I can't find this thing on Amazon, or else I'd link to it in one of those "you buy it, I get a kickback" deals. But I'm so insanely impressed by my impulse-purchased Bontrager tire levers, I don't care. And besides, how many tire levers would Amazon have to sell (at a whopping four bucks a pair) in order for me to get that extra kidney I've been wanting, anyway?
You'd think it would be hard to screw up a tire lever, but so many companies have. This one has a nice shape in the hand, a slender tip that can get into the most spelunker-proof rim/tire bead crevices, and -- most importantly -- it's made out of some wacky space-age plastic that finally lives up to the promise of The Graduate. Specifically, I can honk on this thing with all my noodle-armed might and (so far, knock on wood), it DOES NOT BREAK. My Nokians are installed (ready for the impending Storm of the Century that has all the local meteorological-folk running around like chickens with their heads cut off) thanks to these little buggers.
I like these so much, I'm holding back my usual person-turned-Trek-brand snark... at least for now. Thank you, oh thank you, whatever Trek product manager slapped Keith's logo on these levers and shipped them off to Trek-marts the world over.
Bring on the snow!
2 comments:
A plastic tire lever that works?? Will wonders never cease! I've got some Zefals or something that are okay on the average tire/rim combination, but for tight situations such as the Sun/Gatorskin, I resort to the Koolstop tire jack. No problem getting the tire onto the rim, and no chance of pinching the tube. It's a bit bulky for most saddle bags, though.
My retro-grouch tire levers are the classic Eldi's. Slender steel that fits under any tire bead. Their only limitation is that they can still pinch a tube, and that's true of any tire lever. Well, and they might rattle in your seat bag if you don't put a rubber band around them.
Steve K.
This is fat tire with low pressure weather. I can get a 52mm Nanoraptor on and off a rim w no tire iron ;)
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