Actually do I NEED a chain tensioner?

I've seen plenty of fixies here without them but the chain seems to be slack on all them

with an aluminum dropout, you should use one. it's a lot of stress on the metal without one.

i like it, i think it's a great looking bike for a very affordable price. nice roadish geometry for fixed gear street use. i wish my kilott used a damn 27.2 seatpost, man that would help me out. also, the internal headset style headtube will really make things easy and weatherproof for a street bike.

the graphics are tasteful and subtle and the colors are simple and look great. i really dig the aero tubing.

i'd like to ride one with a carbon fork, carbon seatpost, and 165mm cranks. and with the price you can get it on ebay, that's definitely doable. i am going to get myself into trouble buying too many bikes in the future if i have a nice job once i graduate.


I'd also like to commend Brian for responding with courtesy and helpful information in the face of so many uselessly negative comments. I doubt I'd keep so cool if someone was trashing my bike without even so much as seeing it in person.


that said, i'd probably opt for a end-style tensioner like a surly in order to add some ease to changing out the wheel. i see how the tension can be set once and not have to worry about it, but changing out a master link is way more work than simply slipping the chain off the cog.



one thing in an ebay listing that i found funny:
haha, what? so you can ride backwards? cmon, it takes a lot more than changing the seat tube angle to give a bike track-ready handling.


for the money, i think i'd rather have the 735tr with its beefy looking dropouts and sweet tight angles.
https://cgi.ebay.com/Leader-735TR-51c...QQcmdZViewItem

300 frame
40 headset
70 seatpost
40 cog lockring
150 fork (nashbar/performance)
150 cranks
100 seat
200 wheels tires
50 handlebars
50 stem
50 pedals
=
1200 track bike on par with pista concept or langster pro, custom built by you.

Please excuse me for being so blunt, but please do not insult our intelligence. Again, you do not have access to those screws because they are completely obscured by the axle nuts and locknuts. I am certain you already know this.

I think that Leader frame is decent at a decent price. Yes, get rid of those 'tensioner' screws as you will immediately find out how impractical they are upon mounting your wheel. If I were looking for another fixie frame, I'd consider buying this frame. I like the 27.2 seat tube also.....lots of options.

As far as using chain tugs (or tensioners), in general, a properly aligned and secured wheel will not require them.

maybe if people were being nicer about pointing out the design flaw there wouldn't be this ridiculous back and forth.

i don't like the tensioning adjustment but you can clearly see they shape the dropout to accept an accessory tensioner... it's nice to have it, and if you don't like it, the solution is a simple turn of the allen key away. sheesh. would you prefer it not be included at all? if so, get the track bike.

this is like a ten dollar fix, twenty at the most. it has nothing to do with the frame itself, and it's not a nonfunctional flaw it's just not as convenient as some people might insist on having.

try finding another frame of this quality and build spec that offers any sort of tension adjustment for this price. just try.

I'm thankful that leader bikes actually puts the effort forth to address this pile of clowns in this thread at all, and with composure... it's more than you'll find from most companies.

he's not insulting anyone's intelligence by saying the screws are easy to loosen, he's just got a different definition of easy than you.

they're two little bolts. they should mean absolutely NOTHING to you when faced with the decision to buy a bargain frame.

i never have a problem with removing my wheel on my Leader.
i really don't get what the big fuss is about.
it's a solid bike at a very affordable price.

The fuss is about the tensioners, not about the frame itself.
Just for the sake of comparison Paul's trackends have similar built-in tensioners, but these allow you to turn the screws to set tension from the outside like they're supposed to.

He PM'd me to sass me and let me know that he left because of my comment about the welds, so, I'm not buying the composure. I do appreciate his clown-addressing otherwise.

It'll probably be worth as much as a $150 dollar frame. You get what you pay for.

Again great responses, thanks to all.

