Silly Question about pedals

[GraysonKelly]

Hi all,
Beyond taking my wheels off and making adjustments to my handlebars and seat, I don't know what I can and can't (or should and shouldn't mess with). But, I would like to know if it would be ok if I took the pedals off my Mountain Bike and put new ones on or if I should just go to the bike shop. If I can take them off, how do I do that? I'm pretty handy with household type maintenance, but I've never really worked on my bike. So should I go to the LBS or try to do it myself?
Thanks,
Gray

[crazycanuck]

You can remove your pedals with an allen key or a pedal wrench. If you have Crank Bros type pedals, use an allen key. For other types such as SPD's, a pedal wrench.

To remove, rotate the key or wrench in the same direction as the wheel going backwards.

I could be out to lunch but this is how Ian & I do it...

[OakLeaf]

Not a silly question.

I'm not sure what CC meant by "the same direction as the wheel going backwards" though.

The right pedal is right hand (standard) threaded ("lefty-loosey, righty-tighty"). The left pedal is left hand (reverse) threaded.

A pedal wrench is 15 mm. Depending on your pedals (if they have the flats for a pedal wrench on the outside of the crankarm) you may be able to get an ordinary 15 mm open ended wrench on there, or you may need a dedicated pedal wrench, which is very thin for pedals that don't have a lot of clearance between the pedal and the crank. If you don't have a 15 mm lying around the house to try, and if that's the way your pedals go on, you may as well just get a pedal wrench. Any LBS will have them. My Look Keo pedals use an 8 mm Allen wrench on the end of the spindle - don't know if that's the same for the Crank Bros. pedals, but the thing you have to remember there is that you're pushing the spindle through the crankarm, so you're going to be turning the Allen wrench the opposite direction of how you'd turn a pedal wrench on the outside of the crankarm.

It will probably take a lot of force to get the pedals off, because they tighten themselves up in use. You'll need a long-ish lever; a short wrench or hex key will not do the job. You'll have to reach through the frame to hold the opposite crankarm steady. I've never been able to do it without a helper, but I know some people on here can, and it's more a matter of getting a good angle on it than it is of strength alone. For the same reason, when you re-install the pedals, you won't need to put them on very tight.

I think the last time the question of lubricants came up here, most people suggested not using any, but we were just at the LBS last week getting new pedals for DH, and they DID put some anti-seize on his pedal spindles. You can get that at the auto parts store, the same thing you'd put on spark plugs. Any time the fastener is a different type of metal from what it's being fastened to, there's a tiny amount of electrical current generated that will bond the metals together over time. It only takes a tiny bit; use your finger to wipe it around the threads.

HTH.

[newfsmith]

Here is a good source of instruction, with pictures.
http://www.parktool.com/repair/byregion.asp?catid=60&imageField2.x=39&imageField2.y=9

[Aggie_Ama]

My husband does our pedals at home. Get a pedal wrench and some anti-seize lube, good to go. We personally use anit-seize lube so the pedals are easy to remove at a later date. We have a handy book on bike maintenance you can get at REI, book stores, bike shops. If you are keen to doing your own stuff I would recommend picking one up, DH refers to ours often. I am not so excited about doing maintenance so I let him if he offers. :)

[greta]

where is your picture of the mountains taken?

[Zen]

Switching out pedals is about the only thing I can do myself :o
I bought a pedal wrench, about $8.

Some Crank Bros. use an allen wrench, others will take a pedal wrench.

[withm]

Changing pedals is not difficult unless the existing pedals are totally glommed onto the bike.

Take care to note that they new pedals will be marked L and R, and don't mix them up. Be very careful to screw them in gently.

It's easy to do it right, if you have any resistance or if the pedal doesn't feel smooth when screwing it in, stop immediately, unscrew, and try again. Gently.

If you cross thread them, you'll probably end up with new crankset, and another set of new pedals. I have not yet had this problem, but my friend made a very costly mistake due to his impatience. :)