# Picking up '07 Langster tomorrow



## Mark16q (Oct 19, 2004)

Ordered it sight unseen from my LBS, based on specs he had from Specialized. By good luck the '07 frame specs are within millimeters of my custom Seven. So based on that, I bought it. I'm vertically challenged at 5'5" and generally don't fit standard bikes so the fact that I'll fit this thing was important.

So far, we know that the front ring is a 42, carbon fork, it has a fixed and free wheel in the box, and the color is "cinammon" per the mechanic building it. So the gearing appears to be street related, v. track. Fine by me, as this will be a work commuter and I've got some nice hills to climb.

I know the Langster gets bagged on pretty badly, but hoping this thing will work for me. Looking forward to the new ride.


Mark


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## Doggity (Mar 10, 2006)

Sounds like they've made some good changes from 06...my current Specialized catalog lists it with a 48T chainring, NO carbon fork, NO fixie. Let us know how it does as a commuter. You must be young....42/16 is still too stiff for me, with the hills we have around here in Santa Fe.


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## Mark16q (Oct 19, 2004)

Doggity said:


> Sounds like they've made some good changes from 06...my current Specialized catalog lists it with a 48T chainring, NO carbon fork, NO fixie. Let us know how it does as a commuter. You must be young....42/16 is still too stiff for me, with the hills we have around here in Santa Fe.


Not so young.....44 years and feeling it. But 42/16 is still 2 or 3 gears easier than the 48/16 it had in '06. Figure it's roughly equivalent to 39/15. Still tough for the hills, but I've got quads like a speed skater, so it's do-able.

I'll definitely let you know how the first few rides go, and if my knees explode :blush2: 

Trying to decide if the maiden voyage will be fixed or freewheel....plenty of band-aids in the garage, so may go for it fixxie.

Mark


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## tamu (Apr 16, 2006)

go fixed first, its alot of fun.. I switched to ss for a day and then switched back because if i wanted a bike i could coast on, i would ride one of my others!


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## Jamieshankland (Jan 8, 2005)

tamu said:


> go fixed first, its alot of fun.. I switched to ss for a day and then switched back because if i wanted a bike i could coast on, i would ride one of my others!


Well Said!


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## Mark16q (Oct 19, 2004)

Just took my first fixed gear trip around the block....still laughing hysterically. Sprinted up my street, went to stand, pedals kept going, and I did a huge endo with the seat smacking me in the behind.

Then went back down my street...about 5% grade. Pedaled too fast, and even with the brakes, the thing almost got away from me. 

This is going to be interesting...looking forward to getting the hang of this new animal. Think pedals are first...just using the pedals with clips and thinking something else must be better.

Regarding the bike, we were all at a loss to describe the color. My daughter was the closest....bar b q sauce with mustard. Interesting color, and looks nice. As expected, carbon fork, 42/16 fixed and ss, also carbon post, sugino "messenger" forged crank and alex 500 wheels. Didn't weight it, but my calibrated hand puts it close to my Seven, which is around 16 lbs. Only mod so far is a 1lesscar sticker. :thumbsup: 

thanks to all for the comments on these bikes. Doubt it'll allow my Seven to collect dust, but will definitely be fun.

Mark


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## edlouie (Feb 22, 2005)

I test rode the 07 Langster on a whim last week. I too thought it was a pretty decent ride, although I was on the freewheel side. I'd guess it's closer to 17.5 pounds though, since I got a flat and had to walk it back 5-6 blocks to the LBS. Not fun!

I'm gonna go with a Raleigh Rush Hour instead - I like the way it looks a little bit more than the Langster. Both are great bikes though. 

Great comments on your first FG experience! I'll keep that in mind when my bike comes in so I don't mess it up.


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## Mark16q (Oct 19, 2004)

edlouie said:


> I test rode the 07 Langster on a whim last week. I too thought it was a pretty decent ride, although I was on the freewheel side. I'd guess it's closer to 17.5 pounds though, since I got a flat and had to walk it back 5-6 blocks to the LBS. Not fun!
> 
> I'm gonna go with a Raleigh Rush Hour instead - I like the way it looks a little bit more than the Langster. Both are great bikes though.
> 
> Great comments on your first FG experience! I'll keep that in mind when my bike comes in so I don't mess it up.


