Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Specialized Langster 2007 Update: Part 3



a full two months(see original post) - here's what I think...

On an overall scale, I would say the Langster ranks 8.5 out of 10.

Pros - The Langster is light-weight and fun to ride, a good work out on hills, and a great conversation starter with the ladies. Not to dwell too much on that point, but the chicks dig the Langster. I use the bike 4-5 times per week and at least 5-6 miles per day. I know, not a heavy workout routine by any means, but for someone with a busy schedule and is not in the best shape in the world, I think the mileage and frequency is adequate enough. I feel my leg muscles tightening up and toning by the day.

Cons - While I liked the single-gear aspect initially, it can be a bit of a pain from time to time, especially when going downhill. Not uphill? No no, that's what I enjoy the most. If there is any type of downhill slope, pedaling becomes virtually impossible and you're at the mercy of the bike to "bottom-out", so to speak. The one long ride I did take, roughly 25-30 miles, I wished to have several gears just to switch things up, but in the end, it was not a huge deal.

So why did I rate the Specialized Langster at 8.5 out of 10? For the price range, I would rate it 9.5 out of 10, but I tried out other bikes during the interim since my previous post and more expensive bikes are obviously better. With that being said, I felt my bike at roughly a third of the price of the other bikes I rode is a steal to say the least.

4 comments:

Chief said...

Can you elaborate on the benefits of a single gear? Perhaps the simplicity allows for lower cost and a more rugged design? Inquiring minds want to know...

Winston Smith said...

You hit the nail on the head, Chief. One gear means limited components and maintenance, hence a less expensive bike. Another aspect that drives up the price is the amount of carbon used in the frame (or whatever component) of the bike.

I think my langster has a carbon seat shaft (please excuse my acument for biking terminology, I'm working on it), but the rest of the bike is made mostly of aluminum. Don't quote me on any of that.

Chief said...

I do seem to recall all of my bikes growing up that had multiple gears would invariably begin to have issues with the shift mechanism within a year of purchase.

Winston Smith said...

I remember your knee going out because of a band camp injury.