneak-peak.html

Im not sure if these are a definite or not, but they look pretty cool to me!


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## Steve Austin (13 Jul 2007)

'singlespeed cross bike' Is there going to be lots of demand for that? :?:


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## starseven (13 Jul 2007)

Tarmac then??

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k113/starseven1968/tarmac.jpg


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## derosa (14 Jul 2007)

Still going with plenty of toe - half a foot really - overlap I see.


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## Yer Maw Mate Yer Maw (28 Jul 2007)

You got to give it to Spesh they can do some right nice bikes, heck I got a 2007 Roubaix so I know that.

Thank goodness they did the Langster in white this year last years brown was a bit off don't think they sold much of emm a right brown pants (no pun)experience must have been going on at Spesh over that one


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## Smokin Joe (29 Jul 2007)

Sloping geometry just does not suit a fixed wheel. Neither does the BMX chainset.


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## peejay78 (30 Jul 2007)

i think the new spazz langsters are a horrible, woeful exercise in specious marketing. 

increasingly i seem to be alone in this. 

style over substance, the perfect bike for a media-mulleted ad-whore living in shoreditch, or possibly a foxtons estate agent, to place next to their grafitti-clad mini.


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## Squaggles (31 Jul 2007)

Maybe so but it's a bike and if it gets media-mulleted ad-whores living in shoreditch and foxtons estate agents riding bikes then thats fine by me .


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## peejay78 (31 Jul 2007)

i'd rather they were crushed under the wheels of one of their own minis, whilst on the way to a bijou apartment in london's fashionable east end.


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## starseven (31 Jul 2007)

Let me know when you want to move to soapbox


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## peejay78 (1 Aug 2007)

i'll get me coat.


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## Christopher (1 Aug 2007)

Surely our trendy metro chums have the fixie as an accessory in the Shoreditch loft i.e. they don't actually ride it?


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## peejay78 (1 Aug 2007)

they do ride it, but never fixed.


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## Noodley (3 Aug 2007)

I saw the white "god save the queen langster today - it is awful. !

I saw it in the window when I drove past and thought "that looks a bit of alright"...it did look alright from 20 yards but "in the flesh" it looked awful, chavtastic it was


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## gkerr4 (7 Aug 2007)

I just ordered an 07 Langster in 'rust' - which I kinda like the look of.

there are a handful of websites offering the 07 models for £350ish now - a reduction from the £400rrp - but when you call the shop they don't actually have any stock left. They are apparently selling very well - which explains why a lot of shops simply arent discounting the 07 model even though the 08's are available.

Finally ordered it from cyclesurgery in London for £349 - should arrive on Friday with a bit of luck.

I was tempted with the london model at full rrp, but would have worked out a bit more by the time I changed those ridiculous handlebars for something decent.- I wasn't fussed on the new 08 std green paintjob. I actually like the rust colour.


unlike peejay, I think the langsters are a good idea. A 'reasonabley' priced, out of the box fixed is a decent idea and this will be my first foray into the world of singlespeed / fixed gear.

can't wait to get in on friday!!


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## peejay78 (7 Aug 2007)

yes, sorry for old fashioned, fascistic hatred, much of what you say is undeniably true, happy riding, etc.


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## gkerr4 (10 Aug 2007)

was that said through gritted teeth?


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## peejay78 (10 Aug 2007)

gritted teeth, whacking myself repeatedly in the face with a big scaffolding bar until the skin feels like a bag of kindling.


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## gkerr4 (10 Aug 2007)

ha ha! - thats funny.

why don't you like em - it's just a bike you know.


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## gkerr4 (10 Aug 2007)

oh also - I think I need some of these to go with it:

http://www.rapha.cc/index.php?page=169

bet you love those....


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## Disgruntled Goat (22 Aug 2007)

peejay78 said:


> i think the new spazz langsters are a horrible, woeful exercise in specious marketing.
> 
> increasingly i seem to be alone in this.
> 
> style over substance, the perfect bike for a media-mulleted ad-whore living in shoreditch, or possibly a foxtons estate agent, to place next to their grafitti-clad mini.




Right on the money Peejay. The Langster London is an abortion. But I take my hat of to them for their copywriting skills displayed at the bottom of this description. Should I tell the US-based copywriters or should you:

http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=32825


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## skwerl (22 Aug 2007)

ah. I saw one of these in Richmond Park on Saturday. Awful looking bike. The owner had pitched the bars up to about 45 degrees above horizontal, which didn't help.


