Which tire levers are the best?
08-23-06, 05:07 PM
#26
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quik stik....it rocks!!!
08-23-06, 06:53 PM
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Originally Posted by Mariner Fan
That's funny, I have both of those levers and I like the blue ones better. 
08-24-06, 06:03 AM
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Any lever works well with slack tyres/rims. For my tightest rim I can't use more than one of the horrible blue Park levers (they are too thick). I much prefer the quite nice Tacx ones, plus I have a soft spot for my Pedros Milk levers (made of recycled milk cartons). They may bend a bit, but theyr'e thin and unbreakable.
08-24-06, 08:09 AM
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Originally Posted by newbalous5001
I've got this Crank Bros one that snaps onto the axle and you basically just spin it around, and the tire comes off. Its really cool. I think.
https://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?c...eid=&pagename=
https://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?c...eid=&pagename=
08-24-06, 08:15 AM
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For years I used the screwdriver blade of a Swiss Army Knife. Then I made a small - about 6 cm - tire lever from a scrap of stainless steel, drilled a hole in it and carry it in my keyholder ring.
08-24-06, 08:30 AM
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08-24-06, 08:34 AM
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"Quikstiks" are the best. Its basically a plastic screwdriver pick one up. https://www.bikepro.com/products/tubes/tubes-levers.html
the one at the top
the one at the top
08-24-06, 10:08 AM
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Originally Posted by caligurl
i bought some on the clearance table... cuz they were black... and i wanted black ones! (i had green ones.... but who puts green levers in the bag of a black cherry colored bike********************? NOT ME!)
I don't know which ones I have (but they are definitely black!), bought them in a package of three for $3, they work great and have had them for years. One sits in a box on my bench and I carry two on my bike.
08-24-06, 11:01 AM
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some cheap "Made in England" (only markings on them) blakc fiberglas tire levers, i got 2 for 99c a while back.
The secret is a good tire lever will have a square tip with slightly rounded corners (so it won't dig into the tire), and a slight bend right before the tip or have a ridged tip, so it can grab the tire or rim, depending on the task at hand. If it does not meet this design, then it will more than likely suck.
Buy a few that meet this, and you will soon find one you like. Those cheapos are tougher than many of the name brand ones. I just wish I could find a place that carries them...I would buy an entire fishbowl pack of them and sell them at cost plus shipping to BF members.
The secret is a good tire lever will have a square tip with slightly rounded corners (so it won't dig into the tire), and a slight bend right before the tip or have a ridged tip, so it can grab the tire or rim, depending on the task at hand. If it does not meet this design, then it will more than likely suck.
Buy a few that meet this, and you will soon find one you like. Those cheapos are tougher than many of the name brand ones. I just wish I could find a place that carries them...I would buy an entire fishbowl pack of them and sell them at cost plus shipping to BF members.
08-24-06, 11:09 AM
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08-24-06, 11:21 AM
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I get mine from a jar at the LBS. Three of them stuck together like these:
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08-24-06, 11:37 AM
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I actually have a set of these. Work really well, no complaints about them. Didn't realize it until now, but the box also doubles up as a tube sander for repairs. Live and learn.
08-24-06, 12:07 PM
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Originally Posted by DXchulo
Don't get these:
08-24-06, 01:56 PM
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I've been using the Performance brand since they taught me how to put on a tire using them. New/tight steel-bead mtb tires on new UST mtb rims; no issues with them so far.
08-24-06, 02:40 PM
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Originally Posted by NuckingFuts
I actually have a set of these. Work really well, no complaints about them. Didn't realize it until now, but the box also doubles up as a tube sander for repairs. Live and learn.
The funny thing is that I never need them... I use my fingers but I carry them anyways. Only 2 not three though!
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03-23-15, 08:28 AM
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I know this is an old thread, but it's what came up on Google, so others will probably find it.
Removing say a heavy winter studded tire requires a lot more force than a normal light tire. I've broken the Pedro lever on one winter tire, and broke the Crank Brothers Speed lever on another. The Crank Brothers break was particularly nasty because the sideways force meant that the jagged plastic end tore my palm.
I also bent one of the King Cage titanium tools on one of these tires. The King Cage tools are neat because you just can't get too much titanium on your bike. But they are pretty inconvenient in other ways -- no way to clip them onto a spoke, for example.
So I wouldn't recommend these. It sounds like, for my use, the Soma plastic-covered steel levers are best.
Removing say a heavy winter studded tire requires a lot more force than a normal light tire. I've broken the Pedro lever on one winter tire, and broke the Crank Brothers Speed lever on another. The Crank Brothers break was particularly nasty because the sideways force meant that the jagged plastic end tore my palm.
I also bent one of the King Cage titanium tools on one of these tires. The King Cage tools are neat because you just can't get too much titanium on your bike. But they are pretty inconvenient in other ways -- no way to clip them onto a spoke, for example.
So I wouldn't recommend these. It sounds like, for my use, the Soma plastic-covered steel levers are best.
