Running out of French pedals!
08-19-23, 06:17 PM
#1
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Running out of French pedals!
Today I was out on my Claud Butler and broke a pedal! ....Lyotard alloy cage. I broke one a couple years ago on another bike. 50 year old pedals at this point. Both broke at the threaded outer part of the spindle by the cone. Anyway, I was about 5 miles from the nearest bike shop....ten miles from home. I limped along to the bike shop...pedaling...coasting....
Bike shop had a pair of MKS pedals that looked the part. And the store owner said he would have a mechanic put them on for me. Well I had completely forgotten my Zeus cranks were French threaded. The two mechanics were completely befuddled. I told them yeah they might be french I couldnt remember. But they had a 9/16 tap! The one mechanic called a "vintage mechanic" on the phone and was naming the parts on my bike...Huret, Zeus, Universal, and the pedals Lyotard.
Some instructions were given about tapping the cranks and the mechanic went about the job. He did an excellent job. New pedals screwed in nice and clean.
Went to pay the owner and he rang up just for the cost of the pedals! I told him I had to give him something for the tapping. I told him I was very appreciative of the work and It would have been a long ride home if not for the work they did. Told him to add on $10. Now I think I should have said $20. This is one of
the better bike shops around. They've helped me out in the past. Fortunate that they're there.
Bike shop had a pair of MKS pedals that looked the part. And the store owner said he would have a mechanic put them on for me. Well I had completely forgotten my Zeus cranks were French threaded. The two mechanics were completely befuddled. I told them yeah they might be french I couldnt remember. But they had a 9/16 tap! The one mechanic called a "vintage mechanic" on the phone and was naming the parts on my bike...Huret, Zeus, Universal, and the pedals Lyotard.
Some instructions were given about tapping the cranks and the mechanic went about the job. He did an excellent job. New pedals screwed in nice and clean.
Went to pay the owner and he rang up just for the cost of the pedals! I told him I had to give him something for the tapping. I told him I was very appreciative of the work and It would have been a long ride home if not for the work they did. Told him to add on $10. Now I think I should have said $20. This is one of
the better bike shops around. They've helped me out in the past. Fortunate that they're there.
08-19-23, 08:13 PM
#2
Senior Member
Just by the title I was ready to suggest that the smaller French threads could be tapped for regular pedals.
You can pick a pedal thread tap set on Amazon for $20. If all you are tapping are alloy (aluminum) cranks it should last you forever.
You can pick a pedal thread tap set on Amazon for $20. If all you are tapping are alloy (aluminum) cranks it should last you forever.
08-19-23, 08:27 PM
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Today I was out on my Claud Butler and broke a pedal! ....Lyotard alloy cage. I broke one a couple years ago on another bike. 50 year old pedals at this point. Both broke at the threaded outer part of the spindle by the cone. Anyway, I was about 5 miles from the nearest bike shop....ten miles from home. I limped along to the bike shop...pedaling...coasting....
Bike shop had a pair of MKS pedals that looked the part. And the store owner said he would have a mechanic put them on for me. Well I had completely forgotten my Zeus cranks were French threaded. The two mechanics were completely befuddled. I told them yeah they might be french I couldnt remember. But they had a 9/16 tap! The one mechanic called a "vintage mechanic" on the phone and was naming the parts on my bike...Huret, Zeus, Universal, and the pedals Lyotard.
Some instructions were given about tapping the cranks and the mechanic went about the job. He did an excellent job. New pedals screwed in nice and clean.
Went to pay the owner and he rang up just for the cost of the pedals! I told him I had to give him something for the tapping. I told him I was very appreciative of the work and It would have been a long ride home if not for the work they did. Told him to add on $10. Now I think I should have said $20. This is one of
the better bike shops around. They've helped me out in the past. Fortunate that they're there.
Bike shop had a pair of MKS pedals that looked the part. And the store owner said he would have a mechanic put them on for me. Well I had completely forgotten my Zeus cranks were French threaded. The two mechanics were completely befuddled. I told them yeah they might be french I couldnt remember. But they had a 9/16 tap! The one mechanic called a "vintage mechanic" on the phone and was naming the parts on my bike...Huret, Zeus, Universal, and the pedals Lyotard.
Some instructions were given about tapping the cranks and the mechanic went about the job. He did an excellent job. New pedals screwed in nice and clean.
Went to pay the owner and he rang up just for the cost of the pedals! I told him I had to give him something for the tapping. I told him I was very appreciative of the work and It would have been a long ride home if not for the work they did. Told him to add on $10. Now I think I should have said $20. This is one of
the better bike shops around. They've helped me out in the past. Fortunate that they're there.
As a lifelong mech/tech/hack including professionally I never expect anybody to handle something I can and or should be able to do myself but am glad you can count on these guys, looks like they nailed it, very hard to find now days.
I would get back to those guys with a serious additional gratuity.
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08-20-23, 09:16 AM
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Can you name the shop? Sounds like a spot I'd give some business if I'm in the area.
Appreciate that they didn't just throw up their hands and say they couldn't help. I encounter that attitude with some regularity.
Appreciate that they didn't just throw up their hands and say they couldn't help. I encounter that attitude with some regularity.
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08-20-23, 09:25 AM
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Green Bay Cyclery in Winnetka. They're good mechanics. I think the owner worked for Alberto's(old time Italian mechanic) back in the day. Highly recommend these guys.
08-20-23, 09:34 AM
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By the way, nice to see another vintage bike with tubulars even out on the Green Bay Trail.
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08-20-23, 10:02 AM
#7
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I was spoiled with Ron Boi at RRB. But now have found there are a bunch of good shops around. Macks in Evanston. Even Wilmette Sport Shop has good mechanics, and they have good stock of oddball stuff.
Last edited by big chainring; 08-20-23 at 10:05 AM.
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08-20-23, 01:02 PM
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You're better off if they throw up their hands and don't even try if they can't do it.
08-20-23, 08:14 PM
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Yeah, I know Mack's. Ezra at Green Machine in Chicago really knows vintage too. He's been around long enough to have worked on them when they were new.
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08-20-23, 08:14 PM
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