Punctures are an unfortunate fact of life on two wheels, so anything that makes them easier to fix is just fine by us. The Air Lever claims to be the first combined CO2 inflator and tyre lever.
The diminutive size of the Air Lever kit means you can carry a spare tube and everything required to quickly replace it at the side of the road in a small and light package.
Win an Air Lever
The Air Lever can be bought via Kickstarter, but we have ordered one to give away. Leave us a comment at the bottom of this page and we will pick a name during the week after next.
Puncture-proof tyres
Nobody likes to spend time fixing a puncture, especially in winter, so the range of solid, puncture-proof tyres offered by Tannus are a tempting proposition at this time of year.
Constructed from a polymer compound, the solid tyres are available in two grades that imitate different tyre pressures – 85 psi or 110 psi.
Cyclists who know their history will be wary of the claims made of solid tyres. When British inventor John Boyd Dunlop in 1887 developed the first practical pneumatic tyre (for the wooden disc wheel of his son’s tricycle), the innovation transformed the performance of bicycles – and even made possible the development of the first car by cycling fanatic Karl Benz.
Since then, solid tyres have had a reputation for being heavier and less efficient than their inflatable cousins. However, the 700 x 23c Tannus Musai model weighs in at 380 g, which is comparable with the combined weight of the puncture-resistant Continental Gator Skin, inner tube and rim tape.
Tannus tyres have a slightly increased rolling resistance, but many cyclists will be happy to trade marginal extra effort in return for a puncture-free life.
Cycle insurance from the ETA includes Cycle Breakdown for free. If your bike suffers a mechanical breakdown or puncture, we pay for you and your cycle to be taken up to 25 miles to a cycle shop, railway station or home.
Taking different approach to the solid tyre, a puncture-proof design similar to those fitted to the American Humvee military vehicle may soon be available for your mountain bike.
Colorado designer Brian Russell has developed what he describes as an Energy Return Wheel, which he hopes will soon be fitted to cars and bicycles around the world. Russell claims the wheel will save motorists fuel and cyclists the faff of having to repair flats at the roadside. The wheels can be adjusted to suit different types of terrain and may be offered with a thin sidewall to keep the inside of the tyre free of mud.
Cycle insurance (with puncture protection)
Cycle insurance from the ETA includes cover against theft, accidental damage and vandalism. It mirrors the cover you would expect from a fully-comp car insurance policy by including third party liability, cycle breakdown recovery (including if your bike suffers a puncture), replacement bike hire and legal advice all for one price. Get an instant quote here, or give us a call on 0800 212 810.
Bryn Jones
Wot no flats?
Peter Clark
Wow, Am I finally first to comment?
Ema
Looks good and useful
Bryn Jones
Pressure Preservation with Perfect Puncture Protection
Scott
I would love to have these
Giuseppe Caruso
I’d love to try them
Tom
I would like one of these, it looks like a winner to me.
DougMilly
Sounds a useful addition to my bike tool kit!
Dave
Having had 3 punctures last week, one of these would’ve come in useful.
Chris.
Great for high pressure tyres.
Keith
Sounds good. A bit less in the panniers is a positive for me.
EH
Count me in!
Mark Minion
Cracking idea, compact and ideal for road tyres
Eleanor Clegg
Dear Santa
Please send me an Air Lever Kit for Christmas, so I can fix my puncture.
John Mills
That’d fit nicely in my camelbak……….
Dave wall
Best blow I’ve been been offered all year.😆😆👍
Peter Chisnall
Inflating
Richard Scrase
Yes please, need something useful for Xmas
designjack
Looks a handy bit of kit, nice combo
Laurence Koster
Interesting idea!
Mark B
I’d love a Lever for Xmas please!
C Buckley
Anything that makes fixing puncture easier is a hit with me.
Chris Dunne
It looks a very good idea, I’ve managed ~1000 to and from work and had my first puncture on this trip last week, (My fault the tyre is worn out looking at it)!
Fergus Duncanson
Nicely portable!
Ian Nicholson
Tired of punctures, so I’ve just replaced my rear tyre with a Schwalbe Marathon and a new slime-filled inner tube…
Charlotte
I currently share a pump with my husband (hardly practical) as money is tight so winning one of these would be brilliant!
Clive
Very interesting idea, would love one!
Santa
Merry Christmas – ho, ho, ho!
plevyadophy
I am flat out tyred of this!!
😄
Okan Kibaroglu
Sounds like good “lever”age on cyclists’ side…
Jonathan Hunt
Happy Christmas!!
Glynis Brewer
Oh to have something simple like this!
James McDonald
4 am … can’t sleep for worrying about getting a puncture cycling to friends today/tomorrow … If only there was some way of quickly fixing a picture without all the faff…
Roger Birchall
Now all we need is the other leaver to double up as a spare tube !!!!
Hilary
Ooh would love one. Puncture kit so old the patches are probably in worse condition than the tyres and need something small and light for the commute 🙂
Dick Willis
excellent, even less weight to carry. Shame out my expanded middle…
Suie Bower
Just bought a bike after years of using ones provided by my cycling group that included repairs so anything that would help a complete novice with maintenance issues is good news!
Alastair Seagroatt
Been looking at the Tannus tyres for winter here as we’ve had numerous flats over the winter from farmers cutting hedges on our country roads. Meantime this neat inflator would do the job.
David Gable
Yes please….