Metal Tire Levers

A plastic tire lever is the right first try on most bike tires. Unior publishes the 1657/2A metal pair for the other case: wheels where mounting and dismounting the tires with plastic tire levers is difficult or impossible.

Each lever is premium sheet metal with a trivalent chrome plate to ISO 1456:2009. Official size is 148 mm long, 1.4 mm thick and 20 mm wide. The pair weighs 90 g. The 1.4 mm figure is the published thickness (drawing letter A), not a shop nickname.

The hook on the end of the lever is how Unior tells you to hold the first one: stick it behind a spoke so the bead stays lifted while you walk the second lever along the rim. What arrives in the box is two identical 1657/2A levers. It is not a mixed kit of different articles, and the official spare-parts list is empty.

The plastic 1657 pair is a different product. Reach for that when a plastic tip is enough. Reach for 1657/2A when the plastic pair cannot start the bead.

Specs

• Article 1657/2A, code 623387
• Two pieces in the set
• Length (L) 148 mm
• Thickness (A) 1.4 mm
• Width (B) 20 mm
• Weight 90 g
• Material: premium sheet metal
• Surface finish: trivalent chrome plated according to ISO 1456:2009
• Official page carries Unior's lifetime-warranty and trivalent-chrome profile badges

All listed dimensions are in millimetres and may vary in tolerance. Weight is in grams.

Built in Zreče, Slovenia

Unior has been forging hand tools in Zreče since 1919, and sponsors professional road and mountain-bike race teams. The 1657/2A pair is sheet metal, not a drop-forged plier. Same factory, a different process, chrome plated to the ISO 1456:2009 finish Unior prints on the datasheet.

Pro tip from our mechanics

Break the bead before you reach for any lever. Deflate the tire fully and push the bead off the rim shoulder into the central channel all the way around. A lot of beads that look stuck are still sitting on the shoulder. The sequence, and the lift-and-walk motion once a lever is in, is in How to remove and install a bike tire →.

FAQ

When do I need the metal 1657/2A instead of plastic tire levers? Unior publishes this pair for wheels where mounting and dismounting the tire with plastic tire levers is difficult or impossible. The official copy does not name rim materials or hookless profiles. The US plastic 1657 is a different product for the everyday case.

What is in the set? Is this a kit of different tools? The official table is two pieces of the same article, 1657/2A, code 623387. It is a pair of identical metal levers, not a kit of distinct included SKUs. The official spare-parts list is empty.

What are the official dimensions and material? Length 148 mm (L), thickness 1.4 mm (A), width 20 mm (B), weight 90 g. Material is premium sheet metal, trivalent chrome plated according to ISO 1456:2009. All listed dimensions may vary in tolerance.

What is the hook on the end for? Unior's 1657/2A tire levers can be stuck behind the spoke, with help of the hook on the end of the lever. Park the first lever on a spoke so the bead stays lifted while you walk the second lever along the rim.