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Plastic tyre levers...

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UK and Europe
Published
27 June 2004
Last activity
30 June 2004
Original author
Simon Mason
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30
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  1. ...are rubbish. York was out yesterday because of all the
    heavy rain, as was any sort of riding. So today I decided to
    ride across the Humber Bridge into Lincolnshire. Not a bad
    decision as there was a half marathon on and I managed to
    blag some supplies at their regular feed stations!

    After about 30 miles I got my first puncture on a road
    bike. Luckily it was in Hull and there was a nice bench
    nearby to sit on. I had my Lidl toolkit which included 3
    tyre levers, which turned out to be completely useless.
    They were far too bendy to take the tyre off, but as it
    turned out there was a screwdriver in the kit and I managed
    to get the tyre off with that.

    So it's off on another rolling experiment to find out the
    most puncture proof tyre in 23 mm size. My hybrid
    experiment (36 mm) ended with Continental Contact and
    Schwalbe Marathon Plus (F+R), so I will start with those
    makes first. The punctured tyre was a Vredestein Ricorso.
    --
    Simon Mason Anlaby East Yorkshire. 53°44'N 0°26'W
    simonmason.karoo.netsimonmason.karoo.net

  2. Simon Mason said:

    ...are rubbish.

    I beg to differ. No doubt *some* plastic tyre levers are
    [censored], but certainly not all. Besides, what is the
    alternative, metal levers on modern aluminium rims? No
    thanks.

    Mike Dyason sells plastic tyre levers at 3 for a pound (last
    time I looked), they are excellent. I also have a couple of
    Park plastic levers which are a much wider and thinner
    design which also seem okay, if a bit less sturdy.

    Quoted message said:

    I had my Lidl toolkit

    Ah, yes well, I see where you may have gone wrong.
    --

    "Bob"

    'The people have spoken, the [censored]'

    Email address is spam trapped. To reply directly remove
    the beverage.

  3. Simon Mason typed:

    Quoted message said:

    ...are rubbish.

    Not all are .. I have some excellent levers in red, green
    and black from (I think) James or St James cycles (can't
    remember the name correctly) in Chesterfield .. they're
    about 8 years old and have removed, and replaced in some
    cases, loads of tyres with nary a flex.

    Quoted message said:

    I had my Lidl toolkit which included 3 tyre levers

    I think we've found the problem .. 😉

    --
    Paul ...

    (8(|) ... Homer Rocks

  4. Quoted message said:

    Simon Mason typed:

    Quoted message said:

    ...are rubbish.

    Quoted message said:

    Not all are .. I have some excellent levers in red, green
    and black from (I think) James or St James cycles (can't
    remember the name correctly) in Chesterfield .. they're
    about 8 years old and have removed, and replaced in some
    cases, loads of tyres with nary a flex.

    J E James IIRC.

    I've had few problems with plastic tyre levers...

    --
    Helen D. Vecht: [email hidden] Edgware.

  5. Helen Deborah Vecht typed:

    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:

    Simon Mason typed:

    Quoted message said:

    ...are rubbish.

    Quoted message said:

    Not all are .. I have some excellent levers in red, green
    and black from (I think) James or St James cycles (can't
    remember the name correctly) in Chesterfield .. they're
    about 8 years old and have removed, and replaced in some
    cases, loads of tyres with nary a flex.

    J E James IIRC.

    Could well be .. thanks.

    --
    Paul ...

    (8(|) ... Homer Rocks

  6. Call me Bob <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

    Quoted message said:
    Simon Mason said:

    ...are rubbish.

    I beg to differ. No doubt *some* plastic tyre levers
    are [censored], but certainly not all. Besides, what is the
    alternative, metal levers on modern aluminium rims?
    No thanks.

    Mike Dyason sells plastic tyre levers at 3 for a pound
    (last time I looked), they are excellent. I also have a
    couple of Park plastic levers which are a much wider and
    thinner design which also seem okay, if a bit less sturdy.

    Quoted message said:

    I had my Lidl toolkit

    Ah, yes well, I see where you may have gone wrong.

    I use the yellow plastic Michelin ones, some web dealers
    supply these free with tyre/tubes, very effective also
    however very sharp so care is required. Had very few
    punctures with Michelin Axial-Bi Sport 23's.

  7. in message <[email hidden]>, Simon Mason

    (') said:

    After about 30 miles I got my first puncture on a road
    bike. Luckily it was in Hull and there was a nice bench
    nearby to sit on. I had my Lidl toolkit which included 3
    tyre levers, which turned out to be completely useless.
    They were far too bendy to take the tyre off, but as it
    turned out there was a screwdriver in the kit and I
    managed to get the tyre off with that.

