Hi I really need help finding a good headset(light and not extremely expensive) and a good fork(also light and not extremely expensive). I just bought a Leader 725 frame and I'm new to custom building so i don't exactly know where and how to start looking. i really need some guidance please!

what size? Threaded/threadless?

Leader 725s have an oversized headtube and are designed for use with a fork having a 1 1/8" threadless steerer, oversized crown and 28-35mm rake. The Leader I06TR, I806TR or I806A (although I don't recommend an aluminum fork because it will give a pretty harsh ride on the street) will work perfectly.

You will also need to use a zero-stack headset like the FSA ZS-3 or Cane Creek 110 ZS44.

Fork

Headset--you need the carbon version

A 725 framset is $800.

Plus shipping.

"light and not extremely expensive" don't successfully co-exist in the bicycle world.

The I06TR fork is carbon with an aluminum steerer and is costs considerably less than the full carbon fork. You will only need the carbon version of the ZS-3 if your fork has a carbon steerer.

would the i06TR also work fine? the i806TR is really expensive

As I've said twice in this thread, yes.

whats the downside about having an aluminum steerer instead of a carbon one

And the I06TR is heavy.

See about "light and not extremely expensive" not working together?

630g is heavy? I quit.

A smidgen of weight which is outweighed by the fact that you'll be able to cut it yourself if you want.

Cutting a carbon steerer can easily be done with a 24tpi or greater hacksaw blade.

Yeah, if the V2 is 180g, right?

Oh good, it's Captain Weight Weenie.

630g isn't heavy for a carbon/aluminum fork. The Alpina F04 weighs around 625g.

True but it is heavy for a fork.



The 1100 gram fork on my mtb commuter isn't heavy for a steel fork.

But, it is heavy for a fork.

Then again, it cost less than a hundred bucks.

"light and not extremely expensive" is the same as "respectful response" in SSFG

Half a pound is a bit more than a smidgen on a 17 lb. bike.

Visp fork - aluminum with steel steerer tube - 728 grams, including fork crown race and star nut

Yet, you don't have it on your 721???

People are overly concered with weight. Your shoes probably are a similar difference in weight. Or a 32 spoked wheel compared to 28. For a bike that gets ridden on the road, weight isn't that important.

A fork that is easy to work on is key. Because your bike will be out in different weather conditions, the headset will need to be messed with a couple times a year. A carbon fork is harder to do that with because they have very very tight safety specs, an alloy steerer allows for more real world wiggle room. That is enough of a reason for me.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kayce

People are overly concered with weight.

This. It's amazingly dumb.

Four spokes do not weigh half a pound...............I'm not goin...................stopped.

"your bike will be out in different weather conditions" Whose bike??? Not my Leader, I can assure you. I have others for crap weather.

"That is enough of a reason for me." Me too, on a $600 commuter. The OP was asking about a 725 frame, that even without an "not extremely expensive" fork is still topped out over five hundred bucks and can't pedal to the end of his driveway with what he has.

i decided im going with the i06TR. how much do i know to cut? and how do i cut?

How much you cut should be based on fit, not looks. Have it cut at a bike shop by someone who knows what they're doing.