I was at my LBS Specialized dealer today and I was shown the new Langsters for 09. They are also bring the New York and Seattle back

I'm not into these. I think the city themed versions are pretty cheesy.

I agree with ya.

Well how are they different?

I think that the tokyo one would look so much better with an all black wheelset
and the vegas one looks cheesy to me
the san fran one is ok

The Houston one is soo awesome, you can't see it.

i really want a specialized track handlebar, but in 39cm... is there anyway i can get one?

They should really stop making these.

Go back to the silver Langsters and let people buy a classy bike - not an overdone, over-researched answer to a question that nobody asked.

The bikes do seem a little focus-grouped, but there's nothing inherently wrong with them. (I won't buy one, but I will still applaud 'Big S' for making it.)

It gives people who would otherwise not put in a ton of work a non-generic-looking bike. Not everyone wants to pore over parts lists to pick out just the right hubset or seatpost. The idea of 'you want a fixie, you build it yourself' is a little intimidating.

A fancy-looking bike will probably catch someone's eye who walks into an LBS and, just like that, America's rider population has increased by one. (No one will say that's a bad thing, after all.)

Sure, the fixed-gear pool has been diluted a little more, but that's nothing worth crying about. Fixed-gear riding hasn't been a secret for years. (A new VW Tiguan commercial has two bikes mounted on the roof rack. a few years ago, they'd have been mountain bikes. Now, they're Trek T1's.)

My girlfriend's eye was caught by the green of the Langster Seattle, so she bought it. The normal Langster never would have gained her attention like that. It's a good, solid bike at a good, solid value. Sure, it's not a full Dura-Ace Nagasawa track bike, but it's not supposed to be. She doesn't know why Suntour Superbe Pros are so coveted, nor does she really care. She doesn't know that Alex rims suck, but she knows that the ones on her bike have yet to go out of true. She loves riding and now takes her bike where before she took her car. Why on earth would I tell her that a sloping top tube and a carbon fork offends the standard sensibilities of the fixster crowd?

Every rider doesn't have to be a bike-geek in order to have a nice bike.

I'd ride the San Francisco i think. But i'd never pay extra for silly paint themes.

I like the bold color scheme and visual design, but I cannot get used to the frame design. Given for free, I'd ride any of them, though.

fail bike

The normal Langster for 09 is all silver/chrome.

i thought that there were only 5 city editions made (seattle, london, new york, chicago, boston)

awesome

I guess I fall into the minority, but I think that the Langsters are a good idea.

I have been into bikes for a while and had been attracted to SS by friends and seeing cool bikes around Tokyo. But those cool bikes cost loads, and I wanted something a bit more modern (I had the choice between a compact geometry alu/carbon mix road bike or a Langster or Giant FCR SS (Japan only)).

I wanted the comfort and geometry of a modern bike, but also something a little bit different. I got the Chicago because I have been interested in a bullhorn for a while and I like black, also the design isn't over the top.

If is were not for the Langster, I probably would have got a road bike, but now I have a Langster, I feel that i really am starting to love SS (although have not tried fixed yet, too scared on all the steep downhill sections near me). But i think in the future i might end up getting a nice track frame and build a bike.

If it were not for the Langster, I would not have reached this point, this probably applies to loads of other Langster owners.

But I can understand you guys like to vent about such things! Just don't go putting newbs off too much, or they might be scared away from the whole ss/fixed world.

It's pretty clear that the people at Specialized have never seen the track bikes in tokyo thread, because that thing is way off.

yeah, but i can't imagine many NY people riding the NY version of the bike.

...Just like San Francisco has moved away from the swirly, 1960's hippie style. ...and anything in Japan that is considered cool is covered with English text and has no Japanese writing to be found.

The bikes aren't supposed to be indicative of fixed-gear trends in their respective cities, and thank God for that. It's just a nice way to create a little visual variety.

Will the normal Langster be clear-coated aluminum, like the Capo? or is it painted silver?

National flags would be cool. A fire engine Langster wouldn't be to bad either.

the san fran is super sweet.

tokyo is a little fem...

vegas is just pathetic.

i'd like to see the regular.

I still think the Seattle has so far been the only one of the city-series to be worth anything.
Fenders.

Also, green.

I'm kind of glad to see that they are now spec'd with deep-V section rims. Gold calipers on the Vegas version... not quite my style, but I do kind of like it. Disappointed that they still have the Sugino RDs: Chain-line.

Surprised that no one has posted a link to pics, of the 2009 Langsters, yet.
https://thebicycleescape.blogspot.com...-langster.html

the base model is pretty sick, ive worked on a few of them...i think the san fransisco one is soooo awful though...ugh

I wouldn't ride one, but I give props to Specialized for the idea. More power to 'em.