Fifty Plus (50+) - Have we gone too far, or am I just out of step?

No flame intended here--it's a serious sociological question, or something.
I pulled this from a recent post:

For the time being, I am not mounting the Krylions as I broke my tire lever ... and I don't want to go out minus the lever. New levers have been ordered.

If I'm reading this correctly, a broken tire lever is stopping somebody from riding, and he won't go again until new tire levers arrive in the mail.
I order a lot of stuff online, including my two most recent bikes. But since you can walk into any bike shop or supermarket or Walmart in America and walk out with tire levers for three bucks, why would you order them online, pay six or seven dollars in shipping and wait a week? Have the computers really taken over?

My guess is a island with no bike shop.:lol:

As a kid I used a couple of screw drivers - although very carefully.

Or mount a set of Continental Gator hard shell tires and forget about flats.

My LBS just gave me a couple of levers but they've gotten no use since I got sick of flats and installed the Contis.

As a kid I used a couple of screw drivers - although very carefully.
I think we've all done that when we were kids. Maybe this guy lives in a hermetically sealed box with a mail slot ?

Supermarket? But I do agree that you have to be in a pretty remote area to have to order tire levers.

One of the guys we ride with can do the whole change a flat thing with no levers. I always amazes me because I have tried this and no way. There is a vid out there on Utube where the guy shows you how to do it sans levers.

Ride sew-ups (a.k.a. "tubulars"). No tire levers required.

Edit: No flats in a year, and I ride some less-than-ideal roads!

Or mount a set of Continental Gator hard shell tires and forget about flats.

My LBS just gave me a couple of levers but they've gotten no use since I got sick of flats and installed the Contis.

I have the gators and had two flats this month.

No flame intended here--it's a serious sociological question, or something.
I pulled this from a recent post:

For the time being, I am not mounting the Krylions as I broke my tire lever ... and I don't want to go out minus the lever. New levers have been ordered.

If I'm reading this correctly, a broken tire lever is stopping somebody from riding, and he won't go again until new tire levers arrive in the mail.
I order a lot of stuff online, including my two most recent bikes. But since you can walk into any bike shop or supermarket or Walmart in America and walk out with tire levers for three bucks, why would you order them online, pay six or seven dollars in shipping and wait a week? Have the computers really taken over?

Quoted guy will wait for the mail, you'd shop local, TomD77 never has flats, DnvrFox may revert to screwdrivers, and I'd pull some spare steel tire levers out of a toolbox. Everything is just fine.

To be fair, as I recall ... the gentleman who was waiting for the tire levers had just installed a new set of tires and had done so with a degree of difficulty. I got the impression that he was a bit frustrated and maybe kinda looking for a bit of a recovery or break from any possibility of changing another tire for a spell.

I suspect that it can be very confusing for a novice cyclist to learn from many of the threads I've read in these Forums. There can tend to be a lot of experts who know the only correct method of servicing any and every mechanical system on a bike and some of those folks can be very convincing. Brands of parts, tools and installation methods can easily become interperated as the best or only way to accomplish a task.

Now I have garnered a lot of mechanical knowledge from this Forum as there really are some mechanically gifted folks here, but I came into this with years of personal (not professional) wrenching under my belt so I've been able to seperate the wheat from the chaff. As a novice I believe I would be quite confused and, if trusting enough, I can see me ordering specific brands of locally unavailable tools because some on-line expert suggested it.

I'm not saying that is what the 'gent experienced. I'm just offering up a point a view.

As a kid I used a couple of screw drivers - although very carefully.

I still do when I'm at home and don't want to dig around in my saddle bag. You just need to be alert and careful. :thumb:

Too funny ... I used the handle of a open end wrench when I was a kid ... :thumb:

And some people just have "magic hands".. like the little guy who's 4'10", weighs 100 lbs soaking wet and can heave a large bag of cement around like a small bag of potatos.

Ride sew-ups (a.k.a. "tubulars"). No tire levers required.

Edit: No flats in a year, and I ride some less-than-ideal roads!

