Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

Back to REVIEWS
review
Tools - Portable
Lezyne Matrix tyre lever (pr)Lezyne Matrix tyre lever

Lezyne Matrix tyre lever (pr)

6
by Shaun Audane
UPDATED Thu, Oct 15, 2015 04:24

First Published Apr 15, 2009

2
£2.99
Buy this online

VERDICT:

6
10
Competent levers but better suited to riders with small hands.
Weight: 
7g
Contact: 
www.upgradebikes.co.uk
How we test

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

What the road.cc scores mean

Good scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad.

  • Exceptional
  • Excellent
  • Very Good
  • Good
  • Quite good
  • Average
  • Not so good
  • Poor
  • Bad
  • Appalling

Measuring a mere 9.5X1.2cm, Lezyne’s Matrix tyre levers might interest those looking to complete a minimalist toolkit but are best suited to roadside emergencies and riders with smaller hands.

Supplied in packs of two, they’re made from Delrin 100- a resin composite chosen for its strength to weight properties, and they employ a nifty double ended hook that could save you precious seconds should you puncture during a race. Upgrade suggest this enables the lever to remain functional in the unlikely event of breakage but I’d be inclined to bin them given the tiny proportions.

Despite some reservations, they’ve made short work of all but the most stubborn tyre and rim combinations. They met their match pitted against a notorious XC tyre/DH rim combination-although I remain confident a third lever would’ve tipped the balance. Riders with long fingers may quickly become frustrated by their compact dimensions though.

I’ve come to love and loathe these levers in equal measure. They’re great for stashing in the seat pack and proved a godsend by the roadside but aren’t pleasant workshop companions and while not bad value, I would’ve been happy paying more for a pack of three.

Verdict

Competent levers but better suited to riders with small hands.

road.cc test report

Make and model: Lezyne Matrix tyre lever (pr)

Price: 2.99

Weight: 7g

Size tested: n/a

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Not aimed at a specific group, these are lightweight, minimalist levers designed to maximise space in a seatpack.

Tell us some more about the techincal aspects of the product?

Made from Delrin 100- a composite resin designed with a very good strength to weight ratio. They are double ended in order to remain functional in the unlikely event of breakage.

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
7/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
7/10

Surprisingly efficient on most tyre/rim combinations, although an XC tyre aboard a downhill rim got the better of them.

Rate the product for durability:
 
7/10

No tell-tale signs of weakening or fatigue throughout the test period.

Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
9/10

7g shouldn't distress even the most weight wary.

Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
5/10

Best suited to riders with small hands.

Rate the product for value:
 
6/10

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

The Matrix are proficient enough, if fiddly to use and a third lever might make all the difference with some particularly stubborn tyres.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Low weight and rigidity

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Small profile gives the sense of form presiding over function.

Did you enjoy using the product? Not really

Would you consider buying the product? No

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Possibly if they were weight conscious and had small hands

Overall rating: 6/10

About the tester

Age: 35  Height: 1m 81  Weight: 70 kilos

I usually ride: Rough Stuff Tourer Based around 4130 Univega mtb Frameset  My best bike is: 1955 Holdsworth Road Path and several others including cross & traditional road

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: cyclo cross, commuting, touring, fixed/singlespeed, mtb,

Tyre lever
Matrix
Lezyne
Tyre levers
Shaun Audane

Shaun Audane is a freelance writer/product tester with over twenty-eight years riding experience, the last twelve (120,000 miles) spent putting bikes and kit through their paces for a variety of publications. Previous generations of his family worked at manufacturing's sharp end, thus Shaun can weld, has a sound understanding of frame building practice and a preference for steel or titanium framesets.
Citing Richard Ballantine and an Au pair as his earliest cycling influences, he is presently writing a cycling book with particular focus upon women, families and disabled audiences (Having been a registered care manager and coached children at Herne Hill Velodrome in earlier careers)

Add new comment

2 comments

Avatar
TheHatter | 13 years ago
0 likes

I've got these and they work really well. Can't say I find the size a concern and I'm pretty average in the hand department.
I like the holder too - very neat and keeps them together much more effectively than the ones that clip together.
I recomend them.

Avatar
jezzzer | 15 years ago
0 likes

delrin not derlin

Latest Comments