ahsposo 

A long as it's the Reverend...

Nerull

If you do this and don't get them quite tight enough, the forces on the pedal will loosen them rather than tighten them and are quite likely to strip the threads out of your crankarms. It is very important that your pedals are sufficiently tightened before riding. Yes, they will self tighten, but only if they are tight to start with.

I've also seen very seized pedals take the crank threads - which are a softer metal than the pedal spindle - out with them when removed.

flatlander_48

No, been doing this for 6 years. The bike usually comes apart 2 to 4 times per year; sometimes more. Maybe what you said would be true if took a long time for the pedal to tighten from the rotation, but it doesn't...

Nerull

Keeping on giving out that advice then. Selling new cranks to people who's pedals fall out from undertightening is good business for bike shops.

flatlander_48

It is a statement of fact and not advice. If nothing has happened in 6 years (1 year on a double crank and currently 5 years on a triple) I don't think it's a problem. And, the reason I switched cranks was to be able to get enough cadence to stay upright on short steep uphill sections and not have to worry about unclipping fast enough.

Besides, how would you get the pedals to go backwards enough so that they would fall out? You would have to sit and spin backwards for a long time. Is that how you ride?!?!

DropDeadFred

im thinking a little beer. or fourloko and a couple of friends...were about to figure this out...or buy a new bike....sl4?

ahsposo 

A man with a plan! Buy a new bike!

DropDeadFred

seems easier...80$ pedals...200$ shoes = new 2400$ bike....isnt that what this is about...excuses to buy something new? seems easier than "accidentally" crashing...

Nerull

A loose pedal will tend to rotate in the direction that makes it loose, not tight, when pedaling forward. A completely unrelated process causes tight pedals to become even tighter while riding, but this ONLY happens when the pedals are sufficiently tight to start with. Otherwise normal pedaling will work to loosen the pedals. This happens often more often than you would think, resulting in trashed cranksets (Unless you install a helicoil, anyway). Park Tool recommends 360 inch-pounds of torque for any pedal installation.

Put your bike up in a stand and try it. Get a pedal loose, and turn the cranks forward. Put a finger on the spindle to simulate some bearing drag and, well, look at that! Your pedal comes out!

kuan

Position the wrench close enough to the crankarm so you can squeeze it with both hands. This generally provides enough force to remove anything not installed with an impact wrench.

flatlander_48

Then one of 2 things:

• Left and right hand threads should be swapped (which they are not, so that should tell you something)
• Forces that act to loosen the pedals are less than the forces that act to tighten them; net effect is that the pedal tightens

As I said, in 6 years of doing this, I have not NOT a pedal loosen. I do not use a wrench on the pedals, except for removing them. The pedals start as hand tight. That is NOT to say loose; only as tight as you can do by hand.

RT

Amen! Can I get a witness?

lunacycle

This method works every time:

1. Stand the bike on the ground. Make sure chain is on the big ring so you don't hack up your leg (see step 4 below).
2. Rotate cranks so right crank arm is pointed forward.
3. Take your 15mm open-end wrench, put it on the flats of the right pedal spindle with the handle pointing back towards the bike. You may need to adjust the rotation of the cranks depending on where the flats are located. As long as the end of the wrench is in front of the bottom bracket this method will work.
4. Hold on to the handlebars, and step down carefully on the wrench. Be aware that the wrench tends to fall off the spindle when it comes loose, so try not to nick your crank arm.

Repeat for left side, with left crank arm facing forward.

If your pedals only accommodate an 8mm allen wrench, then try stepping on that using your heel. Slide a piece of pipe over the wrench to gain more leverage, if needed.

Nerull

Once, they were swapped. The problem is, the effect that causes a tight pedal to tighten causes a tight pedal to loosen if you reverse the threading, even though the rotational forces on the pedal are trying to tighten it. It likely wouldn't cause the pedal to back all the way out, since once the pedal loosens up the effect goes away, but a loose pedal, even if it doesn't come all the way out, is very hard on threads.

And, as I'll say yet again, the effect that causes the pedals to tighten ONLY WORKS WHEN THE PEDALS ARE SUFFICIENTLY TIGHT TO BEGIN WITH. If pedals are not tight enough, the forces that act to loosen the pedals will not be less than the forces that act to tighten them. The pedal will back itself out, fall out, destroy the crank threads, and ruin your day. I've seen it happen. Every bike shop sees it happen. That you get lucky doesn't mean it doesn't happen.

DropDeadFred

nothing a friend and a jillion pounds of torque couldn't fix

RT

mmmm, Twizzlers.

Lubed it up right nice before installing this time?

DropDeadFred

indeed!....i looked away for two seconds and my friend installed the right side pedal on the inside of the crank..........its obvious I only used him for his brute strength...

kudude

jeez. OP, got the pedals out yet?

edit: should refresh before replying

Greg_R

Great news! Now go get theses 2 items:
https://www.amazon.com/Park-Tool-PW-4...9555928&sr=8-3
https://www.amazon.com/CRC-SL3121-Mar...=pd_sim_auto_1

I like the marine grease because it will not wash or melt out. Thinner grease works out and then you've got another stuck pedal.

DropDeadFred

thanks for all the advice

flatlander_48

Statistically, 6 years and 6-7000 miles is beyond luck...

znomit

Or shins.
Really hard to get the grease out of the wound too.