Reverence: Lezyne Tyre Levers
Two summers ago my wife and I had the pleasure of visiting friends in Switzerland. The country is so expensive that I took home only two souvenirs: white Assos socks and a pair of Lezyne tyre levers. I assumed Lezyne was a European company. It was in this Swiss bike shop and I’d never seen the brand in an American store, ever. “Ewwww, exotic Swiss tire levers, I can afford these.” The levers were white “composite matrix” with a natty neoprene sleeve but really I bought them because I could fit them in my luggage and they were affordable ($4 US). Switzerland wisely (for them) never joined the EU but the Swiss franc makes buying swag painful. As a side note, the Assos socks are really well made. They look a tad less white now but have retained their essential Assos sock essence in every other respect.
Two years on and these levers have earned and kept the coveted number one position in my mobile rear pocket man-sachel. They are superior levers. Their hook design works better than levers made by Park, Pedros or King. I haven’t tried the Mavics Bretto has revered. I don’t know what the “composite matrix” is but it is strong as hell. Should it be so hard, designing an effective tyre lever? These are like medical instruments. Nurse, Lezyne tyre lever please. The thinness and specific curve of the bead hook makes these the levers used atop Mt Velomis.
Michelin tyres and Campagnolo rims (my favorite pairing) are at opposite ends of the clincher fit tolerances. They are wicked tight, harder to get off and on than the recently abandoned tubeless Hutchinsons. No other levers so easily get under the Michelin bead and take the horrible strain like these Lezynes do.
Sitting on the edge of the road in Kuala Lumpur, sweat pouring down your face as you bend to the task of switching inner-tubes, the sounds of snapping stalks from the jungle getting closer. Do you want the best tyre levers in your sweaty trembly hands? For you tubular riders, these might be excellent for husking that punctured tyre off the rim. At 26 grams, it would not be a bad bet. Hell, if you have to defend yourself against the enraged Malaysian monkey, a mini-pump in one hand and an unbreakable Lezyne medical instrument in the other might work out for you.
There, I’ve gone and done it. I’ve written an article singing the praises of a tyre lever and I can’t stop spelling tyre with a “y”. It’s what we do here. We obsess.
Disclaimer: Velominati has a friendly relationship with Lezyne and we have received some very well designed and well executed products of theirs, as have Keepers Tour riders from the 2012 Belgian love-fest. As I stated at the begining of this post, I bought these tyre tools when I didn’t know the first thing about the company. I admit that I was so impressed by their tyre levers I was inclined to try more of their products but my dirty Schleck love for these levers is not influenced by our relationship with Lezyne.
@wiscot
still looking for a reference to exposure to english as a first language there
@Deakus
Favorite SNL sketch ever. Exceptionally strong work. +1 Badge to you, matey.
@al KL? I guess not as I don’t get that. Write me at gianni@velominati.com we can discuss your transit and what KL is. It’s early here so maybe I’m not running up to speed.
ding, ding, ding. Kuala Lumpur! No. But I’m obsessed about those monkeys fucking me up.
@frank
Now I know how Mark Renshaw feels
@the Engine
Been there all to often.
@Kyle
too often.
Pedro’s all the way…
I should try a set of these. Last year I had so many flats you’d think my father owned an inner tube factory or something.
@Beers
Sorry Ron it did not happen today friday 21st maybe your friday 21st. but what a day to get out and roll !
@Russ M
(Just upload your images using the upload button or embed fully qualified URLs using the image button – pasting images into the posting editor doesn’t work…)
@Deakus
By the way, if you haven’t seen Seven Psychopaths, then go fucking see it right now. Do not pass go, do not collect $200, just go do it.
And once you’ve seen this, you’ll think this is absolutely hysterical:
@frank
wish they had done more w/ Tom Waits.
Walken just seemed like he was having the time of his life…
@the Engine
you forget that the Yanks say Scotch instead of Scots, like Edinburgh in Yank is Eedinburg… however I digress. Lezyne are the bollox. My tYre levers fit neatly in my key pocket together with their aluminIum-note the 2i’s-puncture kit. This is where form definitely meets function, not style over content
@zalamanda or eedinboro
i love lezyne stuff. if possible, its always my brand of choice. but i just bought 2 of their flow bottle cages and its pretty crappy to be honest. bad fit and quality. :D
@Barracuda Here in the southern USA we pronounce it “tars”….
I have a Lezyne multi-tool at home that I won in a (Merckx forgive me) MTB race. Whomever designed it had such a mastery of aesthetics, that I’m afraid to use it and scuff it up.
@Deakus cowbell. The prescription
@strathlubnaig I grew up in Canada. Well I aged in Canada. And people ask me if the village misses Me.
I stumbled upon some plastic coated steel levels branded by Specialized and they do the trick for me. Park shop levers for the workbench.
.
@Dallas
Nothing wrong with winning at a mnt bike race. Quite Merckx in fact. I won a saddle once at a cross race by virtue of my willingness to finish instead of pulling off. Lanterne Rouge.
@frank that’s the kitty nip gold we expect from this damn site!
cowbell indeed
@Dan_R
Well pulling off during a race would get you arrested in most of the civilised world…
@the Engine Chapeau!
i am sitting in my local Starbuck’s, waiting for my truck to get out of thop shop, and I am the only XY chromosome in the place, including the table of EMTs! I want to feint a heart attack.
You missed a trick and bought the economy ones, if yours are the “Lamborghini of tyre levers” then someone’s going to have to build a whole new car to compare these to
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/lezyne/alloy-tyre-levers-ec018040#features
@Gianni Sorry I missed this one, but have just come back from leave. I will definitely be adding these monkey fighting tools to my Santa’s list. Do they come with a complementary rabies injection in that natty neoprene cover?
Risking life and limb, I stopped on my ride today to take a couple of pictures of the monkeys for you, no gibbons, just the common “rat” variety. Note the garbage eating rodent like behaviour and sorry for the crap i-phone photos but it’s still a 3….
Actually they were really pissed off I stopped and I could not get close without getting warned to stay away…..
Have a great Christmas and may your stocking be full of shiny bike parts….and perhaps some V cufflinks…..
@VeloVita Don’t know to be honest…they are pretty solid though…having said that I was putting some serious hurt on them at the time in the battle to squeeze my gatorskins over campag rims so I can’t complain too much..