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## Disgruntled Goat (22 Aug 2007)

Disgruntled Goat said:


> Right on the money Peejay. The Langster London is an abortion. But I take my hat of to them for their copywriting skills displayed at the bottom of this description. Should I tell the US-based copywriters or should you:
> 
> http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=32825




And looking on the photo of it, what's that written on the chain stay? Please don't say it's 'God Save the Queen'.

Christ, that bike belongs in the tourist tat shops outside Tottenham Court Road tube.


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## smiorgan (22 Aug 2007)

Disgruntled Goat said:


> And looking on the photo of it, what's that written on the chain stay? Please don't say it's 'God Save the Queen'.



The NYC Langster appears to say "Driver Carries Less Than $80 Cash"

Allegedly the non-drive side says "...because he paid too much for this tat".


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## Mr Phoebus (22 Aug 2007)

Disgruntled Goat said:


> And looking on the photo of it, what's that written on the chain stay? Please don't say it's 'God Save the Queen'.


'Fraid so! Nicer if it said "God save Queen, Bicycle,bicycle"
It's got the Landan underground map on the downtube.


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## Mr Phoebus (22 Aug 2007)

Maybe they could do a 'Brummie' one, with a map of the Balti area on it.


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## Cheddar George (22 Aug 2007)

I love the tag line on the web site "b@llocks to the tube"....

.... they have to mean the top tube.


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## peejay78 (23 Aug 2007)

the bike radar site totally loves the wrongster. 

they call it the 'funster'. 
http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/bikes/road/product/langster-17497

i call it a vile piece of crap.


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## gkerr4 (23 Aug 2007)

I love mine and I think you two are being snobbish...


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## zimzum42 (23 Aug 2007)

peejay78 said:


> the bike radar site totally loves the wrongster.
> 
> they call it the 'funster'.
> http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/bikes/road/product/langster-17497
> ...


jeez, seeing it 'in situ' as opposed to just the standard shot in front of the white screen, well, it reinforced quite how ugly this bike is.


You couldn't pay me to have that. starting with the ugliest geometry out there, you descend to that rubbish chainset.

truly ugly.......


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## amrushton (23 Aug 2007)

erhaps you should be loking at Giants entry into the fixed world. The 'Bowery', £350 with muguard eyes and drop brakes. Alu frame, but a whole fixed bike for less money


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## starseven (23 Aug 2007)

Like this Bowery


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## zimzum42 (23 Aug 2007)

It's simple, don't use a compact frame for a fixie, it's wrong


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## peejay78 (24 Aug 2007)

totally agreed - nail on the head.

judging by the name and geometry, the bowery shares the same incestuous, twisted, satanic birthright as the wrongster.


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## gkerr4 (24 Aug 2007)

peejay78 said:


> totally agreed - nail on the head.
> 
> judging by the name and geometry, the bowery shares the same incestuous, twisted, satanic birthright as the wrongster.



why - why shouldn't you use a compact frame for a fixie???

Not being funny, but I wouldn't be seen dead on some steel, horizontal top tubed, 70's throw-back frame - including those fuji things - they deserve to be in the museum not on the roads.

and how is the langster geometry useless - it';s the same as the allez - probably the most successful entry level road bike out there.

you guys are unreal - it's just a bike! - I have done a few miles on mine since I git it - I love it - I have hardly touched the road bike since I got it. It is lightweight, functional, feels fast and has excellent handling it barely needs maintaing and in comparison to my roadbike I can lock it up anywhere without constantly wondering if it will be there when I get back - for £349 it's a bargain!


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## Pottsy (24 Aug 2007)

starseven said:


> Like this Bowery



It's got no brakes in that picture - surely it must come with brakes?!?


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## starseven (24 Aug 2007)

I think the text with the picture said said optional, thats not unusual with fixed ie: no brakes when riding fixed , flip the wheel and run singlespeed will require at least one brake. I would imagine most will be set up a singlespped with two brakes.


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## zimzum42 (24 Aug 2007)

gkerr4 said:


> why - why shouldn't you use a compact frame for a fixie???
> 
> Not being funny, but I wouldn't be seen dead on some steel, horizontal top tubed, 70's throw-back frame - including those fuji things - they deserve to be in the museum not on the roads.
> 
> ...


No it's not!

