of visitations and brittle plastics

Commuting, Day rides, Audax, Incidents, etc.
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honesty
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of visitations and brittle plastics

Post by honesty »

I am sitting on a bench in Cullompton high street. I am cold, my bike has a flat tyre. I have a spare new inner tube, I have a puncture repair kit, but I am waiting for my wife to turn up. I have many small pieces of tyre levers in my hand and I cannot take the tyre off. I've even tried removing the tyre using my fork from lunchtime. We did it as kids, surely this would work. I had forgotten I don't have steel rims though, so now I have a notch in my front rim. The tyre is still on. I am cold, waiting for my wife to turn up on Cullompton high street and cursing the fact that I did not pack spare tyre levers!
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Paulatic
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Re: of visitations and brittle plastics

Post by Paulatic »

I hate being cold, haven't you any of the following?
Screwdriver?
Thin Allen key?
Thin spanner?
Strong thumbs?
Whatever I am, wherever I am, this is me. This is my life

https://stcleve.wordpress.com/category/lejog/
E2E info
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honesty
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Re: of visitations and brittle plastics

Post by honesty »

Allen key added to the notch, thumbs did not work...
GrumpyDidcot
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Re: of visitations and brittle plastics

Post by GrumpyDidcot »

We're all guilty of this at some time, wish for the best but plan for the worst.
I still haven't put together my "Survive the Zombie Apocalypse" saddlebag contents.

The Victorian engineers had the right idea. Work out the peak strain that a bar/girder/rod will suffer during normal use.
Build in capacity for an extra 25%.
Then double that figure. :lol:

High street, anywhere open to help?
There's a Police station around the corner on Station road on Google maps. :lol:
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Vantage
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Re: of visitations and brittle plastics

Post by Vantage »

You have my sympathies.
I've usually no rescue service when things go wrong so stuff absolutely has to be reliable.
They're a bit chunky and sometimes difficult to get under the tyre bead, but these levers have helped remove my tyres in rotten weather more times than I care to remember.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001 ... detailpage
Bill


“Ride as much or as little, or as long or as short as you feel. But ride.” ~ Eddy Merckx
It's a rich man whos children run to him when his pockets are empty.
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honesty
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Re: of visitations and brittle plastics

Post by honesty »

What annoyed me most is that I have 2 sets of chunky tyre levers, but they're in storage at the moment (were moving house) so I relied on they ones clipped to the side of my expensive Topeak multi tool. They turned out to be utter rubbish. So brittle that and pressure on them snapped them completely.
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Vantage
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Re: of visitations and brittle plastics

Post by Vantage »

Ah. Prior to buying my crank bros tool I looked at the topeak (specifically the alien ones) offerings. Some of the reviews mentioned the tyre levers not being all that brill.
Bill


“Ride as much or as little, or as long or as short as you feel. But ride.” ~ Eddy Merckx
It's a rich man whos children run to him when his pockets are empty.
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Mick F
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Re: of visitations and brittle plastics

Post by Mick F »

I have a set of three plastic levers and they are wonderful. I've had them for years.
I also have a Var tyre lever, and that's plastic.
Mick F. Cornwall
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cycleruk
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Re: of visitations and brittle plastics

Post by cycleruk »

Metal tyre levers for me every time. I have had plastic ones fail so not taking any chances.
I have been out a couple times and not taken a pump. :oops:
(Fortunately not upset the P.F. when that happened.)

I have plastic ones on my MTB tyres but that is a completely different scenario regarding tyre removal.

On one occasion I did have to ring "International Rescue" (wife) when both spare tubes had somehow got holes rubbed in them in the tail pack. :shock:
You'll never know if you don't try it.
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661-Pete
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Re: of visitations and brittle plastics

Post by 661-Pete »

Sorry to be labouring the point, but......
tyre levers.jpg

Problem solved! :wink:
Suppose that this room is a lift. The support breaks and down we go with ever-increasing velocity.
Let us pass the time by performing physical experiments...
--- Arthur Eddington (creator of the Eddington Number).
Norman H
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Re: of visitations and brittle plastics

Post by Norman H »

Cold weather doesn't help. It may well have contributed to making the levers more brittle and its hard to generate enough pressure with your thumbs when your hands are freezing.

