Quote Originally Posted by kfergos View Post
Why did taking the pedals off and putting them back on again make it go away?
Maybe because some of the oil/lube you squirted on the outside spinning part seeped into the bearings and helped them temporarily?
I'm not 100% sure but I think that (like rollerskate bearings) the pedal bearings need grease which will not evaporate or leak out like thin lube or thin oil will.

How many miles do pedals usually last? I bought mine last July, and since then have put approximately 8,000 miles on them.
My previous pedals had this issue after about 3,000 miles, on one pedal. Sholdn't have happened, but then it's not a perfect world.
I was lazy and ordered new pedals. But the old ticking one stills sits around waiting to be opened up and cleaned and greased. DH said he'd do it 'eventually'.

What kills me is that this a fairly common problem, and yet I keep hearing about LBS's that immediately have people change their bottom brackets first, without even checking the pedals. Why not check the easiest and least expensive possibility first?

Anyway, to me your symptoms sound like the inside pedal bearings.