EAI Bareknuckle vs. Leader Track frame
 

which of these frames do you guys like best? advantages of each? there is a bare knuckle frame on CL and the Leader is 649 right now http://www.leaderbikestore.com/pd-ld...rack-frame.cfm
I'm considering building one of these frames for street use. if not one of these what frame do you like more in that price range or lower. i'm also considering the steamroller for its versatility.

leader is far better than a BK hands down..

Between those two I'd lean towards the BK. I mean really you're gonna spend over $600 bucks on a frame and not even be told what its made out of?? If you're for being a guinea pig and going out and trying it then go for it.... But with the BareKnuckle you know what you're getting, a relatively stiff, tight geo, overall great riding (IMO) bike

I suppose it also depends on what you wanna do with it. The stainless lugs on the Leader frame will tend to have a bike that is a little bit more classic or retro looking and you can spec a build that will leave a similar feel.

On the other hand the BK with its slightly larger tubes and straight blade fork you can play around with the look a little bit more.


FWIW, I have a BrassKnuckle that I ride day to day and a BareKnuckle that is going to be built up as time goes by. So I guess I already made my decision....best of luck and have fun!

I'd rather have a stupid looking leader and cover it in stickers than a dime-a-dozen BK.

The BK is probably the better bike, though.

im not trying to derail the thread or anything, but if you're going frame only, you can get a vastly superior track frame for $650. i nabbed a vintage 60's steel lugged mercian complete for less than that on ebay. you can even get into some aluminum track frames/carbon forks for that price (cannondale track/capo, fuji track).

The leader is made out of Reynolds 953.

Really? Where does it say that? One would think that if a company were offering a Reynolds 953 -- a material that is stronger than titanium, corrosion-resistant and ****ing EXPENSIVE -- frame for under $1000, or for that matter, under $2000, they would have a big red flashing banner shouting "REYNOLDS NINE-FIFTY-****ING-THREE!!!!," rather than an ambiguous "REYNOLDS STEEL IMPORTED FROM THE UK."

Ah, nevermind, I misread that. I thought that the entire frame was built from stainless, not just the lugs. My mistake.

from the leader store site: Please note frame is 100% made of Reynolds steel. Until we can get final aproval and reynold decal we can not comment on the steel type used on this frame. What we can say it is not made of the lesser materials like 4130.

Well, we know what it ain't, :p

One down

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reynold...chnology#Steel

Now if we can just eliminate every other possibility other than 953 we'll be in business!

edit: Didn't read response. I'll stop being a sarcastic jerk now.

It happens to the best of us.

The BK is a great track frame, but honestly, its too damn stiff for the street....it bucks and bounces and doesn't handle bumps and waves in the road as well as a proper road frame. If you only plan on riding smooth roads or the track then go for it. However, the BK is overpriced nowadays. They were hundreds cheaper when I bought mine a few years a ago.

The leader frame looks nice, but it has weird geometry compared to the BK, and I'm not talking about the headtube angle. The frame is very long and low..the reach of a 57cm frame is more like that of a normally proportioned 60+cm frame. Compared to a BK, you'll need a lot more headset spacers and a shorter stem to fit that thing.

I'd consider a Soma Rush.

for not much more than a bareknuckle or the leader hmt frame, I'd get a bob jackson vigorelli.

but if you want street performance and versatility, the steamroller is hard to beat. a steamroller frame is about 400 and with the 200-300 you'd save, buy yourself better wheels or components.

Without introducing any third frame, Bareknuckle. Leader has too many QC issues, like the too-short chainstays.

Wasnt that one frame (720something) that is designed to be used with 21c tubulars for essentially track only usage and people were trying to run 23c clinchers on the street with?

Yes, that was the official line, anyway. Although the next year they "corrected" what they kept claiming was something they did intentionally in the first place, which makes it harder to swallow than a petrified dinosaur turd.

Where do people live that BKs are a dime a dozen? I have only ever seen two others in real life beyond my own and both were in bike shops.

I saw a guy riding one once!

I've only actually seen one BK...mine.

I have only seen 4 or 5 on the streets and I live in a major US city where fixed gear riders are aplenty.

This is a terrible thread.

i've only ever seen one bk and it was my friends.

there is something i just don't like about that leader company.

I have a BK and I love it.

Considering how up front and honest Leader was with the whole fork ends issue, I wouldn't be surprised if this was their way of saying the tubing is Reynolds 520 :rolleyes: