The spoke hook uses a similar principle to the Schwalbe levers, but being a bit further down the handle, it means you can use it with slightly deeper rims – although still not as deep as a more traditional lever with the hooks on the end. Interestingly, on shallow rims, the Schwalbe’s position is slightly easier to use, even if it can’t cope with rims as deep as the Leverman can. Next to consider are any extra features the tyre levers. Some are designed to hook onto your spokes, helping to keep the lever in place while you get onto the next portion of the tyre. Others have integrated valve core tighteners or clip neatly together for easier organising. They coped with every other tyre I tried, too, even one I expected to be difficult, the 16-inch (38-305) Schwalbe Marathon Racers on the BTwin Ultra Compact 1 Second Light. These actually turned out to be a relatively loose fit and the only reason I mention them is to wonder if Decathlon chose this size rather than the 35-349 16-inch that Brompton uses because they make for easier tyre changes. Ive used metal levers and i wouldnt do this again due to possibly damaging the rims either physically or cosmetically - GP5000's were almost nigh on impossible to get on.

tyre levers reviewed and rated | Cycling Weekly Best tyre levers reviewed and rated | Cycling Weekly

Getting tyres on is all very well, but tyre levers need to get them off, too, and in this department the Schwalbes also excel. The hook tapers to a fine point on the end of a tight-radius curve that easily slips under even my silly-tight test set. You still need a bit of finesse to get the levers in exactly the right places, but they lifted the bead off with aplomb. With all the tyres and wheelsets we have in on test, we’ve used these levers on a huge variety of hooked, hookless rims with clincher and tubeless tyres. Assuming you're happy with your tyre/rim combo, the next thing to consider is the material of your rims. Carbon rims need to be treated with a bit of extra care compared to alloy wheels, so it's definitely not a good idea to scratch or gouge them. To avoid this, we'd recommend avoiding the use of metal tyre levers if you can, on carbon rims especially. Metal tyre levers are largely a thing of the past, although thermonuclear like the Park Tool TL-5s are still sometimes the only way to remove really, really tight tyres. But nowadays, there are lots of tough plastic options that should remove all but the most stubborn tyres.

Muc-Off Metal Utility Toolbox

I’m tempted to dismiss the lurid colour schemes as little more than clever marketing but objectively, these professional grade levers are easy to spot hiding in toolbox but our green test pair weren’t the easiest to find on a grass verge. Beefy reinforced plastic construction is designed with a chisel tip to lift even the tightest beads while the pronounced bodies prevent them slipping out at the crucial moment.

Pedros Tyre Lever Pair | Merlin Cycles

The tyre lever, though seemingly one of the simplest and most basic of cycling tools, is one commonly used by almost every cyclist, and unfortunately, one often responsible for unnecessary frustration. Really, what is more fun than flatting far away from home, being thrilled you lugged that spare tube and pump, and then having your tire levers snap in two? I cant speak for other plastic tyre levers but I have owned the same set of plastic levers I got from an halfords puncture repair kit around 2005-2008 and these have the little hook that wraps around a spoke you speak of... I think Evanscycles used to have the same levers in their repair kits although i dont know about now. Zefal have more or less the same in their universal repair kits (i seem to have misplaced the ones that came with my kit...) but maybe not as strong.Although first and foremost a tyre manufacturer, it does make sense that Schwalbe would also have a keen interest in tyre levers too. The very wide shape of the levers means you’re moving much more of the tyre in one go, making it a bit more efficient to pop the bead over the rim. There’s also a pretty neat spoke hook which, despite its minimalistic looks, can also handle flatten, bladed spokes. The first aspect to consider is the material. Although metal tyre levers will rarely snap (although we’ve known some cheaper ones to bend) we’d generally advise steering clear of this type of lever due to the risk of damage to the rims of your wheel – particularly in the case of carbon. Of your plastic options, some are harder and less flexible and occasionally brittle. It is possible to snap them, but you have to try pretty hard to do that.