Lezyne Saber tyre lever & bottle opener

Tyre levers have come a long way from the dreadful Zinc-plated days of yore, and Lezyne have done a street style makeover on the metal tyre iron with the Saber. It's sure to appeal to the fixed and mtb crowd and, more importantly, is a decent lever to boot – not the best out there, but better than you might think.

You don't have to be very old to remember the days when rims were steel and tyre levers were steel too. With the widespread adoption of softer Aluminium rims metal levers were ditched in favour of plastic, and that's pretty much the way it's stayed until now, save for the odd multi tool. But the Saber is bringing metal back with some style.

Fist things first: is it a good lever? Well, it's a pretty decent one. The Sabers (they come in pairs) are well finished in stainless steel and well shaped for the job. They don't catch on, or mark, Aluminium rims though they're a little more difficult to slide round the rim once you're in. Their heft makes them a good choice for wire bead tyres or anything that's a tight fit. I didn't have any problems with the levers catching on the inner tube, at least not more than usual.

What makes the Sabers different (apart from being metal) is the other tools that make up the wide end – a bottle opener and a 15mm spanner. The bottle opener is what it is (and, incidentally, opens bottles well) but the inclusion of a 15mm spanner is the real bonus as it'll likely fit both your track nuts if you're riding fixed and your pedals, whatever you're riding. It's probably the one tool I've been stuck for more often than any other out on a ride – there's never one on your multitool – so it's a welcome addition to your ride armoury. Even if the Sabers do add 100g to your toolkit, at least your wallet will be lighter...

Verdict

Well made, stylish and competent tyre levers, and the inclusion of a 15mm spanner is a real bonus.