Building up a bike - Leader frames on Ebay?

If I read that ad right, it is an aluminum frame with carbon rear stays.

D

I almost went that route but after pricing some tri bikes in the 2,000.00 range it is a lot easier to go out and buy one complete. If you have a lot of the parts to put on that frame you can save some money but if you need everything buy a closeout or sale bike and you will be money ahead. Goodluck John.

I have not heard good things about Leader frames. You can probably do much better with your money.

i haven't heard any complaints about leader frames. several people on bt have talked about building one and really like it. for example. on the other hand, i think they were all aluminum, so you may want to find some reviews of the carbon frame.

i have also bought several build kits from all3sports and have not been disappointed.


Edited by weds19 2007-04-02 8:25 AM

I built a 730TT last year and am very happy with the bike - I like the look of the 735TT better, however I couldn't justify the extra cash for the differences between the two frames. I never considered the 780TT as I was looking to put together a TT frame for a decent price and I was not willing to even more for carbon seat stays.

In the end I built up my frame for around $1000CDN including shipping and duties, however it took a while of shopping around and finding good deals on ebay. Ultimately I was looking to put together a tri bike with a steep angle, aero frame, decent weight that could be set up in an aggressive position. The Leader allowed me to accomplish all of this for at least $700 less than I would have spent at my LBS.

The only issues that I had were due to my inexperience with bike building (BB install and headset). Other than that I have nothing but good things to say about the bike.

You can read more about it on this thread.

Shane

I thought I had seen some bad things on Bikeforums about Leader, but after searching again it seems I wasn't totally correct. It looks like most people are pretty happy with their frames, but there were some complaints about dealing with the Ebay Seller. I guess that's the difference between buying a bike in a LBS and cheap frame on Ebay though.

I bought a Leader Aluminum Road Frame with a carbon fork and built it up with 105/ultegra parts and I can't complain one bit about it.  Good stiffness and a smooth nice ride.  Plus there customer support (I had some questions about the headset) was very helpful when I called them. 

It is almost never cheaper to build your own bike.   You could get a Felt S22 with pretty similar specs and come out at like $1800.  

It might not be cheaper to build a bike, but it is way more fun.

Definitely more fun and also it is a great way to learn how to service your bike. The only things I didn't do when I built my bike was install the BB, press the crown race and cut the steerer tube. Beyond that I did it all myself and now I know how everything goes together and am much more confident in my abilities to do most (all) of my own maintenance.

It can be cheaper if you are willing to buy parts lightly used and shop around - if you want to get a bike built up in a short period of time you will probably pay more, but if you are willing to take your time and set a budget, there is no reason why you can't save some money on the build.

Shane

Ditto here. THe only thing I can't do (just don't have the tools) is initial frame prep (chasing threads and facing the head tube and BB shell). Oh, and if I crash and bend the hangar, I'd be buggered to get it straight.

But over the years I've accumulated the tools and knowledge to do pretty much anything to a bike. And it started with a garage sale special and checking out a Barnett's manual from the library (I've since found out just how lucky I was that the library HAD one in 1979).

The only thing you're going straighten a hangar on is a steel frame. I love steel frames, but I'm guessing not too many people building up their own Tri bike are using a steel frame. Otherwise you better hope your hangar is replaceable.

I definitely recommed building up your own bike. It is that much more fulfilling to ride a bike that you built yourself, and with the resources on this site and others most people could do it. I'm planning on building up a Tri bike this year, and I'm going to Ebay like crazy. You can build a great bike for a great price with parts off Ebay.

A good choice for an all carbon tri bike is this bike from pedal force. The frame only costs $800, with a frame, fork, and seat post costing about $1000 and a full build with 105 components, aerobars, wheels, tires, pedals teubes, etc for $1905.62 (even cheaper with cheaper less aero handlebars). If you do a build on their site, the components are relatively cheap. It is the same bike as the Louis Garneau, and Plante X bikes, but is way cheaper than LG (and probably a bit cheaper than Planet X):

http://pedalforce.com/online/product_info.php?products_id=3404

Super happy with my Leader LD780TT Bike... built up with Dura-Ace... Aluminum with carbon chain stays.

I just picked up some Cane Creek Aros 58 carbon tubulalrs to race with... My FAST machine is now going to be faster and we WILL kick some but in '07.

I've put over 1000 miles on this machine and I have no complaints. Paint quality is superb, LBS LOVED it and I do too.

Check it here: http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/photos/show-album.asp?...

I'm thinking of building a bike over the winter, what's the difference between, besides price, between the 780TT frame and the 735TT frame?  I plan on switching everything over from my current ride to the new one.

Same frame sizes and geometry but the 780TT has a full carbon rear end.

 

Edited by sty 2007-04-12 9:20 AM

Hmmmmmm.  Carbon would be nice.  Thanks!

Well I think you guys helped me decide that I might go leader not based on how good it is based on price and size. Tonight I will find out jsut how big of a bike I will need.