Enough said.

Well, I'll at least give Specialized credit for making excellent gear in general. I've owned several of their bikes (mountain and cx) and been pleased with all of them. I just don't get this themed hipster city graphics thing. Its oxymoronic mainstream/mass-marketed "hip" is anything but. (Not that I'm cool, but I'm pretty sure the poor graphically challenged Langsters aren't).

Then again, maybe the Langster is the ultimate genius hipster move. Taking irony to a whole new level - a dorky mass marketed corporate bike aimed at being hip, yet failing but does it? I am not hip therefore I am!

well, one bike is made from carbon fiber and the other is made from aluminum, so keeping the geometry the same over two different materials would be a terrible idea

there is a reason why road bikes evolved to having sloping top tubes

There's no such thing as a "hip" stock bike, this is as true among roadies as it is here. They're driven by market forces, hooray capitalism, and enough people want to buy off the peg city themed fixed/ss bikes that they're selling like hotcakes.

I <3 my langster. I upgraded bits and pieces here and there and it's just over 20lbs. Gator skins, new saddle, new seat post, new hoods and brake levers, new bar tape.

I'm not hating b/c i got mine for dirt cheap from a guy who had a stable of bikes hanging in his garage. (His wife told him he had to let one go.) So I'm stoked. I moonlight as a bike tech as well so all the parts I've put on, has cost me next to nothing. -just sayin

the main thing is that you're out riding. that's the whole point. have fun with your bike.

No

>I'm not saying someone is "stupid" for liking the Langster, I am saying why I think it is ugly<

Good point.

>What is the deal w/ people on BF insulting other members?<

You asked, I answered. And not withstanding your good point, calling a bike "hideous," an "eyesore" and "ugly" could be considered insulting. If you'd stopped at "I don't like the looks. SLOPING TOP TUBE!" you'd probably have a more relaxed response.

There's no such thing as a carbon langster. The S-works is aluminum.

And for the record is rides much better than the "steel is real" Fillmore I own (an early one, before they got cheap with the tubing).

you're right, I mis-read the specs on specialized's site, it's made of E5 aluminum with a full carbon monocoque fork
the city versions are A1 aluminum with a carbon/aluminum fork

Point taken

JeffS, why does it not necessarily mean that the sloping top tube is worse for performance? I mean, if they changed the geometry for the higher end bike, doesn't it mean that the geometry on that higher end bike is better for performance? explain...

I've always felt that frame geo and fit had more to do with ride quality than frame material. And tires, nice tires are...nice.

When I said this, I meant that it was Specialized's personal attempt to appeal the the fgss scene. Meaning, they got geometry similar to their road bikes, added track ends, and just added the whole city theme crap, making it have that obnoxious 'bling factor'.

And yeah, it's definitely the city editions. I've seen some S-Works that are pretty cool, but definitely doesn't say 'track' to me. The s-works doesn't even say 'tarck' to me.

orly?

compact geo (sloping tt) is why it gets the hate

See? THOSE look great, although it may just be that I have a hardon for Zipps.

Mostly, its the "pricepoint" ... I was just at my LBS, they had 1 or 2 Allez-es and all the city models lined up, right next each other . In case you havent guessed , they where all the same price . (

( that said, & if money where no option... ) I kinda like the monaco. * flamesuit on *

.
.
.

It is for me. Was never a fan of sloping tubes.

I am not a big fan of a slopping tt but that red s-works is really pretty.

I can see the city theme bikes being corny or whatever and people loving/hating it, but what you just said I completely disagree with.

OH NOEZ ! ... a "sloping" TT :




.
.
.

I think the push is more against the marketing dept. They pushed on the hipster too hard, had they been more chill about the "look kids a fixe/ss" marketing they might have gotten away with it. I've like Spec's since the MTB's I rode in the 80's. I'd rock an S'works like a fat kid on a smartie.

My buddy has one and I've ridden it. It's really light and rides nice.

I just think they are ugly... the compact geometry and the dumb paint jobs mainly.

I do think the langster comps look good.

but everybody should just ride their bikes, I bet a bunch of people think my bike is dumb looking, but I like it and I ride the hell out of it.

I have actually owned two langsters, but I also owned a steel tri fixed gear,
at the same time as the first one,
and a steel fixed gear at the same time as the second one.

i ended up prefering the bikes with the more aggressive geometry. and that were not aluminum.
thats just me. I think had I never started riding steel i would have stuck with the langster.

they arent bad bikes, just nothing to set them apart, and a lot of people cant get over the fact they feel like a tuning fork between your legs.

And that's why I'm deathly happy I got my Capo as a framset.

i loved the sloping top tube of the cannondales first mountain bikes for years, and then rode a raleigh M50 for years (sloping tube...)
Now I ride a bunch of stove pipes held together with solder.

Love my Langster. The city ones are kinda lame... but have lots of miles on mine and works flawlessly. Never had a huge problem with mine besides the headset after 2 years.