    I bet screwdrivers from Lidl are completely useless too. Not
    all plastic is cheese, just as not all metal is. You do get
    what you pay for, and even good quality plastic tyre levers
    are cheap. I've used plastic tyre levers for years and
    wouldn't have any other kind now. Apart from being lighter
    and more convenient, they don't scratch your rims.

    --
    [email hidden] (Simon Brooke)
    jasmine.org.uk~simon

    Wise man with foot in mouth use opportunity to clean toes.
    ;; the Worlock

  8. On Sun, 27 Jun 2004 22:05:09 GMT, Simon Brooke <[email hidden]>
    wrote (more or less):

    Quoted message said:

    in message <[email hidden]>, Simon

    Mason (') said:

    After about 30 miles I got my first puncture on a road
    bike. Luckily it was in Hull and there was a nice bench
    nearby to sit on. I had my Lidl toolkit which included 3
    tyre levers, which turned out to be completely useless.
    They were far too bendy to take the tyre off, but as it
    turned out there was a screwdriver in the kit and I
    managed to get the tyre off with that.

    I bet screwdrivers from Lidl are completely useless too.
    Not all plastic is cheese, just as not all metal is.

    Although a lot of cheap metal screwdrivers are highly
    plastic! :-)

    Quoted message said:

    You do get what you pay for, and even good quality
    plastic tyre levers are cheap. I've used plastic tyre
    levers for years and wouldn't have any other kind now.
    Apart from being lighter and more convenient, they don't
    scratch your rims.

    --
    Cheers, Euan Gawnsoft: gawnsoft.co.srgawnsoft.co.sr
    Symbian/Epoc wiki: html.dnsalias.nethtml.dnsalias.net Smalltalk
    links (harvested from comp.lang.smalltalk)
    html.dnsalias.netsmalltalk

  9. Helen Deborah Vecht said:
    Quoted message said:

    Simon Mason typed:

    Quoted message said:

    ...are rubbish.

    Quoted message said:

    Not all are .. I have some excellent levers in red, green
    and black from (I think) James or St James cycles (can't
    remember the name correctly) in Chesterfield .. they're
    about 8 years old and have removed, and replaced in some
    cases, loads of tyres with nary a flex.

    J E James IIRC.

    I've had few problems with plastic tyre levers...

    Me neither, though admittedly I've only used them twice, and
    my tyres aren't as hard as some to get off the rim. The
    second time was yesterday, when I had my first 'proper'
    puncture - rear wheel had been ticking for a while, but I
    thought the stone would work it's way out... no... should
    have stopped and removed it...

    Not gone a mile from the tea stop on the ride when I decided
    the back tyre was definitely not right, looked - and lo, it
    was utterly flat.

    Previous to that it'd waited till I'd got home (front) to go
    flat, and was caused by [censored] rim tape letting the tube work
    into a spoke hole.

    Didn't take all that long to fix, and the plastic tyre
    levers were fab. They came with my Topeak multitool thing.

    I even discovered the reason why my back brakes had needed
    adjusting (through being pants and not stopping me) a couple
    of weeks earlier. The little levery bit to open them to get
    wheel out had managed to get tweaked open some how... so
    that had to be sorted out at the roadside too, before we
    could get the wheel out!

    --

    Velvet

  10. Captain's log. On StarDate Sun, 27 Jun 2004 13:47:56 +0100 received comm from
    "Simon Mason" <[email hidden]> on channel uk.rec.cycling:

    : ...are rubbish. York was out yesterday because of all the
    : heavy rain, as was

    Not at all. Works perfectly here (used both Tacx and
    Michelin for many years).

    : After about 30 miles I got my first puncture on a road
    : bike. Luckily it was in Hull and there was a nice bench
    : nearby to sit on. I had my Lidl toolkit which included 3
    : tyre levers, which turned out to be completely useless.
    : They were far too bendy to take the tyre off, but as it
    : turned out there was a screwdriver in the kit and I
    : managed to get the tyre off with that.

    As metal will possibly destroy your rim it's not any really
    good choice. Get a good pair of QUALITY plastic ones and you
    can't get anything better.

    These Michelin Tyre Levers are the old classics who just
    works and works:
    wiggle.co.ukwiggle.co.uk

    Highly recommended!

    Best regards,

    martin törnsten

    --
    82.182.73.12682.182.73.126

  11. Helen Deborah Vecht <[email hidden]> wrote in
    :"]news:[email hidden]:

    Quoted message said:

    I've had few problems with plastic tyre levers...

    A friend of mine shuns tyre levers all together. He manages
    to take the slack out of the rest of the tyre to give enough
    free to pull over the edge by hand. I challenged him to get
    a tyre off that most people thought was difficult even with
    levers. He got it off in about a minute! I've practised his
    technique, but just can't get it :-(

    Graeme

  12. Simon Mason said:

    ...are rubbish.

