Originally Posted by
Phil_gretz
Back when I started, tire levers were chromed steel. Plastic wouldn't have been considered by anyone.
Fast forward 45 years, and you find that Pedro's levers are indeed the best lever made. No question.
I also have two of the Crank Brothers Speedier, a useful tool for quick re-seating of the second bead. And I have a KoolStop tire bead jack that I carry on my commuter because Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires are difficult to change/mount. Fortunately, flats are rare with those tires.
So you started road biking 43 years ago? so that was in 1975, correct? I started myself in 1976, in 1976 I bought my first road bike, a Trek TX900, and with that Trek I bought my first flat repair kit with tire irons...mine was made of aluminum. Aluminum tire levers came out because of aluminum rims, and the steel would damage the rims. Aluminum rims go back to 1937, but I can't find when aluminum tire levers first come came out, but they've had to be out for a long time due to aluminum rims. There were chrome steel levers as you mentioned but those were used on chrome steel rims, so were you riding on steel chrome wheels back in the mid 70's?
Tire lever wise I have a 1/2 set of Pedros, one broke due to being used in cold weather, a problem with plastic. I use Soma steel core levers, they're not quite as bulky as the Pedros but far stronger, they can't crack in the cold because they can't flex. Another tire lever I use is the VAR, extremely good at putting on very tough tires, and it can fit in a standard seat bag.