Cunning tips on pedal changing?

[carreauchompeur]

Good morning all,

I run a 2008 Cube Peloton roadbike which is both my commuter and weekend bike. As such, most of the time I have beartrap flat pedals on it because it's more practical jinking around town.

I rather want to go out for a decent ride today, however the last time I tried to change the pedals it involved major fossicking to get the first one off, and then the spanner slipped on the second one leaving me with an inch-long stitchworthy gash on my hand!

Is there a special knack, or would a dedicated pedal spanner help? I find the bike scoots all over the place when I'm trying to undo them. Once I guess the right way

[Henry Hawthorne]

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?Mod...

Works fine for me And can't argue with £5.99 inc. delivery!

Remember - left hand pedal, does up by turning left, and the right hand pedal does up by turning right

[rhinochopig]

A lot of pedals have an Allen socket on the end of the spindle.

[carreauchompeur]

rhinochopig said:

A lot of pedals have an Allen socket on the end of the spindle.

My clipless ones do... But the cheapie flat pedals are the problem to remove, and they don't!

[rhinochopig]

carreauchompeur said:

rhinochopig said:

A lot of pedals have an Allen socket on the end of the spindle.

My clipless ones do... But the cheapie flat pedals are the problem to remove, and they don't!

In that case get a pedal spanner, and don't do them up too tight - they don't need to tightened very much at all and make sure you copper slip the threads.

[ewenm]

Get yourself a proper pedal spanner. Maybe think about some of the mixed pedals like these so you don't need to go swapping around.

[Parsnip]

Use a proper pedal spanner and remember that the top of the pedal turns towards the back of the bike to get the pedal off. Chain on the big ring to stop you punching the jaggy bit and grease the threads so that it isn't as hard next time.

Easy peasy - untill you realise the pedal has siezed and that evolution has built a special "when this thing finally turns, your fist will seek out the sharpest possible object to hit" function into you.

[Lord Croker]

It's a bit difficult to describe this, but I hook my thumb over the crank and pull the spanner towards it with my fingers. If you get a crank spanner with an angled end then you can almost always position it do allow you to do this. Shimano used to make great ones but I don't know if they still do.

It lets you put loads of torque on the spanner and stops you skinning your knuckles.

[Steve UK]

Don't forget one is left hand thread

[Nick_F]

Get a proper pedal spannr - even Halfwits stock them - and hang on to the other pedal as a lever. You're less likely to suffer dismemberment if you pull up to undo, rather than pushing down.

I never get on with the allen spindle jobbies - the torque applied by the allen key tends to spread the spindle and cause it to grip the threads harder.

[Spiraldep]

Don't forget that you need to grease or apply antiseaze to the thread. If you haven't changed pedals for a while you may find that your difficulty is caused by threads seazing. Changing out pedals should only be a five minute job with or without a pedal wrench.
SD

[kazste]

no one (wisely) has suggested my preferred method! a mate standing on a pedal, me attaching spanner to the other pedal and jumping up and down on it. nothing like ordering a new frame due to a large spanner shaped bend!

[TedMaul]

Nick_F said:

Get a proper pedal spannr - even Halfwits stock them - and hang on to the other pedal as a lever. You're less likely to suffer dismemberment if you pull up to undo, rather than pushing down.

I never get on with the allen spindle jobbies - the torque applied by the allen key tends to spread the spindle and cause it to grip the threads harder.

Agree on both counts, bought my pedal spanner from them donkeys years ago for less than a fiver.

[village idiot]

alternatively, you could buy some pedals that are flats on one side and spd's on the other.....

i don't run these on my road bike (which is only used to proper lycra-poofter cycling) but I have run them on my town bike before. my mtb runs on spds with a large outer cage which can be used (of a sorts) for non-clipped pedalling.

have a look at:-

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?Mod...

or

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?Mod...

or even cheaper

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?Mod...

[W00DY]

Noone seems to have mentioned to stop the bike moving forward the pedal you are undoing should be at the bottom of it's travel so any force is not trying to rotate the crank. Pedal spaneers are cheap and work well though, mine came in a lidl tool kit for about £15

[mk1fan]

On the drive side make sure the chain is on the outer chain ring to give you some protection if the spanner slips.

Grease the threads.

Use washers on the pedals to stop them gauling the cranks - although this is really only an issue on 'cheap' cranksets.

Don't tighten the pedals too much.

Use a longish spanner / allen key to tighten them up - at least 8-inches.

[Lord Pikey]

Morning chaps.

I am havign pedal trouble on my rescue bike. I have been marinading the threads in WD for a week now and i still cannot get the pedals off.

This morning before work i tried a new tactic. I put both cranks in the freezer. Has anyone done this before? Im hoping both metals will contract at differnt rates and this may free something up.

If not ill have very cold hands when trying to remove them again tonight. If this fails im going to have to go and buy a pedal spanner as its been suggested a lot of times on this thread.

[Beyond Rational]

Spanner and mallet.

I should probably issue a disclaimer with that advice.

[TedMaul]

Lord Pikey said:

Morning chaps.

I am havign pedal trouble on my rescue bike. I have been marinading the threads in WD for a week now and i still cannot get the pedals off.

This morning before work i tried a new tactic. I put both cranks in the freezer. Has anyone done this before? Im hoping both metals will contract at differnt rates and this may free something up.

If not ill have very cold hands when trying to remove them again tonight. If this fails im going to have to go and buy a pedal spanner as its been suggested a lot of times on this thread.

A pedal spanner is the only thing that works - you need the leverage, pure and simple - as said above, a spanner or allen key at least eight inches long.

[carreauchompeur]

TedMaul said:

A pedal spanner is the only thing that works - you need the leverage, pure and simple - as said above, a spanner or allen key at least eight inches long.

I thought mine was 8 inches, but it seems I've overestimated