Pedals need to be removed for various reasons. Travel, shipment, pedal replacement, pedal service, or maybe your selling a bike and you just want your pedals back. In any case, it’s not always so convenient to run down to the local bike shop. If you are in possession of the proper tools, this task can be handled easily without going anywhere.

In order to understand what you’re about to read, you’ll need a quick lesson in pedal and bike anatomy. First thing first, whenever referring to right or left on a bicycle, it’s as if you were sitting on the saddle of the bicycle with your hands on the handlebar. Therefore the right side of the bike generally has the drivetrain( derailleurs, gears, and chain). I say “generally” because there are some exceptions. Disc brake calipers are typically mounted to the left side of a bicycle. You get the idea. The center of the bike is a plane that would split the rider, tires, and frame, perpendicular to the ground.

The pedals thread into the right and left crank arms. The large threaded metal part of the pedal is the pedal spindle, some times called a pedal axle. The part of the pedal that contacts your foot is the pedal body. The pedal body spins on the spindle with the help of bushings or bearings, and a bit of grease. The pedal spindle will have the wrench surfaces that dictate what type of wrench you should use.

The proper pedal wrench is dependent on the pedals on the bike, and more specifically what the pedal spindle has been designed to be compatible with. The most common pedal wrench is probably the 15mm open ended wrench which works on pedals that have wrench flats on the spindle, between the crank arm and the pedal body. There are also pedals that use a similar 9/16″ wrench. The 9/16″ and the 15mm are close in size and appearance and care should be taken to use the proper wrench, especially if your pedal wrench offers both. If the pedal is designed to be used with a hex pedal wrench, the hex socket is found at the end of the spindle, on the inside of the crank arm. These hex sockets on the pedals will be either 6mm or 8mm. Whichever style the pedal is designed to accept, be sure to use a wrench designed specifically for pedals! It will make life easier.

A couple more things before you remove that pedal. Shift your chain up to the big chain ring(outermost). By covering the teeth on that chain ring you can help avoid the occasional blood letting that goes with pedal removal. I’ve even started to wear my mechanic’s gloves(cheap rubberized gardening gloves) all the time because I’m sick of bloody knuckles. The point is, be careful.

As I like things to be easy, I recommend positioning the bike so it’s stable, while offering you both hands free to work. A bike repair stand would be best, but leaning it against a wall, or even flipping it upside down will do just fine.

Pedals are left and right specific. Because the pedals are on the bike, it’s fairly easy to tell which pedal is left and which is right. Let’s start with the right pedal. The right pedal will unthread from the crank as the spindle turns counter clockwise. When you place the pedal wrench on the wrench flats or in the hex socket be sure keep the angle between the wrench and the crank arm less than 90 degrees. The advantage gained by proper wrench position is crucial as pedals are often victim to severe over tightening. See pics below.

These photos show two different kinds of pedal wrenches at an angle less than 90 degrees to the crank.

Use one hand to help steady the bike or hold the opposite crank arm for more leverage. Grasping the pedal wrench at the end of the handle, apply force in the counter clockwise direction. Many pedals will have a noticeable threshold between tight and loose, but some will require brute force throughout the removal of the pedal. Consider the right pedal removed

The left pedal will be removed the same way, except the wrench will need to be turned clockwise. The left pedal has a left thread, also called a reverse thread. The left hand thread is opposite of what most would consider the standard or a righty tighty thread. Therefore in removal of the left pedal, force must be applied to the wrench in a clockwise direction. Once you can remember that the left pedal has a left thread, you are ruling pedal removal. Left pedal, left thread. Left pedal, left thread. Left pedal, left thread.

That’s it. These helping hints should lead you to easy pedal removal.

This entry was posted on Monday, November 26th, 2007 at 11:59 pm and is filed under Tools, How To, Repair Tips, Mechanical Hints, Pedal Wrenches, Daily Rant. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.