Originally Posted by greatscott

So you started road biking 43 years ago? so that was in 1975, correct? I started myself in 1976, in 1976 I bought my first road bike, a Trek TX900, and with that Trek I bought my first flat repair kit with tire irons...mine was made of aluminum. Aluminum tire levers came out because of aluminum rims, and the steel would damage the rims. Aluminum rims go back to 1937, but I can't find when aluminum tire levers first come came out, but they've had to be out for a long time due to aluminum rims. There were chrome steel levers as you mentioned but those were used on chrome steel rims, so were you riding on steel chrome wheels back in the mid 70's?