Pedal Spanners and Wrenches

THE BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO REMOVING PEDALS

Your bike pedals are extremely important for the overall condition of your ride. Once in a while, you might have to actually remove them for either replacement or routine cleaning. If this is your first time, then this post will be your guide to bike pedal removal.

The first thing involved in removing them is the installation. This might sound counterintuitive, but what determines how easily you remove your pedal it is how well you installed it. If you screwed it on too tight, you might have a really hard time removing it.

How the Pedals Screw On

If you examine the threads of your bike pedal, you’ll notice two things: The first is that they are opposite threaded. What this means is that you have to turn them in different directions. The left one has to be turned anti-clockwise, while the right is threaded clockwise.

You would also notice that they tighten in the same direction you turn the cranks. This means that you tighten them as you ride. You don’t have to tighten them all the way. Just make sure the thread goes in completely, and then you give it a little push to be sure it’s secure.

Another thing that affects the ease of the process is how often you have had them removed. If you hardly remove them, then it would be harder to remove them when it’s time. So, you should always try to remove them periodically to clean them.

Removing the Pedals for Maintenance

The kind of pedal you’re dealing with determines the tool you need to remove it. For most brands, the required tool is an 8mm Allen key or pedal wrench. If you are dealing with flat types, then you’ll need a 15mm bike spanner.

You should note that some brands like Shimano look like they can be removed with a pedal spanner. However, what actually happens is that you’ll end up removing it from the axle.

In some instances, you might discover that you need more effort than turning the bike spanner or allen key. In this instance, you should tap the pedal tool with your hand, or a rubber ended mallet. Start with you palm first, and if it doesn’t work, you can then use a mallet.

The advantage of using a spanner is that it is longer than an allen key. This essentially gives you more leverage when turning the tool.

If after turning, and nothing seems to work, there is a last resort solution, especially if you are using metal cranks. Once again, this is a means of last resort, and you should only do it when all else fails.

What you should do is to heat up the metal crank with a lighter or something similar. As a general rule, metal expands when exposed to heat. When you have applied enough heat to the crank arm, it would expand, making it easy for you to bring it out.

Hopefully, you won’t have to resort to this. If you feel out of your depth, you could just visit a bike shop and consult a professional.