You're probably right on the weight. My Seven has a bag full of stuff under the seat that could easily be over a pound. Either way, it's still lighter than I expected for what it cost.

Let us now how that Raleigh works out...

Mark


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## kerley (Jan 18, 2006)

Good improvement on the weight, my old Langster was over 20 pounds when new. Down to under 16 now after a few improvements.


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## janix (Mar 24, 2006)

so what happened now with your Langster? post some pics!


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## Mark16q (Oct 19, 2004)

janix said:


> so what happened now with your Langster? post some pics!


Was having lots of fun with the bike, getting good at remembering to pedal and pretty well mastered the skidding thing...lots of fun. And then the cog spun on the hub and Specialized doesn't have a replacement wheel. So my LBS is getting me a new Formula flipflop hub and will re-lace it on the stock rim/spokes. Specialized will cover it, but bummed that my new toy broke so quickly. A buddy with the same bike bought the same day has had no problems with his, so probably just a fluke.

The bike is entirely stock, with addition of Shimano 747's, cage and bag.

Mark


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## Meatball (Sep 3, 2005)

Uh oh. I am super tempted now. Has the price gone up for 2007?


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## kerley (Jan 18, 2006)

A change of colour certainly makes the frame look like a higher end frame. Matt black doesn't do it for me and always make a frame look cheap. Not really worth the cost of respraying though is it.


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## janix (Mar 24, 2006)

wow that's a real nice bike. sorry to hear about the fluke. hehehe


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## Mark16q (Oct 19, 2004)

Really hoping the hub failure was an exception, as the overall feel of the bike is quite nice. And like I'd said, my friend has more miles on his and no problem w/the hub at all. Either way, I'm getting a better hub and professionally laced wheel out of the deal for no $'s, so can't complain.

While it shouldn't really matter for a training bike, I really like the look. The welds are pretty clean and the paint is decent quality. And I've got a Specialized seat on my Seven, so no adjusting to the seat either...it's very comfy. The bars and levers are easy reach for small hands, so it would seem they've spec'd parts appropriate for the size of the bike. Typically, I can't even touch levers on the drops, so it's a nice touch.

Don't know the price, as my lbs takes good care of me. I believe he said it went up retail just a few $'s. If I bring my wheel in today, I'll ask him what the new msrp is.


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## tamu (Apr 16, 2006)

hmm.. you could consider a better rim!! deep V or something..

duno, but they might cut you a deal.. then just sell the whole wheel on ebay


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## Mark16q (Oct 19, 2004)

tamu said:


> hmm.. you could consider a better rim!! deep V or something..
> 
> duno, but they might cut you a deal.. then just sell the whole wheel on ebay


The shop actually offered something of that sort, but I just had to put new wheels on my mtb (bad crash, taco'd wheel), have new custom wheels coming for the Seven, and the a/c at home is dying....the madness had to stop  At some point I probably will put new wheels on it, but for now, free upgrade was good.

Mark


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## onabulletride (Feb 24, 2006)

i work in a shop and just saw the 07s today. its quite an improvement over last year imo.


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## UcannotBsirius (Mar 24, 2003)

Thanks for the pics. Havn't seen the 07 model here in the UK yet - I had been thinking about a Kona Paddy Wagon but having seen the pics of your 07 Langster I'm very tempted by that, especially with the carbon fork and more sensible gearing (compared to the 06 model).


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## Mark16q (Oct 19, 2004)

UcannotBsirius said:


> Thanks for the pics. Havn't seen the 07 model here in the UK yet - I had been thinking about a Kona Paddy Wagon but having seen the pics of your 07 Langster I'm very tempted by that, especially with the carbon fork and more sensible gearing (compared to the 06 model).


Still loving the bike. Here's a link of a UK shop that is already advertising it. Feel free to hit me with any questions.

Mark

http://www.wheelies.co.uk/bikesNew/bikeDetail.asp?ID=2294


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## UcannotBsirius (Mar 24, 2003)

Cheers Mark16q

I need to buy the bike from a local LBS as the (law) firm I work for has signed up for the Bike to Work scheme here in the UK. This is a government -backed scheme whereby you buy a bike from an authorised dealer and your employer pays the VAT (Value Added Tax) and pays for the bike for you. You then pay your emplyoer back over 18 months (interest-free) but from your gross salary, not net. There are therefore major tax savings made, upshot being that I will pay around GB£220.00 for a Langster, rather than the retail of GB£399.00. A rather tempting deal I'm sure you'll agree!

