Saw a brass knuckle at my lbs -- didn't know they existed. Seemed a little heavy but I was picking it up at a weird angle. I think the brass knuckle is aluminum but are there other differences ie craftsmanship, weight, feel, any other quality differences? It was cheaper. thanks.

They're not really comparable at all. They're similar in name only. The next closest thing they have in common is that they're both track frames.

One hurts more than the other when it ends up on either side of your face.

The bareknuckle is a bike I would actually ride, it looks good and is steel. The brassknuckle is ****ing ugly as sin, look at the welds, the colors suck and it's aluminum.

Wow, hating hardcore on the aluminum. But seriously, i have heard others feel the same why, why dont people with fix/ss not like aluminum as much.

Track geometry and aluminum tubing don't make for a comfy ride. However the brass knuckle is relatively relaxed so I don't see what the big deal is.

+1 on all that.

wow, you missed the point hardcore. aluminum is a side issue. ****ty welds, compact geometry, etc....if i owned one i'd only ride it at night so no one could see i was actually riding such a piece of ****. actually, if i owned one i'd throw it in the river and go buy an old schwinn, convert it and ride that instead, because even that would be a nicer bike.

so the brass knuckle and bare knuckle are actually made by different manufacturers?

Really? Let me know when you do that and I'll be downriver. Aluminum don't rust and I'd get me a free bike.

And I can understand if people don't like the appearance of a bike, but just saying that a certain metal rides worse than a different metal is kind of silly. You can make an AL bike ride nicely and you can make a Steel bike harsh as hell if you're really up to it.

I don't like the geo.

I LOVE my concept though. Aluminum is stiff, it accelerates faster and it's light as ****. Do the BrassKnucks have a carbon fork though?

If I had to chose, I'd go with the Bareknuckle.

The fork on the Brass Knuckle is aluminum. My friend has one and rides the **** out of it. Infact he likes everything about the frame except for the way it looks. I've ridden his bike a few times, but no more than a few blocks. Those Brass Knuckles are light and stiff, but with that Aluminum fork I think I would find it a bit too stiff for riding everyday on harsh roads.

they both suck

i don't care about the metal, that's someone else. i've got an AL road bike and am increasingly of the opinion that a cheap AL track frame (like a tsunami or something) would make a great crappy weather ride for the non-rusting factor. it's the aesthetic that rubs me the wrong way, to put it mildly.

oh, and i have a friend who found some fancy-ass lance armstrong trek in a river. AL. runs fine.

As stated before the only comparable aspect of the two frames is that the both end in "knuckle."

Bareknuckle>Brassknuckle.

brassknuckle has yucky geometry.
i like the bareknuckles.

what I don't understand is they are both imported by EAI but they couldn't seem less alike. Is there a story behind it? Are they made by two different manufacturers? Why would EAI import a great bike like the bare knuckle then something so ugly with weird geometry like the brass knuckle? I'm missing something.

I think a brass knuck with a cro-mo or carbon fork would be a fast
and fun bike--

Brassknuckle is made in Taiwan. Bareknuckle is made in Italy. They both have 'knuckle' in the name, and are both sold by EAI. Brass has modern, compact geometry and is AL. Bare has traditional geometry and is steel. Brass costs about $300 less than Bare. The end.

you suck.
brassknuckles=cheap (in a good way)

Yes, but it has no fatigue resistance.

Some metals, when we bend them back and forth, will eventually break from the repeated bending.
Aluminum does that, and rather quickly, getting weaker with each bending or vibration cycle.

Bicycle steel, as long it doesn't deform because of stress, has an almost infinite fatigue life.

So, one puts fatigue life up against corrosion resistance, and maybe gets a wash.

However, that said, steel seems to have a much more aesthetically-pleasing welding bead than does aluminum.

Some of the robot machine-welded beads I've seen on steel bikes, recently, just amaze me with their uniformity and small size.

As for differences in ride quality, I don't have enough time on aluminum bikes to have an opinion either way.

People use this too often as a "absolutist view of why aluminum sucks" - I have had several MTBs that were Aluminum and I beat the f uc king sh it out of them. Had a higher end Fisher frame that had a dented seat tube and I still rode it for 2 years. I know people who ride concepts and they abuse them on a daily basis. The Trackstar | DQM bikes have been hit by cars and abused constantly and yet they're still rollin strong.

Your bike will break no matter what material it's made of if you wreck it... True if you dent steel, you can bend it back. Cold-setting if you will, whereas aluminum you can't. Doesn't mean it's any stronger than steel. My concept feels much stiffer than my Marinoni. Very little energy is lost to the BB and cranks. I rode the 'Noni for the first time in a few weeks since getting my Concept only to be amazed at how much the BB shell sways when I stomp down. There's a reason why track riders don't ride steel frames anymore.

Aluminum bikes are great for the city and for winter rides. You can ride it in the pouring rain and all that'll occure is some minor oxidation that can be easily removed and has no structurally damaging affects. Make sure you have a good carbon fork though, because an aluminum fork will cause you great pain. Carbon wheels help too...

Sorry, the AL vs steel comment wasn't directed at you. It was just a random stream of consciousness thing.

i love mine but what do i know

I agree with you, but in 10-15 years, nobody is going to want to buy your concept. Your 'noni will still probably fetch a decent dollar or two.

Then again, who gets that much mileage out of a bike where it is even sellable in 15 years?