I have a Specialized Langster that I love to ride. Due to some knee problems, I've been riding it as a single speed ... not a fixed gear. After riding the stock set-up for a while, I've begun to swap out some of the parts. The first to go were the saddle and seat post. I recently purchased some fancy brakes and levers.

The next item I'm thinking about replacing is the crankset. It's not bad by any means, especially considering the price of the bike ... I've just got upgrade-itis (hey, at least I can admit it). I'm wondering what my options are. Do I have to look for something single speed specific or can I get any crankset and just remove the unwanted ring? I saw the FSA Vigorelli track crankset and it looks nice, but I don't see myself on the track any time soon. Would this crankset be an overkill or would it be a nice upgrade?

Also, while I'm at it, what recommendations would you all have for a new wheelset. The Alex wheels aren't horrible, but I've had to true them a few times already. If I'm not mistaken, any wheelset can be used for SS with spacers, right? Would it be better to get a set of "regular" wheels and then add spacers or should I try to find something with a SS hub (or maybe even a SS / fixed gear flip-flop hub)?

Thanks in advance for your help!

The next item I'm thinking about replacing is the crankset. It's not bad by any means, especially considering the price of the bike ... I've just got upgrade-itis (hey, at least I can admit it). I'm wondering what my options are. Do I have to look for something single speed specific or can I get any crankset and just remove the unwanted ring? I saw the FSA Vigorelli track crankset and it looks nice, but I don't see myself on the track any time soon. Would this crankset be an overkill or would it be a nice upgrade?
You can use just about any crank by removing the extra ring(s) and switching to shorter chainring bolts (w/o two rings the stock bolts will bottom out before securing the chainring). The problem is that with a track hub it can be difficult to get the outer chainring position to line up with the cog on a track hub, and running the ring on the inner position does not look as clean. However, if you are using a standard cassette hub with spacers, you can up the rear cog with the outer chainring.

Also, while I'm at it, what recommendations would you all have for a new wheelset. The Alex wheels aren't horrible, but I've had to true them a few times already. If I'm not mistaken, any wheelset can be used for SS with spacers, right? Would it be better to get a set of "regular" wheels and then add spacers or should I try to find something with a SS hub (or maybe even a SS / fixed gear flip-flop hub)?
You are right about the spacers.

A common argument agains a cassette rear wheel is the dishing makes the wheel weaker. While true in theory, dished wheels are still strong enough for every kind of riding except track, so I'm not sure this is much of a concern.

The upside is that you have many more wheel options and as mentioned above, adjustable chainline at the hub.

Something to think about is how you are going to secure a QR axled wheel in your track ends. Some people are fine with just the QR, but slippage would be a concern for me.

I would opt for a nice track/ss wheelset built around a Phil Wood hubs.

Can't tell you much about the cranks, but I can say something about wheels...

You can use any shimano or campy cassette hub as a singlespeed with spacers, but you have to make sure that your bike has the same rear dropout spacing... My guess is that the Langster doesn't have 130mm spacing. Also, wheels with cassette hubs generally aren't as strong as singlespeed or fixed wheels because of the dish -- spoke tension is very uneven on left and right sides. You're probably better off using a SS/fixed hub.

If you want to make your wheels more durable, increase the spoke tension and stress relieve them. Most factory-built wheels aren't built to a high enough tension and aren't stress relieved, so they go out of true more quickly.

I overlooked the track spacing on the Langster.

I have a Specialized Langster that I love to ride. Due to some knee problems, I've been riding it as a single speed ... not a fixed gear. After riding the stock set-up for a while, I've begun to swap out some of the parts. The first to go were the saddle and seat post. I recently purchased some fancy brakes and levers.

The next item I'm thinking about replacing is the crankset. It's not bad by any means, especially considering the price of the bike ... I've just got upgrade-itis (hey, at least I can admit it). I'm wondering what my options are. Do I have to look for something single speed specific or can I get any crankset and just remove the unwanted ring? I saw the FSA Vigorelli track crankset and it looks nice, but I don't see myself on the track any time soon. Would this crankset be an overkill or would it be a nice upgrade?

Also, while I'm at it, what recommendations would you all have for a new wheelset. The Alex wheels aren't horrible, but I've had to true them a few times already. If I'm not mistaken, any wheelset can be used for SS with spacers, right? Would it be better to get a set of "regular" wheels and then add spacers or should I try to find something with a SS hub (or maybe even a SS / fixed gear flip-flop hub)?

Thanks in advance for your help!

All the posts have good info... I just finished building a SS from spare parts and a frame I purchased at a steal... I looked into SS specific parts but after evaluating the parts stash I have, it made more sense for me to use what I had and I have to say it turned out to be a fun project and I've very happy with the results...

I set it up using an Ultegra crankset. I dropped the big ring, moved the 39t chainring to the outside and secured with the original bolts and 3mm spacers from an old MTB setup. It worked great and looks clean and gave a nice chainline where I was able to place the rear cog over the outward bearing of the hub which should help eliminate any flexing of the axle. For the wheel I used a 9spd shimano hub with a spacer kit and a I have a variety of LX BMX sprockets. With this setup, I was able to get a clean straight chainline and the option of different gear ratios for different riding situations.

Each time you add or subtract a tooth on the rear you gain or lose 1/8" of movement so it's possible to change the gearing easily with the use of the half link and different chain lengths. I had extra chains lying around so I cut them to different lengths for different cogs. I also retensioned the spokes increasing the tension which improved the feel of the wheel and made it much stiffer.

The frame, unfortunately has semi verticle dropouts which cause a bit of a tension issue. However, I worked that out by using a half link which allowed 1/2" of flexibility and combines with the different chain lengths to solve the tension issues without using any tensioner. As it stands now, I use a QR which is working fine even though some feel uneasy with not having a fixed axle but I have had no problems with slipping as long as I make sure it is good and tight. I've only ridden it for about 100 miles so far but it's working great and it's fun not thinking about needing to shift. I found a lot of good information from Sheldon Brown's site and from Harris Cyclery. They have a good parts inventory for SS and fixeys and are very helpful...

Have fun with your new toys...