Need Help Quick

[Python]

Trying to change the pedals on the bike. We've got the right pedal off but can't get the left pedal off.

Am I right in thinking that to slacken the left pedal you turn the spanner CLOCKWISE instead of anti-clockwise?

[sundial]

It's the opposite direction of the right pedal. Turn it clockwise.

[Python]

It's refusing to budge.

Had to use a hammer on the spanner to get the other one off. Tried that with the left one too and all I've succeeded in doing so far is take a chunk of paint off the frame

For two pins I'd say the left pedal is possibly on the wrong thread.

[sundial]

Do you have any lubricant to spray on it? A pedal wrench to use?

[sundial]

Don't you hate things that are designed to be stubborn--like men?

[Pedal Wench]

Both pedals unscrew towards the back of the bike: Forward on, BACK OFF!

[Pedal Wench]

Am I right in thinking that to slacken the left pedal you turn the spanner CLOCKWISE instead of anti-clockwise?

Yes!

[Python]

We don't have a pedal spanner but have an ordinary spanner that fits. The pedals are also supposed to unscrew with an Allen key. It's chewed up the Allen key.

I'm beginning to think this bike is jinxed

[Python]

And just to add insult to injury I've just discovered that the cleats don't fit my shoes

[DebW]

How long is your wrench? 10-12 inches is what you need to get enough torque for tough pedals.

[Python]

My husband has just come home and he's had a go at it too. It's so stubborn that we think the pedal has been put on cross-threaded.

When the LBS put on the pedals (it was the female assistant) I said to her a couple of times that I thought it was going on in the wrong thread. She tried putting the pedal on several times before it went on relatively easily but I had my doubts. Looks like I was right and it was put on cross-threaded. If this is the case I will probably need a new crank on that side and as far as I'm concerned the bike shop can replace it.

[DirtDiva]

Do you mean you thought she screwed it onto the wrong crank? Not possible unless your cranks/pedals are made of cheese. It does take a very long spanner to get a stubborn pedal off, especially if the pedal hasn't been greased properly or has just been on there for a very long time. I have an eight inch-ish one that was a complete waste of money because it does bugger-all. Just go to the bike shop - it's the sort of job they'll do for nothing. (And the b******s will make it look easy with their huge long pedal wrench too!)

[Python]

Do you mean you thought she screwed it onto the wrong crank? Not possible unless your cranks/pedals are made of cheese. It does take a very long spanner to get a stubborn pedal off, especially if the pedal hasn't been greased properly or has just been on there for a very long time. I have an eight inch-ish one that was a complete waste of money because it does bugger-all. Just go to the bike shop - it's the sort of job they'll do for nothing. (And the b******s will make it look easy with their huge long pedal wrench too!)

No my cranks aren't made of cheese (if they were cheese they'd be eaten by now ).

What I mean by cross-threaded is when you get a screw or bolt that doesn't go on properly usually resulting in the thread being stripped - in other words the screw or bolt goes in slightly squint.

I'm just home from work and just about to have another go at it (with a pedal wrench this time) after I've had my statutory cup of coffee

On the plus side, the cleats will fit my shoes. Apparently there's a little bit you unscrew with an Allen key and the cleats should fit nicely. While I was in the bike shop I picked up another pair of cycling shoes (Specialized Sonoma) that I got for £20 (about $40). They've got recessed cleats and they're black and grey so I could get away with wearing them in the office. The office I work in is an all-male office (apart from little me) and I'm not a lover of high-heeled shoes. Like my creature comforts

Let you know later on if I have success or not.

[ChickWithBrains]

I had a similar problem. One pedal came off relatively easily, the other was WICKED hard to get off. Turns out you sort of tighten them as you use them more and more... we ended up getting mine off with a wrench. No cross threading, just incredibly tight. Make sure you've got the right tools before you berate the LBS girl (who it sounds might deserve it if you've got a stripped crank)!