the best bike gizmo EVER! Crank Brothers speed lever

[divingbiker]

I know this has gizmo (http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=&subcategory=&brand=0350&sku=1446&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=Shop%20by%20Brand%3A%20Crank%20Bros%2E) been mentioned before, but I think it deserves its own thread.

I just went downstairs to air up the tires for my tomorrow's commute, and the front tire was flat. This was my first flat since I got my Crank Bros. Speed Lever, and oh boy did it make quick work of fixing a flat! You just slip it under the bead and click it onto the axle, and spin it around the tire and in no time the tire is off the rim. But the real beauty of it is when you put the tire back on the rim--no struggling, just clip the speed lever over on the rim and the axle, and in seconds the tire is back on.

I just love this thing. I'm glad I bought two--one for the commuter bike bag, and one for the road bike bag.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

YES. It the BESTEST gizmo!!!!! I use it and love it. My husband saw me use it and then got one for himself too! :p :p :p It's as easy as using a zipper.

[amelia05]

Oh, totally...best $6 I ever spent! I cut my tire changing time in half with that thing v. regular tire levers. Now I'm like a speed lever evangelist...every time there's a flat on my club ride, I sing its praises. At least half a dozen of my riders have picked one up after changing a flat with me--I think Crank Bros. owes me a kickback. ;)

[HillSlugger]

I have one and have always liked it for the ease of tire removal. However, I've never gotten the hang of using it to put the tire back on. What's the secret? Is it shown somewhere?

[uforgot]

Yup, I love this gadget too, but when I mentioned it to my lbs, he said he didn't carry them, but that they were given away at the MS150 and he had a whole bunch left, and just gave me one. He didn't care for them, so I'm glad to hear that others love it also!

[roadie gal]

I have one in the saddle bag of each of my bikes. I have found, though, that with a really tight tire I need a regular tire lever to get things started. I pry the bead up with the regular lever and then put the Speed Lever under the lifted part of the bead.

[divingbiker]

I have one and have always liked it for the ease of tire removal. However, I've never gotten the hang of using it to put the tire back on. What's the secret? Is it shown somewhere?

Well, let's see if I can explain. Here's a picture of the speed lever.

3742

The little hook that sticks out to the left is what you use to remove the tire from the rim. The longer hook that sticks out to the right (on the bottom) is what you clip onto the rim to put the tire back on. It just snaps onto the rim and the other end snaps onto the axle, and you pull the lever around the rim, and voila! the tire slips inside the rim.