    Many are, I'll freely agree. Especially the ones that come
    in noname puncture repair kits. But Park Tools plastic tyre
    levers have taken everything I've thrown at them thus far,
    and are IMHO Well Worth It.

    Pete.
    --
    Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer Tel 44 1382 660111
    ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital Fax 44 1382
    640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net
    [email hidden] dundee.ac.uk~pjclinch

  13. On Mon, 28 Jun 2004 09:51:34 +0100, Peter Clinch
    <[email hidden]> wrote in message
    <[email hidden]>:

    Quoted message said:

    Many are, I'll freely agree. Especially the ones that come
    in noname puncture repair kits. But Park Tools plastic tyre
    levers have taken everything I've thrown at them thus far,
    and are IMHO Well Worth It.

    I have a set of unbranded ones which came from Halfwits
    decades ago - they work fine, even with Stelvios on
    small rims.

    Guy
    --
    May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after
    posting. chapmancentral.co.ukchapmancentral.co.uk

    88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at
    Washington University

  14. Call me Bob said:

    Mike Dyason sells plastic tyre levers at 3 for a pound
    (last time I looked), they are excellent.

    Seconded.

    ~PB

  15. Quoted message said:

    A friend of mine shuns tyre levers all together. He manages to take the
    slack out of the rest of the tyre to give enough free to pull over the edge
    by hand. I challenged him to get a tyre off that most people thought was
    difficult even with levers. He got it off in about a minute! I've practised
    his technique, but just can't get it :-(

    Graeme

    I never carry tyre levers. There are very few tyre/rim
    combinations that require levers.

    --
    Peter Headland

  16. [email hidden] (Peter Headland) wrote in
    :"]news:[email hidden]:

    Quoted message said:

    I never carry tyre levers. There are very few tyre/rim
    combinations that require levers.

    So come on then, what's the trick? Us mere mortals
    need to know!

    Graeme

  17. in message <[email hidden]>, Peter

    Headland (') said:
    Quoted message said:

    A friend of mine shuns tyre levers all together. He
    manages to take the slack out of the rest of the tyre to
    give enough free to pull over the edge by hand. I
    challenged him to get a tyre off that most people
    thought was difficult even with levers. He got it off in
    about a minute! I've practised his technique, but just
    can't get it :-(

    Graeme

    I never carry tyre levers. There are very few tyre/rim
    combinations that require levers.

    There may not be, but there are plenty of
    tyre/rim/technician combinations that do, at least when I'm
    the technician. I'll stick to levers.

    --
    [email hidden] (Simon Brooke)
    jasmine.org.uk~simon

    ;; all in all you're just another click in the call
    ;; -- Minke Bouyed

  18. On 28 Jun 2004 18:26:17 -0700, [email hidden] (Peter Headland)

    wrote in message : said:

    I never carry tyre levers. There are very few tyre/rim
    combinations that require levers.

    I do because the "very few" happens to include the two bikes
    I most commonly ride, and those which don't require levers
    are often easier with, especially if you don't want to get
    too grubby.

    Guy
    --
    May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after
    posting. chapmancentral.co.ukchapmancentral.co.uk

    88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at
    Washington University

  19. Graeme said:

    [email hidden] (Peter Headland) wrote in
    :"]news:[email hidden]:

    Quoted message said:

    I never carry tyre levers. There are very few tyre/rim
    combinations that require levers.

    I wouldn't go that far.

    Quoted message said:

    So come on then, what's the trick? Us mere mortals need
    to know!

    Press both thumbs hard into tyre sidewall and force bead up
    and back then ease off and let it pop outside the rim;
    repeat with adjacent section if necessary then insert finger
    to whip rest off. Works on the more looser-fitting tyre/rim
    combinations.

    ~PB

  20. Martin Törnsten <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

    Quoted message said:

    Captain's log. On StarDate Sun, 27 Jun 2004 13:47:56 +0100
    received comm from "Simon Mason"
    <[email hidden]> on channel uk.rec.cycling:

    : ...are rubbish. York was out yesterday because of all
    : the heavy rain, as was

    Not at all. Works perfectly here (used both Tacx and
    Michelin for many years).

    : After about 30 miles I got my first puncture on a road
    : bike. Luckily it was in Hull and there was a nice bench
    : nearby to sit on. I had my Lidl toolkit which included
    : 3 tyre levers, which turned out to be completely
    : useless. They were far too bendy to take the tyre off,
    : but as it turned out there was a screwdriver in the kit
    : and I managed to get the tyre off with that.

    As metal will possibly destroy your rim it's not any
    really good choice. Get a good pair of QUALITY plastic
    ones and you can't get anything better.

    These Michelin Tyre Levers are the old classics who just
    works and works:
    wiggle.co.ukwiggle.co.uk

    Thanks - just ordered a set.

    Simon

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