The fashionistas at Specialized have cooked up their second city-themed series of Langster fixed-gear road bikes for 2009, and the BikeRadar workshop took delivery of the snazzy New York taxi cab version recently.
The US$880 Specialized Langster New York plays up Frank Sinatra's favourite city nicely, sporting the yellow taxi cab finish with clever transfers alluding to the luxurious life of a taxi driver. The city-friendly flat bars (400mm/15.75 inches) are scaringly narrow for a novice, though, but fun to commandeer after a few spins in the car park. Bike messengers trim their bars narrow to make weaving in an out of taxi cabs and buses easier, so Specialized has done the chopping right out of the box.
Vibrancy is the highlight of the Langster New York, though, as evident in the yellow and black splashed everywhere, including the chain, rims, saddle and bar tape. Like the Felt Curbside featured here recently, the Langster New York is built with an aluminium frame and carbon fork. Unlike the Felt, the Langster New York doesn't have room for mudguards, or the braze-ons to fit them. There are, however, fittings for a rear rack. The Langster also comes with a carbon wrapped seat post to absorb road vibration, according to Specialized. We're not sure of the durability of a carbon post on a fixie, but time will tell.
Look for a complete review on BikeRadar soon.