On another not I read an old post the other day about a leader track frame. It was dated 05, but I cand find it now. If anyone knows what I'm talkin bout you'll remember something about some compression nut in the headset that was missing when the buyer recieved his bike, and something to do with the headset being too long to fit a fork properly. Does anyone remember this|?

The geometry looks just fine to me, close to any other track frame.

Sorry bout all the extra questions but its gonna be my first fixie so dont wanna get screwed over

the frameset you linked to doesn't include a headset, so that sounds like it's a problem with a particular bike or a ready built leader.

also, the fork is not included so maybe the guy bought one with too short a steering tube... forks for threadless headsets come with variable length steerer tubes and you need to cut them down to size... if you get one that's too small that's a problem.

they sell an IS6 cane creek headset that fits this for 40 bucks and that's a good price for a good headset.

the geometry is no where near close to another track frame, look at how different it is from the 735tr actual track frame.

most new frames that say they're track are pretty lax/road geo. it's just companies buying into the whole 'track bike' fad. the headtube angle on the 720tr is a road angle, 73.5 compared to the 735's 76. the 735 has a STEEP headtube and TIGHT angles. i'd assume there would be a lot of toe overlap on the 735.

you won't get screwed over, you just may not be able to build a nice bike for less than it costs to buy a complete like a langster or a pista.

I’m surprised as how many people comment on threads as if they have any knowledge at all about bikes, let me break it down the 720TR is a GOOD bike for the money, it has a great warranty that most companies cant even step to, Leader backs there stuff up, I personally know people who own both their road and track frame models and I hear nothing but good things about their service and merchandise. Their bike ride as well as some 3 times the price. And about the track ends if you need bolts and tension rods to set tension you shouldn’t be aloud to ride a bike or even touch one, I can set tension on my fixed fine with no sissy bolts, in my opinion the bolts need to be taken out anyway, makes the wheel base more compact. I guess if you can’t handle real track ends I’d recommend another frame

^ too bad you don't have a time machine to go back and add to this argument when it was happening.

i like my leader. the service i received was amazing. the expedited a headset for me since my lbs sucked. i have no complaints.

Having ridden several FG bikes before my 725tr purchase I can honestly say that the LEADER 725tr fits me. Maybe not everyone else, but definitely me. As a relatively new rider, all I can say is test ride as many bikes as possible before you fork out hundreds of dollars on a bike. I did, I went with the Leader, and I love it.

I would take the Leader over the Bianchi Pista, Cannondale Capo, Surly SR, or the a steel Pake. I've ridden these bikes before I ordered the 725 and none of them worked for me the way the Leader does.

The leader is light, sturdy, turns heads everywhere I go, very smooth, and a dream to ride. It makes an occasional pop though the frame when the cups adjust to shifts in weight.

I love the way the road echoes through the frame. Its like it's singing to me.

Buy what fits you, not what others tell you to buy.

actually, i believe that is the frame creaking due to poor build quality.

I'd buy one if it had a fork for $200

I have one, I like it a lot. Frame weighed in at 3.25lbs in 53cm size, ride is good not harsh. The welds are fine, most people pissing and moaning about the looks of the welds are probably ignorant about tig welding. I have friends that have been professional welders for many years, and that is what a typical well executed tig weld looks like. Mine came without tugs for tension btw.
ymmv
Chris

I was told it was the cups setting in from a friends who had been doing this or a while but who knows. I love the bike a lot and that's all that really matters to me. I'm already looking to build another for the love of it. That really gets me for some reason I have absolutely no need for another bike.

The big problem I have with Leader is that I blame them for causing me to develop a very addictve and expensive new hobby. I guess it's healthier than smoking.

I love my Leader bike.

PS. I think the welds look kind of cool. Like chocolate drizzle. They look strong enough for my wide 190lb arse.

Wait... you can ride a fixed gear without smoking?

Sometimes I might fire one up.

However, Im not a Scenester or Hipster or whatever they are calling themselves this week. I just love to ride the bike.