It's cheaper to buy a secondhand some steel, horizontal top tubed, 70's throw-back frame


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## peejay78 (24 Aug 2007)

"including those fuji things - they deserve to be in the museum not on the roads."

this is funny! you made me laugh - out loud, even.

fuji's aren't that odd, they're fairly standard. to be reasonable (not my strong point when debating the finer points of the wrongster with it's woeful shape and nasty gothic letraset, not to mention the 'any colour you like as long as it's dogshit brown', 45 degree sloping top-tube and new limited london edition frame - about as cool as the sex pistols reunion a few years back) it's not wrongsters that are the problem, it's the gimlets riding hideously aggressive track frames round central london - the ones with splayed and curvy seat-tubes and barely a blue rizla's clearance betwixt wheel and frame, often with no brake and no front teeth to match. 

oh, and not saying you shouldn't use compact geometry for a fixed wheel bike, you can if you like, but it's 'wrong', wrong as in the moustache and vest combo, incest, folk-dancing, this, mullets, that sort of thing.


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## hichakhok (24 Aug 2007)

zimzum42 said:


> No it's not!
> 
> It's cheaper to buy a secondhand some steel, horizontal top tubed, 70's throw-back frame



No It's not, unless you have a shed full of parts. ( i have a fixed beater from the dump built thus) I picked up my steel pinarello for about £150. The final build cost was about £1000. Yes I splashed out on nice gear. But you would be really hard pushed to pull in a self build under £350 with all new wheels, hubs, cranks. Also factor in about £100 of tools needed and time spent solving chain line issues which can get tricky with old italian and french frames. Langster is a great buy imo. 

Anyway, using the word Spazz (got a spastic uncle thanks very much) and equating buying a brand of bike with incest shows you to be an offensive and rather sad dick-head.


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## peejay78 (24 Aug 2007)

edited.

as for the bike/incest thing - lighten up, it's your first post, unless that's also a bit close to home, in which case i apologise.


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## zimzum42 (25 Aug 2007)

hichakhok said:


> No It's not, unless you have a shed full of parts. ( i have a fixed beater from the dump built thus) I picked up my steel pinarello for about £150. The final build cost was about £1000. Yes I splashed out on nice gear. But you would be really hard pushed to pull in a self build under £350 with all new wheels, hubs, cranks. Also factor in about £100 of tools needed and time spent solving chain line issues which can get tricky with old italian and french frames. Langster is a great buy imo.
> 
> Anyway, using the word Spazz (got a spastic uncle thanks very much) and equating buying a brand of bike with incest shows you to be an offensive and rather sad dick-head.



er, but for fear of poking a troll...

where do i mention 'spazz' or incest?


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## gkerr4 (25 Aug 2007)

Edited post peejay?? :-)

anyway - sorry for the dig at fuji's - I don't really care what you ride and I enjoy my langster and I don't care what you think about it - or zimzum for that matter.

One thing that has started to disturb me a bit is how often I have been rejecting the 'best' bike in order to use the wrongster/langster/funster/whatever... - and the thought running through my head about the fixed becoming my new 'best' bike - perhaps not the langster, but perhaps something else... 

the geared bike feels, I dunno - heavy and as if it is full of 'friction' somehow - I think the flywheel effect on the fixed feels missing. The other thing that bugs me is how well the langster fits me. The fixed on the other hand, feels fast and nimble and light although it can be hard work into the wind and my legs take a bit of recovering from a longish run on it - which they haven't felt taxed for a while on the geared bike!


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## peejay78 (25 Aug 2007)

zim - it was me who used the words spazz and suggested wrongster geometry was as wrong as incest. i edited the OP in response to hichakhok, removing the word "spazz" for causing offence. in turn he/she felt it was ok to call me a sad, offensive dickhead. i can't be arsed to explain the reasons why their post is inapropriate, it would take too long, and provoke a similar lengthy and misguided diatribe in response. i blame langsters for all this seething resentment, for middle east conflict, global warming, low adult literacy and spurs' poor start to the season. 

i'm acutely aware - as are most others by now - of my irrational prejudices against wrongsters and bromptons, i think it's denial, concealing a deep-seated lust for those shiny mishaped sexual slabs of unrequited cylomania.

i use my fixed wheel for everythign bar long rides with subtantial hills, at which point common sense prevails, at least whilst pushing a 72". you comment about fujis _was_ funny. my response was apparently _not _funny.


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## zimzum42 (26 Aug 2007)

72"?

I saw you last year and you were going up hampstead, no?

I go up there with 80". I'm not saying it's easy, but i don't get off.

Can't think of any hills in the SE where you'd have to leave the fixie at home....


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## skwerl (28 Aug 2007)

starseven said:


> flip the wheel and run singlespeed will require at least one brake.



no. s/s requires two brakes if Giant want to sell it as road-legal. depends if it comes with a fixed-free hub

EDIT - from the Cyclestore website:
"PLEATE NOTE IMAGE SHOWS BIKE WITHOUT BRAKES FITTED THIS IS INCORRECT,
BIKES WILL BE SUPPLIED WITH BRAKES FITTED"


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## hichakhok (29 Aug 2007)

*ok ok ok*

I'll lighten up. Not a troll just object to the word spazz, thanks for removing it Perhaps this can be settled by a brakeless 85" highgate hill archway road race....


