Marylander

Yes, that's it!

nlerner

Here’s what I pulled from the plastic bin on my workbench (so these don’t include the two plastic levers I carry on the bike). That steel GripFast on the far right is probably the oldest. I also have pairs of the alloy CycloPro and the steel rod-like one next to it, both similarly bent after encountering tightly fitted tires. The crank bros and the VAR on the left get the most use.

thumpism 

The Terry lever I mentioned earlier also works for installing Vanagon steering rack boots.

73StellaSX76

I made these in 1982. Used stainless steel and polished the working surfaces. I soon put them away in preference to tool-free tire changes and haven’t needed them until recent years trying road tubeless tires. Now those are a tight tire fit!

Trakhak

I probably still have a telescoping plastic tire lever in a seat bag on one of my bikes. It was made by Crank Bros. or Pedro's or one of those companies. The telescoping lever was apparently sold only briefly, since I didn't find an example in a cursory search. Too bad. It worked very well.

What I did find is a stainless steel version listed on Amazon. I can see why the Chinese knockoff is steel rather than plastic. The designer of the original lightweight plastic version must have assumed that everyone would read the instructions, where he said to grab the tool at the top, applying pressure only where the lip is anchored in the rim. The bike mechanic I saw trying out the lever for the first time instead grabbed it as pictured on the Amazon page. The tool broke, naturally.

MooneyBloke

I've had these cheapies for at least forty years. I've never made big demands of my tire irons as my road bikes have worn sew-ups for many decades and still do; I'd definitely not take these levers to fine cotton tires at all. They likely could deal with a little reshaping with a dremel, but they've served me well over the eons.

Steel Charlie

I haven't used a metal lever on anything bicycle for probably 30+ years. When I was a kid we used screwdrivers. Metal levers aren't much of a step up from that IMO.

sd5782 

I’ve had these for nearly 50 years. Purchased at my small town Schwinn store. They say Terry’s made in England. What I like is that they are fairly small with a compact spoon and well defined fulcrum points. The fulcrum points and curvature is key. One doesn’t have to insert these as far into the rim, and it is quite easy to hook onto the tire bead. Less leverage is required I have another steel pair and a plastic pair, but these are my favorites.

gugie 

64 years old, still works like a champ.

tiger1964 

Plenty of metal-versus-plastic opinions!

I've had best luck with some metal ones that look like perhaps knockoff of the Aldi ones shown. SO FAR, I do not recall ever, ever, puncturing a tube during an installation in quite a few decades. That said, I do not think I could get extra pairs to keep in each bike's bag (prove me wrong and I'd consider buying more). I have had issues with plastic ones, from breakage to being too think to get in the gap as needed (not fun on the roadside!).

Well, I saw these FEEDBACK and bought a few pairs, they just arrived and have not tried them yet. Plastic over metal sounds ideal but unsure how far into the tip the metal goes. And they are a bit bulky and will take up extra space in the bag. While not vintage themselves, I am hoping they are useful on the vintage bikes.

Feldman

The very best!

Bad Lag

I have the types shown in SurferRosa's post #24.
I have the type shown in sd5782's post #33.

No question, the metal is far superior to those plastic ones.

I also have the type shown in gugie's post #34. They are my favorite of all time, especially for mounting the tires but they also come in handy during removal. Heck, they are so handy, I keep them with me all the time.

Chuck M 

I remember my dad fixing my earliest bike flats and removing the tire from the rim with a flat blade screwdriver. I'm sure I adopted that when I started fixing my own flats. When I finally got my first "nice bike" with aluminum rims, I would wager I may have changed a tire or three using the same method. When I did switch to tire levers they were the stamped steel levers that came with department store bicycle tool kits. These days, like a few others have mention, I just use plastic. I like my Pedro tire levers because they work well and are bright orange so I can easily see where I put them.

merziac

Same here, this is my go to for mounting, you'res still work for dismounting too?

nlerner

That’s for holding this:

Chuck M 

And that's what my dad removed bike tires with.

P!N20

Are we still talking about tyre levers?

bikemig 

My first tire levers were a set of these. Worked like a champ on the green Robin Hood 3 speed I had in third grade. I also bent the heck out of them and you better believe it made my Mom some mad.

gugie 

Chombi1 

Uhmmm..... I guess we are also collecting C&V tire levers now?....
They never really grabbed my interest as they are so mundane......kinda like things you buy and end up somehow losing......but I cannot deny they are big life savers on the road.

TLaurent 

In order. It was a teachable moment.

DavidBrussels

Forks rather than spoons as you can hook a spoke between the tines. Didn’t make my mum any happier!

steine13

It's been a while since I had an immediate impulse to make the sign of the Cross and ward off evil.
Steiner's rule of old cars #3: "Do not buy anything with a named engine conversion."

What 650b is to old Raleighs, Subaru 2.2s are to Vanagons. Maybe there's a reason...?
I love driving these but now way would I own one. I have not the strength.
German engineering at its Germanest. .

Sorry for the off-topic outburst. I feel better now.
cheers -mathias

steine13

Here's my favorite duo:



Plastic Michelin, with a nice-and-thin tip that goes underneath the bead, usually™ without cutting the tube.
Can't warm up to the blue Park ones, they're too fat for my taste.

And the aluminum Minoura that hooks around a spoke, á la 3rd hand.

Can you believe I have three sets of these!? So lucky.

cheers -mathias

thumpism 

No conversion here but I would not mind one, Sube for the van or 650B for a bike (Raleigh or not). The old car is a working toy, although we have not camped in it for a few years now.