Tire levers are one of the little lifesavers you rarely think about until you're stuck on the side of the road with a puncture. Good levers will have you on your way in a few minutes, while poor ones can leave you frustrated and searching for more cuss words. Silca's new Tire Levers Premio look to slot in as 'good ones' thanks to some interesting technology.
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Alloy for strength, nylon for safety
Silca's Tire Levers Premio are built from high-strength forged aluminum. Silca reports the 105 x 25 x 7mm levers have more strength than all plastic levers or those with a metal core.
Strength is nothing without finesse though, especially when dealing with featherweight carbon rims.
Silca claims the levers are designed for use with carbon rims. According to Silca, the secret is a nylon rim shield that's reported to be safe for prying tight tubeless tires from carbon rims. Additionally, Silca claims its Flex-Core Zone allows the nylon rim pad to conform to the shape of the rim which is said to minimize stress points.
Silca claims that they're 25-30% narrower than other tire levers allowing them to slip under even the tightest tire beads, which sound ideal for today's commonly snug tubeless rubber.
With the included neoprene sleeve keeping the levers together, Silca claims a total weight of 36g.
Silca Tire Levers Premio pricing and availability
A pair of levers costs £16 / $18 / AU$23.19, which sort of seems expensive until you think about how much a damaged carbon rim could cost. For more information check out Silca's site.