Some tyre rim combinations can be very stubborn. I know it's not much help now but it's a good idea to practice at home. If only to identify the problematic ones. All of the tyres that I'm currently riding can be removed or fitted using thumb pressure alone. It's really important to work the bead into the well of the rim.

I still can't quite bring myself to leave the levers at home though.
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honesty
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Re: of visitations and brittle plastics

Post by honesty »

Well I've just spent 45 minutes taking the tyre of, changing the tube, and putting the tyre on. What a bar stool! I'm just hoping I haven't pinched then new inner as I resorted to levering the tyre on as it was so tight...
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kylecycler
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Re: of visitations and brittle plastics

Post by kylecycler »

Evidently tyre levers are also useful for helping to save someone's life...
http://road.cc/content/news/183146-cycl ... tyre-lever
The ones illlustrated are Tacx (not that that's relevant to the story, of course!) - quite an elegant design - they look sturdy, the way they're reinforced, and they got an excellent review on road.cc.
http://road.cc/content/review/3823-tacx ... vers-set-3
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/tacx-tyre-lever ... pmt|e|prd|

As for metal levers, I've often wondered if it's a bit of a myth that they're liable to puncture tubes - is that not user error? - although I suppose they might scratch rims, especially black anodized rims on disc-brake wheels.

This is a good thread about the VAR tyre lever MickF has, as well as 531colin's now-famous video! :mrgreen:
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=40375
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DaveP
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Re: of visitations and brittle plastics

Post by DaveP »

kylecycler wrote:As for metal levers, I've often wondered if it's a bit of a myth that they're liable to puncture tubes - is that not user error? - although I suppose they might scratch rims, especially black anodized rims on disc-brake wheels.

Oh they puncture tubes alright. I can also puncture tubes with plastic levers. It's a (sort of) skill apparently :lol:
IIRC the original concern about steel levers was that they would leave dents in aluminium rims. This was back when "ally" rims started to become commonplace.
I'm not sure now how well founded these concerns were. Certainly it is relatively easy to mar an aluminium surface with steel tools but its far from inevitable. I once changed a motorbike tyre using steel bicycle tyre levers. Taking the old one off was easy. Getting the new one on took most of the afternoon and got pretty physical before the dust settled. Even though it ceased to be a priority after an hour or so, I didn't leave any dents in the aluminium rim.
The levers were an old set originally used by my parents in the late forties. They were made from a flat strip with a stiffening rib and were about 5/8" wide. and longer than modern versions. I wish I still had them for those special occasions.
But I'd prefer plastic for the mobile tool kit - light, no rattles, no rust... just try 'em out first :D
Trying to retain enough fitness to grow old disgracefully... That hasn't changed!
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661-Pete
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Re: of visitations and brittle plastics

Post by 661-Pete »

Well, I've used my steel levers countless times on alu (more strictly, alloy) rims, and I can't say I see any obvious signs of damage or dents. Maybe there's an issue with carbon rims of which I have no experience, but I doubt it.

Regarding puncturing of inners while using levers - is this while taking the tyre off, or while putting it back on? Obviously, the usual reason for taking off the tyre is to fix a 'visit', so there'll be a puncture somewhere anyway, lever or no lever. If you find an extra puncture, well that's two patches instead of one. No sweat! Certainly I don't recall ever adding additional punctures whilst getting a tyre off.

So maybe it's while putting the tyre back on. For that, I try never to use levers. I use fingers - but perhaps my fingers are stronger than some people's? (I used to play the piano quite a lot). If I get a really bloody-minded tyre (new tyres are usually the problem), then I do a few practice fittings and removals using levers but without the inner tube. I also try stretching the tyre by hooking it under my feet and giving a few good healthy tugs. And I apply plenty of talc or French chalk. All I can say is, the tyre always gives in in the end! :)
Suppose that this room is a lift. The support breaks and down we go with ever-increasing velocity.
Let us pass the time by performing physical experiments...
--- Arthur Eddington (creator of the Eddington Number).
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