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## peejay78 (29 Aug 2007)

haha

on the opposite side of the road, facing incoming traffic for extra points, like in burnout.


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## skwerl (29 Aug 2007)

zimzum42 said:


> 72"?
> 
> I saw you last year and you were going up hampstead, no?
> 
> ...



you don't *have* to but there's more enjoyment to be had on a "normal" road bike. Surrey Hills circuit, for example, is doable on fixed but more fun on something with gears and a freewheel. Easier too, esp. on the knees.


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## zimzum42 (29 Aug 2007)

I thought the enjoyment of hills was the agony in getting up there, so anything that makes it harder is a bonus!


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## skwerl (29 Aug 2007)

zimzum42 said:


> I thought the enjoyment of hills was the agony in getting up there, so anything that makes it harder is a bonus!



after 4 years try telling my knees that


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## peejay78 (29 Aug 2007)

i agree with the longer rides - geared bike best thing.


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## Squaggles (29 Aug 2007)

Did you buy a London Langster then Peejay ? you seemed to be a bit of a fan


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## peejay78 (30 Aug 2007)

i saw one yesterday in soho, for the first time in the flesh. all i can say is - it didn't look as bad as i had hoped but was still an ABOMINATION, as was the media drone riding it.

you know when you get a bit of sick in your mouth and it tastes really rank? that happened to me.


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## zimzum42 (30 Aug 2007)

I blame Al-Qaida

Without the bombs all these trendys would have stayed on the tube.........


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## Squaggles (31 Aug 2007)

It's funny isn't it that as cyclists we kind of want more people to ride bikes but when they do we don't really like it .


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## peejay78 (31 Aug 2007)

not that funny. 

it's life i guess. it's like when your favourite band become really popular.


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## Ste_S (7 Oct 2007)

peejay78 said:


> i think the new spazz langsters are a horrible, woeful exercise in specious marketing.
> 
> increasingly i seem to be alone in this.
> 
> *style over substance, the perfect bike for a media-mulleted ad-whore living in shoreditch, or possibly a foxtons estate agent, to place next to their grafitti-clad mini.*



That'll be the Condor, surely ?

That London Langster is an abomination though, no doubt dreamt up by some design agency who thinks they're "down with the kids"


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## peejay78 (7 Oct 2007)

you might be right there steve.


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## Fab Foodie (7 Oct 2007)

peejay78 said:


> not that funny.
> 
> it's life i guess. it's like when your favourite band become really popular.



Yeah, and then they no longer appear on the cover of NME


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## Sore Thumb (8 Oct 2007)

If anyone wants a 2007 langster at a discount there is one on show with a 15 or 20% discount (cant remember which) at the Specialized Discount store at Fort Dunlop in Birminghams.


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## NickM (11 Oct 2007)

peejay, you're funny.



peejay78 said:


> ...like when your favourite band become really popular.



Well, there's sod all chance of that!


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## peejay78 (11 Oct 2007)

yes - except the langster was never my favourite bicycle, ever, more like my least admired thing in the world. sort of resembles an 'aborted pigeon' with wheels. 

what the hell is that womad inflected nonsense, young forever, or whatever? 

"Bart Maris: trumpet, bugle and tuba - Belgium s most famous trumpet player" - must try and think of another famous belgian trumpet player.

anyone?

anyone?


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## gkerr4 (11 Oct 2007)

oh quit fooling - you love them langsters more than anyone...


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## spandex (21 Oct 2007)

peejay78 said:


> i think the new spazz langsters are a horrible....
> increasingly i seem to be alone in this.



no your not i work in a shop that sales spazz.. and kona and ive riden both. The langster is to? its just not there so i got the kona paddy wagon its so much more alive and loads of fun in fixed


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## peejay78 (22 Oct 2007)

spandex said:


> no your not i work in a shop that sales spazz.. and kona and ive riden both. The langster is to? its just not there so i got the kona paddy wagon its so much more alive and loads of fun in fixed



if i had the faintest idea what this gobbledegook means i would attempt a response. 

you appear to be in agreement regarding the revoltingness of the wrongster. 

i think you seem to be suggesting that the oversized, scaffolding tubed paddy wagon is a lively bicycle. that may be true. however, it looks like a piece of shoot.


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## zimzum42 (22 Oct 2007)

LOL, again.


Langster haters, BBC haters, the hate is all good!