Good point, you don't need tire levers if you get a flat. You just need another tire, clue a rubber glove and time to let the glue dry before you take any hard sharp turns. :D

I got the following instructions with my tubular clinchers for my 7801s.

Step 1
Place the bicycle rim on the floor in front of you with the hole for the valve stem in the 12 o'clock position. Use your feet and knees to keep the rim upright.

Step 2
Lean over the rim and put the valve stem of the new tire into the hole. Stretch the tire onto the rim in the same manner as before. Remember, if you can't generate enough force to roll the final section of the tire onto the rim, straighten up, press the wheel against your stomach and roll the remainder over the rim with your thumbs. Remove any excess glue that settles on the rim.

Step 3
Align the tire. Push, pull and adjust until the amount of base tape visible at the rim's edge is uniform.

Step 4
Pump the tire to 100 psi. Check the alignment by spinning the wheel. If the tire wobbles, deflate it and eliminate the wobble by pressing on the tire with your thumbs in the direction opposite the wobble.

Step 5
Inflate tire to at least 120 psi and allow glue to set overnight.

Even I am not that obsessed with ordering bicycle stuff on the internet.... well, I did order a triple of Schwalbe levers once, but I had several other sets in the tool box to keep me going. And I would have used anything handy, including allen keys and screwdrivers if necessary.

I've broken or bent right out of shape a few levers, mainly narrow ones. There are some that look the goods, but the plastic is way too soft to get a really tight bead over the rim. I now have a triple of steel levers in the tool box for just such occasions. They were bought at an LBS.

I used to have a triple of what were called Milk Levers... they were made from recycled plastic milk cartons. Until I bought them, I had used only narrow levers, even up to recently. I have found the broader ones, in the Milk and Schwalbe style, are much more useful. So the steel levers are really in the box just as a final option.

Having said all that, each to his or her own. We live in parts of the world where there is freedom to do such things if we so desire and can afford it both in terms of money and time.

I can understand the guy's position.

I don't have a cell phone, or anyone I could call for help if I had one. As a result, I'm obsessive about having tools and flat changing stuff with me on every ride, no matter where or how short. If I can't fix a flat, I'm walking home. (There was a time when I wouldn't venture more than a mile or two from a bus line for the same reason.)

This, despite having puncture-resistant tires on all the bikes.

I'd pull some spare steel tire levers out of a toolbox.

Every time I buy a set of tire levers I take one of the three and toss it in a drawer, then put two levers in my saddlebag. Over the years my drawer has accumulated two or three complete (sic) sets of new levers magically! For free!

Before I helped out in a bike shop I'd have said this was impossible, but really, it's just a knack. Getting the tyre off is the most difficult, even then just one lever should do it. BTW: no pump needed either ;-)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_bB4i_Z_cQ&feature=player_embedded

I will install adamantium thumbs and become a wolverine hitchhiker. I should pack up my blue ox, The Goat Head Eater, and traverse the country with my adamantium opposable thumbs and just show up randomly to fix the flats of damsels in distress.

Now I have a career plan for my retirement years.

My tire levers are steel. They don't break.

My tire levers are steel. They don't break.

Better watch out if you accidently take them through airport inspection. :cry:

I took my old Mafac levers accidently when I was moving. I got through inspection in San Diego and Dallas, but the Little Rock folks flagged me and wouldn't let the tire levers through. At least they did let me send them back home via the UPS and some extraordinary shipping fees.

Dont forget in a pinch you can always use your quick release levers.

My tire levers are steel. They don't break.

Ha! I've snapped a steel lever.

How many times have you heard/said; "WOW, look at the price of that, I can get it cheaper on-line."

yeah at some point the margin on things between lbs and online just isn't worth it. But I also used to use screwdrivers and threw some levers in with another online purchase because I wanted to see what all the fuss was about (and the local lbs employed a bunch of d-nozzles that I didn't like dealing with).

Dont forget in a pinch you can always use your quick release levers.

i've used:
- twigs
- house key
- screwdrivers
- table knife

...i've also scratched the hell out of my rims....

No flame intended here--it's a serious sociological question, or something.
I pulled this from a recent post:

For the time being, I am not mounting the Krylions as I broke my tire lever ... and I don't want to go out minus the lever. New levers have been ordered.

