As a world-class cyclist and Specialized Bicycles executive,
Morgan Hill’s Don Langley has traveled all over the world, serving
as our ambassador for his sport and his employer.
As a world-class cyclist and Specialized Bicycles executive, Morgan Hill’s Don Langley has traveled all over the world, serving as our ambassador for his sport and his employer.
Langley has visited England several times with his Morgan Stanley/24-Hour Fitness/Specialized racing team to compete in the World Championships, been to France to watch American Lance Armstrong win his sixth Tour de France last year, and even lived in Taiwan one summer as a Specialized purchasing manager.
And, in April, Langley and the rest of the Specialized crew will welcome cyclists from all over the world to his hometown when the Morgan Hill Grand Prix criterium transforms the downtown into a whirl and rush of international racing talent.
For Langley, his international travels and contacts with different cultures during his competitive cycling career has been one of the transforming experiences of his life.
And, the opportunity to introduce his contemporaries in the world of international cycling to Morgan Hill is an opportunity he can hardly help but get excited about.
“I love it,” Langley said. “It’s neat traveling – you get hooked. You get an expanded view of the world.
“Professional cyclists usually appreciate the places they go. I think they’ll all love Morgan Hill. There’s a lot of diversity here right now so I think they’ll fit right in. There are all kinds of different cultures here.”
The 42-year-old Langley grew up in Morgan Hill after moving to town when he was 5, and except for a seven-year hiatus in San Jose he has lived in Morgan Hill ever since. (His parents, Harvey and Beverley, also still live in Morgan Hill.) He attended local schools and graduated from Live Oak High in 1980.
A couple of years later, Langley joined the San Jose Racing Club and began riding his first road bike – a Motobacane – competitively.
“I’d always wanted to (compete in cycling),” he said. “And, finally I could afford a bike.”
It didn’t take Langley long to show off his talent. Two years later, in 1984, he made the U.S. National cycling team and had a realistic shot at competing in the Olympics but he got married instead.
Despite the physical demands of the sport – road racing cyclists competen on bikes with super-thin tires (23 millimeters wide) at speeds between 30 and 40 mph in tight packs – Langley has been competing ever since. And, he’s been fortunate – his only major cycling injury occurred when he took a foray into the world of competitive mountain biking. Riding in the nationals in Mexico on the product that vaulted Specialized to world-wide fame for developing the first-ever Mountain bike prototype, Langley took a nasty spill and broke his collarbone. He’s been sticking to road cycling since then.
The 22-year cycling veteran does most of his racing in a series of Northern California events, competing in the 40-44 age group. In the past three seasons, Langley has won the Cat’s Hill Criterium in Los Gatos (2002) and the Sea Otter Criterium in Monterey (2003), and finished second in the Hanford Criterium (2004).
He has also earned a reputation as one of the top time trial performers in the world in his division, and he has been to England four times to compete in the world championships.
In fact, Langley turned pro for three races a few years ago when organizers were trying to start a pro racing circuit in the United States, then joined the Morgan Stanley racing team three years ago.
His road racing career hit its peak (so far) in 2002, when he won a national championship, finished second at the world championships, and, the topper, set a new world record in the 200-meter time trials at the nationals in Colorado Springs.
“That was a really great year,” Langley said. “It was pretty surprising – I never had (setting a world record) as a goal. (The success is) nice but the whole experience of riding and racing was the real thrill.”
Langley said his goal now is to bring home a world championship.
Despite attaining world-class status in the world of competitive cycling, Langley remains nearly anonymous in his home country. In fact, he said that’s the biggest difference between competing at home and in Europe
“Popularity,” he said. “Armstrong is a rock star in Europe but until he started winning so many (Tour de France events) people didn’t really recognize him. And, even now, any other U.S. National champ, no one would recognize them.”
Langley got to experience a little of what it means to be a star like Armstrong when he went to last year’s Tour de France and watched cycling’s most famous event from the best seats in the house. As a Specialized representative, which was a helmet and equipment sponsor for the event, Langley was given special passes that allowed him behind the scenes access and let him on a special vehicle for sponsors and media that tracked the Tour’s progress.
According to Langley, working for Specialized has afforded him plenty of unique opportunities, including the chance to pursue his competitive career.
“Specialized has been very supportive of me,” Langley said. “It’s a dream place to work if you love cycling.”
Langley started in the Specialized headquarters warehouse in Morgan Hill 14 years ago, then moved into purchasing a few years later. His position with the trend-setting bicycle developer and manufacturer has given him an opportunity to see more of the world than he ever dreamed possible, he said.
In addition to traveling for competition, Langley said the chance to live in Taiwan for a summer was also an eye-opener. He said being immersed in the vastly different culture, dealing with the language barrier (most Taiwanese don’t speak English) and even the laissez faire attitude toward traffic laws were all treasured experiences for him.
One of the best perks about working for Specialized, though, is having a product named after you, Langley said. He received the honor recently when the local company named one of its road bike models the “Langster.”
But these days Langley is most excited about the approaching Morgan Hill Grand Prix criterium, which is set for April 10 and is expected to draw 300-500 cyclists and 2,000 spectators.
Sponsored by Specialized, the criterium makes its return after a decade-long hiatus. The event’s slate of races, which will begin and end downtown, will be held from 8am to 6pm, and will feature a range of cycling competitions including everything from professional road bike races to mountain bike races to kids races. There will be races for both men and women in various skill categories, as well as a Masters competition for bicyclists aged 35 and over. There will be an estimated $3,000-$5,000 in prize money for the top racers.
Event organizers are hoping to draw many top cyclists from all over the world who will be competing in the Sea Otter Classic in Monterey the following weekend.
For Langley, the chance to compete in, and help plan and organize, a race in his own backyard is a thrill.
“It’s great because it’s my hometown race,” Langley said. “It’s nice not to have to travel.”
With the thrill of competitive cycling still fresh and the perks associated with working for one of the world’s top bicycle companies, it’s no wonder Langley said he has no plans to quit any time soon.
“I’d like to keep going forever,” he said. “For me, it’s a lifestyle and I love it. The main thing that makes it so good is riding with my friends. That’s the best part of the whole thing.”