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## spandex (22 Oct 2007)

peejay78 said:


> i think you seem to be suggesting that the oversized, scaffolding tubed paddy wagon is a lively bicycle. that may be true. however, it looks like a piece of shoot.



Dear peewee

Did you know that the paddy wagon is 1/2lb lighter then the langster!!! and that is with no carbon on it. If it looks like shoot thats because you was looking at the 07 langster (a shoot brown colour) and the 08 is green because if you use grass to clean it it gose green. The bars are to small the carbon forks vibrate at hi speed round corners. There is one good thing about the langster it comes with 700x23 tyres not 700x28 like the paddy.


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## spandex (22 Oct 2007)

I dont hate the langster but why go for 2nd best when there is the paddy wagon to be had?....


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## peejay78 (22 Oct 2007)

haha. 

a lively response. the paddy wagon is better, clearly. as to the paintjob making an overall difference to the langster - it's been said before, 'you can't polish a turd'. 

along with 23 tyres, OS tubing, and steel frames, i can also recommend punctuation as a lifestyle choice. subject verb agreement also a good call, and continuity of tense. this way people can understand you more better than what they was if they was trying too. 

_"you was looking at" _

"what's this then? romanes eunt domum? people called romans they go the house?"


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## spandex (22 Oct 2007)

The scene of Monty Python's movie "Life Of Brian" where Brian is given a latin lesson. Great film, genius team!!!

next one please


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## peejay78 (22 Oct 2007)

haha.
you're good. we can be friends after all. even though you ride a spaccy wagon.


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## spandex (22 Oct 2007)

Ben, Pontius pillate, Boring Prophet, Eddie, Nisus Wettus, 2nd wise man, Mr Big Nose, Francis, Mrs A, Ex-leper? who am I


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## mickle (22 Oct 2007)

Are you Sparticus?


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## spandex (22 Oct 2007)

no mickle this is not good coming from you now try harder

theres a beer for you if you get it!! hehe


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## harman_mogul (31 Oct 2007)

Why do people hate these 'Wrongster' bicycles? Is it because they are proud of their Condor, or Chas Roberts, or Tom Board fixed-wheel bikes?


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## peejay78 (31 Oct 2007)

usually. that and the fact that they look horrible.


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## zimzum42 (1 Nov 2007)

Indeed.


There is a reason the last wrongster was the colour of shoot........


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## Jacomus-rides-Gen (5 Nov 2007)

Bummer. I think the black Langsters look pretty cool, in an ugly, functional kind of way!

I think the best looking fixies are old road bike conversions.

The purpose designed lovely fixies from Condor etc just look so posy to me, posy and beautiful at the same time. A bit like a woman who looks very visually attractive, but who has nothing to back it up at all, so ends up being not half as sexy. 

Maybe I'm just wierd...!


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## MrGrumpy (5 Nov 2007)

Maybe I'm just wierd...!


couldn`t possibly comment


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## spandex (5 Nov 2007)

MrGrumpy said:


> Maybe I'm just wierd...!
> 
> 
> couldn`t possibly comment





No your not wierd.... your MrGrumpy. hehe


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## Disgruntled Goat (30 Nov 2007)

peejay78 said:


> the bike radar site totally loves the wrongster.



Of course they do. Cycling Plus/Bikeradar are Specialized's bitch.

Read the 'Advice' page in Cyling Plus. If anyone asks which bike/bits/clothes to buy, the answer comes up 'Specialized do a wonderful...'


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## MrGrumpy (30 Nov 2007)

unfortunetly much as we all hate big corporations, Specialized kit aint all bad it has to be said. Just a small example but the saddle on this Langster of mine is the comfiest saddle i`ve sat on yet ! Not had any sore bits numbness etc !! 


Oops i just mentioned langster  oh dear, 40 lashes for me


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## spandex (30 Nov 2007)

the thing is is not good to hate any bike, kit and/or corprations as they all the same sort of kit just some are better then. if you cant pay say £140 for a crank set you love to have but you can pay £100 for some over crank set then get it. its not shoot because it cost £100 it will be shoot because its just...... shoot! but it dose the job (ish)


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## NickM (30 Nov 2007)

spandex said:


> the thing is is not good to hate any bike, kit and/or corprations as they all the same sort of kit just some are better then.


Did you bump your head when you fell off your bike?


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## spandex (30 Nov 2007)

NickM said:


> Did you bump your head when you fell off your bike?







reading it back  yer i did hard, very hard




















revo lla em staht


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## peejay78 (7 Dec 2007)

i have a specialized saddle on my bob jackson. feels like a heretical choice, but is comfy.


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