If I'm reading this correctly, a broken tire lever is stopping somebody from riding, and he won't go again until new tire levers arrive in the mail.
I order a lot of stuff online, including my two most recent bikes. But since you can walk into any bike shop or supermarket or Walmart in America and walk out with tire levers for three bucks, why would you order them online, pay six or seven dollars in shipping and wait a week? Have the computers really taken over?

195873

I often use the handles on my spoons when I am home. They make great tire irons. Of course, you can always pick up a set to and that works also.

Kwikstick, problem solved.

How many times have you heard/said; "WOW, look at the price of that, I can get it cheaper on-line."

Have to admit that online prices can be startling at times----But tyre levers cannot be that expensive.

I am the reverse. It has to be a dark day before I forsake my LBS.(Or a very special offer that tempts me foolhardily into taking advantage of their special prices). They look after me and last time I went to the LBS I spent about $60 on spares and then remembered I needed a couple of gels. They just gave them to me free. Could have just as easily been a set of levers.

Ha! I've snapped a steel lever.

Remind me to never let you near anything I own.:)

I often order bike stuff on line. I do buy some things at the lbs but they don't carry much stock, and much of the stuff they do have on hand is just not what I want. When I want a tire, they have to order it, or I have to use their brand. When I want a tool, they have to order it. I would rather just order it myself. The one good, big, well-stocked lbs is not very local: 60 miles away. Now, if I were to blow a tire and not have a spare at home, I would buy one from the lbs to keep me on the road, and order a couple of tires I want online. I have bought 5 of 6 bikes from a lbs, one I ordered on line and it is my favorite. Two of the five, the lbs had to order the size, style I wanted. So, I buy a lot of stuff from the shops locally and a lot of stuff on line.

Tire levers are a good example. I have finally figured out that I want GOOD levers. Most of the plastic ones I have purchased in the past have broken when in use. I have a set of steel levers that I don't like. I do like a couple of specific brands of plastic ones that seem to be indestructible when used on bike tires. No lbs around here carries that brand. I order them on line when ordering other stuff.

Whatever works for you.

I have 3 sets of tire levers. One set in the seat bags on both bikes and one set in my shop tools. To make tire removal at home as easy as possible I have a Quik Stik tire changer. :)

The guy who ordered the levers rather than ride isn't around to post his reasons. It makes it easy to be critical.
Al

I do like a couple of specific brands of plastic ones that seem to be indestructible when used on bike tires. No lbs around here carries that brand. I order them on line when ordering other stuff.

And those brands are?

We install/remove tires on our tandem without use of any type of levers.
I'm not super-strong (hell I'm 78 years old) but we use folding tires (with Kevlar bead).

We install/remove tires on our tandem without use of any type of levers.
I'm not super-strong (hell I'm 78 years old) but we use folding tires (with Kevlar bead).

I was just going to say in regard to the video... try that with a set of gator skins...

I can understand the guy's position.

I don't have a cell phone, or anyone I could call for help if I had one. As a result, I'm obsessive about having tools and flat changing stuff with me on every ride, no matter where or how short. If I can't fix a flat, I'm walking home. (There was a time when I wouldn't venture more than a mile or two from a bus line for the same reason.)

This, despite having puncture-resistant tires on all the bikes.

Time for a cell phone and some more friends ... :thumb:

Time for a cell phone and some more friends ... :thumb:
No, both just add to the cost of living. It's money that can be better spent on bike schwag.

I was just going to say in regard to the video... try that with a set of gator skins...

The last flat I had on a road bike was a 23mm Gatorskin on an Open Pro rim. I had the tire off and had already checked the inside for a thorn before one of the fellows who I had been riding with could dig through his saddle bag for a tire lever. Once you figure out the technique it's not that hard to do.

With over 300,000 miles of cycling we've experienced lots flats with all kinds of tires and for all kinds of reasons.

Our Kevlar beaded Maxxis Re-Fuse 700x25 tires are by far the easiest to remove/install without tools.
Experience/practice has its benefits . . .