Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

Carradice classic tyre levers

8
£5.95

VERDICT:

8
10
Old skool levers that won't let you down, but might leave their mark
Weight: 
91g
Contact: 
www.carradice.co.uk

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

What the road.cc scores mean

Good scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad.

  • Exceptional
  • Excellent
  • Very Good
  • Good
  • Quite good
  • Average
  • Not so good
  • Poor
  • Bad
  • Appalling

Bringing a tear to the eye of retro-grouches everywhere, are classic steel tyre irons of the type that seem to have vanished in recent years -with a chrome coating and etched with the Carradice logo they're also rather pretty.

If you want to break the world record for the greatest length of tyre levers clipped together (and who hasn't dreamed of that at some point in their life?) then look elsewhere because unlike the cheap blue plastic versions that clutter up the counter of every bike shop in the land, these stubbornly individualistic levers will rattle cheerfully around your luggage, reminding you where they are at every bump and pothole. Of course there are more practical benefits. If only my wife had been carrying these in her kit on a rare solo ride she wouldn't have been forced to walk after her plastic levers snapped mid-repair whereas these shiny chaps will last as long as your bike. Of course this virtue comes with a price - unlike soft edged plastic levers these irons have a definite bite, leaving scars on rims and spokes, not to mention the increased risk of nibbling a hole in your inner tube.

Handled with care these levers will last a lifetime, even if they do leave their mark, but what would you prefer, a few shiny scrapes or a long walk home?

Verdict

Old skool levers that won't let you down.

road.cc test report

Make and model: Carradice classic tyre levers

Size tested: n/a

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

They're tyre levers. For fitting and removing tyres.

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
9/10
Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
7/10
Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
7/10
Rate the product for value:
 
8/10

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 41  Height: 5' 8"  Weight: er....86kg

I usually ride: Kona Dew Drop  My best bike is: Guess SC1 scandium

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed,

Add new comment

4 comments

Avatar
OldRidgeback | 13 years ago
0 likes

Mind you, metal levers can quickly be made un-rattly and non-scratching by covering them in insulation tape.

Avatar
Loki | 13 years ago
0 likes

metal levers not only rattle around they also scratch anything they come into contact with in your saddle bag.

Avatar
JJ the Flying D... replied to Loki | 13 years ago
0 likes

A multitool and spare tube?

Avatar
Iwein Dekoninck | 13 years ago
0 likes

"a few shiny scrapes or a long walk home?"

Or the best of both worlds with SOMA steel core levers  3

Latest Comments