Given that the monthly deduction from my salary will barely be noticeable it's almost like being given a free bike from my employer / the government.

The 07 Langster is definately top of my list, looking forward to seeing one in the metal. Going to experience fixed for the first time on Saturday at the local (30 miles away in Newport, Wales) velodrome, my first experience of track riding too. Shoule be interesting!


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## Mark16q (Oct 19, 2004)

How cool is that...pre-tax for a bicycle! I'm a CPA here in the US, and would love to see some tax incentive for alternate transportation like that...but thinking the oil companies and auto industry won't likely let that happen. Sounds like a great way to get a bike with some nice savings. Would really be nice if you could have this deal include any upgrades you may want...build it up right off the floor with pre-tax interest free dollars. Like you needed an excuse to buy toys for the bike  

Cheers,

Mark


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## UcannotBsirius (Mar 24, 2003)

Yep - it's a deal too good to refuse................so I went and ordered an 07 Langster from my LBS yesterday!! (Specialized UK have 'em in stock now). Asked the shop to set it up as 42:16 fixed for me.

Rode a Pinarello track (fixed) bike at the velodrome on Saturday - man it felt weird at first! Just pulling away was hard but it soon started to feel (slightly) more instinctive. It had Look pedals on too, whereas I'll fit double sided Shimano MTB pedals. Started to enjoy the sensation of slowing down by using back pressure on the pedals.

I have no doubt I'll scare myself silly on the Langster while I'm still getting used to the whole fixed thing, but I can't wait.....


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## Mark16q (Oct 19, 2004)

UcannotBsirius said:


> Yep - it's a deal too good to refuse................so I went and ordered an 07 Langster from my LBS yesterday!! (Specialized UK have 'em in stock now). Asked the shop to set it up as 42:16 fixed for me.
> 
> Rode a Pinarello track (fixed) bike at the velodrome on Saturday - man it felt weird at first! Just pulling away was hard but it soon started to feel (slightly) more instinctive. It had Look pedals on too, whereas I'll fit double sided Shimano MTB pedals. Started to enjoy the sensation of slowing down by using back pressure on the pedals.
> 
> I have no doubt I'll scare myself silly on the Langster while I'm still getting used to the whole fixed thing, but I can't wait.....


Congrats on the pending purchase! I'm having a great time with mine and becoming much more instinctive with the pedaling. I've been doing lots of rides with my son and find that is helping me relax and spin with the bike rather than fighting it. The only downside so far is that I have a prior knee injury that is not happy about my backpedaling to brake. So I'm using the brakes more and taking care of the kneecap.

Did 15 miles this morning and hit a new top speed on a slight downhill...32.1mph. I thought my legs were gonna fall off, but managed to keep spinning. Wonder if there's a way to calculate my cadence at that speed?

Enjoy,

Makr


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## UcannotBsirius (Mar 24, 2003)

Sounds good! My two daughters are yet to learn to ride without stabilisers (off to the park in a minute for another lesson!), I'll initially be using the bike for my commute - only 5 mins in in the morning (about 1.5 miles from home to office) but I take a nice 10 mile detour on the way home which includes some country lanes without too much commuter traffic. Once I am confident on it I may use it for longer rides over the winter - got to love the lack of maintainance!

Cadence calculator here: <http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/articles/steve-cadence/>


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## UcannotBsirius (Mar 24, 2003)

Hmmm no link - I'll try again: http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/articles/steve-cadence/


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## Mark16q (Oct 19, 2004)

UcannotBsirius said:


> Hmmm no link - I'll try again: http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/articles/steve-cadence/


Gotta bookmark that one!!! Per that calculator, assuming my Garmin 305 was accurate on the 32.1 mph....I was at 152 rpm. A buddy on the ride showed the same speed on his Polar, so think it's a good number. I actually have the cadence accessory for the Garmin, but don't want to mess with it. With a fixed gear and this page, I don't need it  

Thanks,

Mark


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## UcannotBsirius (Mar 24, 2003)

Picked up my Langster on Thursday and took it for a quick spin round the block to check saddle height etc. (Pleasantly) surprised by the colour when the guy wheeled it out from the back of the shop - I was expecting a shade of red, both from pics on the net and Mark16q's pictures. It's more of a brown - "bar b q sauce with mustard" is pretty much spot on.

