Broken soma “steel core” tyre lever – that’s 2 in a row

2 for a fiver in a pack and both have failed in exactly the same way.

I’ve never had a plastic tyre lever fail on me they just bend. the plastic coating on these seems really brittle. I might have been a little over-ambitious with it but if you can’t use more force than a normal tyre lever then what’s the point? think i send them back? (awaits flaming 🙄 )

I’ve broken two as well; perhaps we don’t know our own strength!

Steel is a bad choice for the internals, too flexible in those dimensions – bound to bend so much the plastic coating breaks?

Used them for a while with no problems. Fists of ham?

maybe. or maybe as clink says it is down to our massive arms

Why not just learn to remove tyres without them…

I broke one the first time I every used it. Previously I had managed over 25 years of tyre changing without breaking a lever. ‘Not fit for purpose’ springs to mind, but I couldn’t be bothered to send it back.

how did you lose your thumbs?

I too have broken those Soma levers and get through Park Tool levers at an alarming rate.

What am i doing wrong?

Wrestled with my Mountain Kings and DT E540 rims for half an hour earlier today!

Someone please tell me how on earth you get tyres off without levers?

I have some solid cro-mo leavers that have been going good for about 8 years only ever slightly scratched a couple of rims and that was when I was trying to fit some really heavy and thick DH tyres.

Why not just learn to remove tyres without them…

visions of broken fingers and fingernails torn away from the skin spring to mind, that’s why! may be possible on some tyre/rim combinations but if you’re man enough to come and try to get this tyre off this rim with your bare hands feel free (i bet you can’t 😉 )

never used a tyre lever in my life.

Would never get my kevlar beaded tyres off my rim if I didnt use levers. My lever of choice is an old rounded spoon handle.

Broke a tyre lever on Friday trying to wrench the Conti Speed Kings from my wheels. Conti Edge’s are almost as difficult.
My Fire XCs come off with a quick whip round with one tyre lever and go back on with just my thumb.

I surmise from this that the Conti tyres must be a teeny bit smaller than the Panaracers.
A mate of mine has Speed Kings too and reckons that his are also difficult to remove. Apparently his Mountain Kings are easier though.

I have never had difficulties in fitting tyres without tools until my dt5.1 rims which are impossible with some of my tyres to remove or fit the tyres without levers.

I do know how to change tyres properly but some combinations of rim and tyre are just too tight to do so.

for me any dual ply DH tyre and an EX729 rim are bastards. Takes ages to get them on, and normally pinching the tube at least once. The air turns blue regularly