They're expensive and they are extremely nice.

Didn't you already buy one from Track Supermarket?

I know you've posted before that you really like the ride of your 725, but I see you have a Bare Knuckle too. I can buy a used BK frameset for a little less than a new 725 from eBay. Which of yours do you prefer? You're the only person I know who has both. I do city riding for what it's worth, which is why I'm leaning towards the steel Bare Knuckle. I just love the look of the 725.

The Bare Knuckle is one of my all-time favorite frames and I would definitely own one even the shop didn't sell them. I don't really prefer one bike over the other but the BK is definitely the bike I'd save if the house was burring down and I could only grab one. :lol:

Keep in mind that the BK has extremely tight geo but if you've got it set up right, it shouldn't be a problem. Also, the sizing runs a little weird because of a really high BB so be mindful of top tube length.

Thanks for the recommendation. I'll put a set on my qbp order. It's been getting kind of dangerous lately with loose feet, and I didn't want to be forced to give up my big ass platforms for some cages.

dear scrod, you recognized me right off the bat and we high fived in the dream i had last night. good work.

:lol:

Scrod, what tires do you run on your 725? I'm fairly fed up with mine.

I was using Resist Nomads for a while but they sucked so I'm back to my old standard of a 25c Rubino Pro in front and a 28c Rando in back.

I've got an old 1980 Schwinn Traveler and I was looking into modernizing the gearing. (new freewheel / new rear derailleur / indexed tube shifters) I've been dragging my feet all winter and recently I thought, "To hell with it. I live in a flat area." so I'm now thinking about making it single speed (Not a fixed gear though.) I'm wondering which route would be easier/cheaper; updating the whole rear gearing system or re-spacing the axle to get a good chain line with a single speed freewheel? I've got the original rims with quick releases, so does this complicate things from a spacing perspective? Would I be a fool not to just drop some money on a set of wheels with a flip flop hub? I'm fully recreational and this is just a project to inject some new life into an old bike, so I'm not looking to go crazy buying performance parts. Any advice that isn't, "Scrap this bike and buy a better one." is much appreciated.

Rattlecan the whole goddamn thing and then post it and we can all laugh at you.
Not scrod.

And ruin the only slightly scuffed pearl blue paint job? Hell naw son. That's about half the reason I picked this bike over the other cheap craigslist bikes around at the time.

He was being snarky in reference to this gem of a thread.

Yeah. I saw that thread too. Now, as for my question... ?

Scrod, I see that you were/are running Exustar double straps on both your builds, and I've also seen you mention that they are identical to the cadence doubles, just without the branding. I'm guessing you would recommend them. I've been poking around and can't find much, are they available through your shop? Thanks

Hey Scrod, what's your thought on the BB17 Transfer? I love how it looks and it's a steel frame. Not sure what my options are in good steel frame sets. Not sure if aluminum is the right step up for a city bike either.

How are you liking that combo?

Respacing/redishing the wheel and using a single speed freewheel won't be an issue with a QR skewer. If it were me, I would most likely pick up a cheap set of wheels - or at least a rear wheel.

Exustar double straps haven't been available for the past two years.

That's what I was using on my Dodici a while back too and I really like it. Keeping the Rando inflated to around 100-110 psi (instead of the recommended 85 psi) makes it a whole different tire.

Cool, thanks for clearing that up

Hey Scrod,
I've read a few threads about Leader 725 frame sizing, and I'm still not sure which size I should get.
I read you're 5'11 and ride 55cm for the 725, and you have decently long arms. Another member said he had a 34" inseam and also rode the 55.

I am:
6' tall
32.5" inseam
14.75" forearm
27.5" arm

Deciding between 55cm and 58cm 752 Leader, what do you think? I've used the bike fit calculator linked by Jaytron but it tells me I should go with a 54cm tt length, which I find off(?)

Please let me know what you think, thank you so much!

If you're currently riding a bike, particularly one that fits you ie you're comfortable on it, measure the top tube, and the next, and the saddle to bar drop, then give Scrod those measurements, it'll help him give a better answer to your question.

BTW, measurements of your body can be really misleading because they don't take into account your own flexibility, strength and riding style. For example, my hyper fit son is much the same size as me but sets up his bike very differently to his fat old dad.

So true. My son and I are almost the same height and proportions but I don't enjoy riding my son's bikes because they are set up so aggressive and with super hard skinny tires. He also tends to buy his frames a size smaller than i do so they "fit" him.

Leader frames are notoriously long and low, as they were developed to be ridden on the street with no toe overlap.

As europa said, the most important measurement is top tube length. If you currently have a bike and it fits you, measure your top tube (from the center of the head tube to the center of the seat tube) and pick the size with the closest top tube length.

If you don't currently have a bike, do the fit calculator again. If you're 6" tall and your results put you on a frame having a 54cm top tube, you may have something wrong (or you have arms like a T Rex). For the record, "inseam" does not mean your pants size.

Thanks for all the responses you guys! I'll post back with the measurements of my current bike in a bit--morning classes keep me busy.
Should I also be concerned about standover height?


& haha scrod, yeah I thought something was off when I saw the results. I'll re-measure and post what I get as well.

Standover height means nothing. If you are riding a bike with a suitable top tube length, standover height will be in the correct range.

God I wish that was always true. My nuts rest on all the top tubes.

Me too but it's not a big deal because I spend a lot more time riding my bikes than standing over them resting my junk on the top tube. :D

Measurements!

My $200-bought-off-craigslist-with-little-research beater Mizutani Super Seraph has a top tube length of 55cm, but it does feel like the bars are pretty close to me.

(I bought my current bike over summer thinking I wouldn't want to spend much money on a bike for college, but I've changed my mind after investing more time in biking.)
If it helps with sizing, the bike has 170mm Sugino RT cranks.

Entered more accurate measurements into the Bike Fit Calculator, was suggested to have 55.7-56.1cm top tube. Some more details if anybody is interested

Looks like I'll be going for the 55cm then. Is anything else significant for sizing?
(The stupid part of me still has doubts since the number 55 is different than the regular 57/58cm numbers I've been reading about for people around 6')

As I said earlier, Leader frames are longer and lower than most other frames.

I've ridden a couple of 58cm frames that have fit me well, while my Leader is a 55.