I had the shop set it up as 42:16 fixed and took it for the first proper ride yesterday - a 30 miler out of town round a local lake. Quite rolling terrain but no major hills. I'm glad I recently tried fixed on the track as I was a lot more confident on the road with it than I would have been otherwise. The one moment of muppetry that took place was a few minutes from home when I stopped at a red light to turn left. I lifted the rear wheel to get the pedals where I wanted them but couldn't get the pedals / rear wheel to move. The light turned to green and the car behind started revving it's engine impatiently until I finally realised I'd inadvertantly held the rear brake on as well as the front!! Doh! 

There was one small climb, not long but about 7-8% gradient, that was a grind but not a problem to get up, and on the descents I started off cautiously and kept my speed in check, then when I could see the bottom I let it roll. I didn't have a computer on but reckon I hit about low-30's mph. As long as I stayed relaxed and didn't think about what I was doing it was fine, as soon as I thought about what my legs were doing I started bouncing around on the saddle!!

Cruising round the lake at about 18-19mph was lovely, fairly effortless and the lack of drivechain noise was nice. I suddenly realized I had a big grin on my face - I think I like this fixed thing!!

I bought the bike to use for my commute (1.5 miles in, 10 mile loop back) and it'll be ideal for the job. I suspect I'll be uisng the bike at weekends as well though, definately a satisfied customer here!!


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## tamu (Apr 16, 2006)

Mark16q said:


> How cool is that...pre-tax for a bicycle! I'm a CPA here in the US, and would love to see some tax incentive for alternate transportation like that...but thinking the oil companies and auto industry won't likely let that happen. Sounds like a great way to get a bike with some nice savings. Would really be nice if you could have this deal include any upgrades you may want...build it up right off the floor with pre-tax interest free dollars. Like you needed an excuse to buy toys for the bike
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Mark


not it at all, I used to think oil companies were pretty bad myself.. but if you really do alot of research on it.. it is quite the opposite case.. i have read volumes about one company in perticular

with the projected energy demand increase in the recent future, the oil companies will struggel to keep up with demand.. dumping millions into research on more efficent engines in cars.. and frankley, they are continually working to reduce emissions and become more efficient.. 

even funding lots of research at MAJOR (stanford and stuff) universities for hybrid and renuable resources.. 

there is plenty of information to be had.. and if youre wandering, the actual cost for gas has actually gone down as compared to 10 years ago (i think, i forget the number) and the actual rise in gas prices to close to 3$ is due, mostly because of govermental tax


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## niall_shan (Sep 5, 2006)

*Awaiting delivery of 07 Langster*

Thoroughly enjoyed reading this thread on the Langster. I saw one last week and ordered it on the spot, expecting it in the next few days. I've been commuting on a Specialized Crossroads Sport for the last 18 months, but have been longing to go fixed for a while. When I saw the Langster 07 I felt the time had come. Agree with you on the colour, different and nice too. Fascinated by the UK's Bike to Work initiative, I hadn't heard about that before. I work as a lobbyist for non-profit organisations, maybe I should start flying the flag for a similar scheme here!!

Looking forward to my first fixed ride next week. Thanks to you and Mark for the insights.


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## Mark16q (Oct 19, 2004)

niall shan ,

Congrats on the pending purchase. The more I ride mine, the more I enjoy it. I'm much more comfortable on the bike, and am very happy with the road feel and gearing where I live. Only changes are pedals thus far. 

Just be sure to check the nuts and bolts for a few rides, as everything loosened a few times before settling in. Especially the fixed gear and lock ring.

I have discovered that skidding and slowing quickly without the brakes is bad on my knee (it's been broken and reconstructed), so I'm using the brakes more and my knee is happy once again. Glad it has the brakes as I almost went without.

Let us know how it goes once it arrives...

Mark


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## niall_shan (Sep 5, 2006)

Hi Mark16q
Thanks for the messgae, and thanks too for the advice. As a fixed gear virgin it will be useful! I couldn't imagine going without brakes. Similarly, I have an old knee injury that flares up in cold, damp weather (which we have plenty of in Dublin), so I am going to ease myself into it. There is one long steep hill on my commute, though with a good road surface, so that will be an early challenge.

I'll keep you posted. In the meantime, I can't stop thinking about it!

Cheers
N


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