SPD pedals on an older mountain bike?
 

Hi all...my 1st post here...

I have been taking spin at the gym I belong to for a few years now. I've have spin shoes that clip in. I've contemplated getting pedals for my bicycle but I've pushed the idea aside out of fear....fear of not being able to unclip and falling. But I think I want to try them.

I have an OLD Giant Acapulco bicycle....I've had it since 2000! I have gone many years not being able to ride it b/c of young kids and time. I am now able to use it more so it's not like it's got 16 yrs of miles on it.

My main ? is: Can I put SPD pedals on to it? Although even if I can, Ive tried to remove the pedals and so far no luck.

Thanks for any input!

It's almost a certainty that you can put SPD clipless pedals on your bike. Sometimes, pedals get stuck on the crank arms because of the reaction between the steel pedals and the aluminum crank arms. Use a good penetrating oil to loosen them up (I use PB Blaster). Spray them down, and let them soak. Go back and spray them, again, every few hours, if possible. After a day, or two, you should be able to remove the pedals. Be sure you are turning them the right direction. The left pedal (non-drive side) is threaded lefthanded.

Practice clipping in and unclipping somewhere that's safe to fall, so that you can start to build the muscle memory and instinct for the inevitable emergency. Remember to unclip before you need to. Make it a habit. Generally, falling over because you failed to unclip isn't a dangerous situation, because you'll be stopped, or nearly so, but you don't want to "forget" to unclip in traffic, which could result in you falling into the path of a motor vehicle.

9/16" x 20tpi is the most common pedal thread..

recessed cleat shoes .. the bottom of your cleat is still going to touch the floor or rocky path when you walk

shoe sole level .. its how the spud system is designed.. deeper recessed , the cleat wont engage the pedal.



Hard time getting the pedal off by yourself? at The Bike shop , I often have one of my friends, there ,
help hold the opposite crank arm and use the very stout Park pedal wrench .

sometimes just stepping on the wrench with my foot, with the bike wheels on the ground works fine.

the left pedal is reverse threaded. The right pedal in normal.

Go for it. The pedals can be set for minimal tension, so it doesn't take much effort to unclip. After installing the pedals, you might try practicing clipping in and out with just a shoe in your hand before mounting the bike. :thumb:

Have someone else (strong) help you. Work so that your turning force is opposed by chain tension, that helps the crank to not spin while you loosen the pedal spindle. Get a length of galvanized pipe to put over your wrench to increase the leverage...

A light tap with a mallet in the correct direction sometimes loosens a bound thread. Be careful and make sure that the work is held securely and that the wrench is seated right first.

Should work. Bike might need some scheduled maintenance, grease doesn't stay greasy forever, but being a Giant, it's almost certainly all standard parts.

Thank you! I did just learn that today by searching online via a You Tube video!

Thank you all for your replies!

That's not old! That would be one of my newer bikes. Heck, even my 11- and 12-year-old daughters ride bikes older than that.

Yep, you can put SPD pedals on it. There are even pedals with SPD clips on one side and 'platforms' on the other side to ride with regular shoes, in case you might ride the bike either way. The Shimano PD-M324 and Shimano PD-A530 pedals are a couple of examples.

As for getting the pedals off, the first thing to remember is that the bike's left pedal is reverse-threaded to prevent it from unscrewing while you're riding. You'll need to turn that pedal clockwise to loosen it. Even if you're turning the correct direction, they can be tough to uninstall. They can be on pretty tight, plus the steel-to-aluminum interface invites galvanic corrosion, which can make the pedal threads bind.

If you're using a wrench (not an Allen wrench) to remove the pedals, one trick I've learned is to position the wrench so it's not quite parallel with the crank arm and squeeze them together. That way, turning the wrench isn't also trying to turn the whole crankset, and you might be surprised how much force you can generate with just your hands and fingers. This 'squeeze method' also helps keep you from smashing your knuckles when the pedal suddenly becomes unstuck! Soaking the pedal threads with a good squirt of penetrating oil like Kroil, PB Blaster, or Liquid Wrench for a day may also help you get those pedals free.

Once you get your pedals off, I'd suggest putting a light coating of grease on your new pedal threads before inserting them. The grease acts as an insulator between the steel pedal spindle and the aluminum crank arm, preventing (or at least greatly reducing) galvanic corrosion.

I actually did look at getting the Shimano-PD-A530-Dual-Platform-Pedal.

Thank you for your tips!

I have SPDs on my 1985 Ritchey!

I use the "M" cleats. They are multirelease cleats, and are easier to learn with. They fit any shoe/pedal that is SPD, and are available at REI, etc. I'm still using them since I've had no problems with unexpected releases thru 3K miles. When I began using cleats, I too was wary of falls. At age 64 I can ill afford a fractured wrist, elbow, etc. I practiced by riding around on a paved surface surrounded by grass (for me, a basketball court). I'd ride off of the pavement onto the grass then clip out. I'd rather fall over on grass. :p You can teach an old dog a new trick, IME! I don't want to ride w/o cleats anymore.

If you've yet to buy, look at the Shimano M520L for a solid, inexpensive pedal. Good luck!

Well ok...you've convinced me mine should work! Lol....

Thanks for your input

If you're going to use it some off pavement, and the platform side, the M324 would probably be the better choice.

I'll second the recommendation for the M324, even if you're not planning to ride off-pavement. The platform side of the A530 can be a bit slippery.

With very few exceptions (some old French bikes, mostly), they'll work just fine. I'm running SPD pedals on a couple of cranksets made in the 1970's.

Thank you! I took that into consideration and needed up ordering the M324. I can see why the other set would be slippery as they seem to have a "coating" on them to make them black!

The problem isn't that they're coated (or rather anodized). It's the shape & size of the raised 'teeth'. The ones on the M324 just seem to bite into shoe tread better than the ones on the A530.

Oh...Gottcha! They are coming today and I finally got the regular pedals off of the bike. Of course I won't be able to test them out over the next few days b/c we are having Flipping snow in CT today!! And pretty chilly the rest of the week.

Thank you all for your advice! I appreciate it!