Do all pedals take the same size wrench?
08-30-08, 12:40 AM
#1
Recreation Ecologist
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 218
Bikes: Schwinn Criss Cross (hybrid beater), Nashbar AT-2 disc MTB
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Do all pedals take the same size wrench?
08-30-08, 06:47 AM
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 33,656
Bikes: '96 Litespeed Catalyst, '05 Litespeed Firenze, '06 Litespeed Tuscany, '20 Surly Midnight Special, All are 3x10. It is hilly around here!
Mentioned: 39 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2026 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1,095 Times
in
741 Posts
Almost all good quality pedals require a 15 mm wrench and are threaded 9/16" x 20tpi. Most good quality pedal wrenches are 15 mm only.
Those that take a 9/16" wrench are mostly on cheap "Department Store" quality bikes or on older American bikes with Ashtabula cranks and are threaded 1/2" x 20 tpi.
Park Tools makes one pedal wrench that fits both 15 mm and 9/16" wrench flats but their other pedal wrenches are 15 mm only.
So be careful with the 9/16" designation as it can refer to either the thread size or the needed wrench size.
Those that take a 9/16" wrench are mostly on cheap "Department Store" quality bikes or on older American bikes with Ashtabula cranks and are threaded 1/2" x 20 tpi.
Park Tools makes one pedal wrench that fits both 15 mm and 9/16" wrench flats but their other pedal wrenches are 15 mm only.
So be careful with the 9/16" designation as it can refer to either the thread size or the needed wrench size.
08-30-08, 12:11 PM
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Vancouver, WA, USA
Posts: 1,020
Bikes: Surly Crosscheck, Surly Pacer
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
However, some pedals (such as the Crank Brother's Egg Beaters) take neither a 15mm nor a 9/16" wrench. Instead they take an allen wrench.
08-30-08, 12:46 PM
#5
Senior Member
What is the BMX standard? I know they use a 1/2 inch thread instead of the 9/16 so maybe the flats are 9/16 for them?
08-30-08, 01:35 PM
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: West Dorset, UK
Posts: 908
Bikes: 1983 Dawes Galaxy, 2006 Raleigh Airlite, 1982 Sun Solo (fixed)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I just use a 15mm open-ended wrench anyway, works fine on all the pedals i've ever used it on.
__________________
A group for all Dawes Galaxy owners to give and recieve information about them
https://flickr.com/groups/dawes_galaxy/
i jam my thumbs up and back into the tubes. this way i can point my fingers straight out in front to split the wind and attain an even more aero profile, and the usual fixed gear - zen - connectedness feeling through the drivetrain is multiplied ten fold because my thumbs become one with the tubing.
https://flickr.com/groups/dawes_galaxy/
08-30-08, 01:40 PM
#7
Senior Member
A thicker budget priced 15 will often not fit on some pedals. But I've had good luck using a rather flat 15 that came with a slightly thinner wrench set. It fits anything I've got or ever had so far.
08-30-08, 01:52 PM
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Gainesville/Tampa, FL
Posts: 2,343
Bikes: Trek 1000, two mtbs and working on a fixie for commuting.
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
08-30-08, 06:28 PM
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Beaufort, South Carolina, USA and surrounding islands.
Posts: 8,521
Bikes: Cannondale R500, Motobecane Messenger
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 11 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Some pedals use a 6mm or 8mm Allen wrench on the backside of the spindle.
08-30-08, 08:44 PM
#10
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 33,656
Bikes: '96 Litespeed Catalyst, '05 Litespeed Firenze, '06 Litespeed Tuscany, '20 Surly Midnight Special, All are 3x10. It is hilly around here!
Mentioned: 39 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2026 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1,095 Times
in
741 Posts
08-30-08, 08:46 PM
#11
cab horn
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Toronto
Posts: 28,353
Bikes: 1987 Bianchi Campione
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 42 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 25 Times
in
18 Posts
If we're going to sit here listing what pedals have what system for taking them on/off we'll be here for a while.
08-31-08, 10:11 AM
#14
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Vancouver, WA, USA
Posts: 1,020
Bikes: Surly Crosscheck, Surly Pacer
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
True, but we will in so doing answer the OP's question.
08-31-08, 06:42 PM
#15
Low car diet
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Corvallis, OR, USA
Posts: 2,407
Bikes: 2006 Windsor Dover w/105, 2007 GT Avalanche w/XT, 1995 Trek 820 setup for touring, 201? Yeah single-speed folder, 199? Huffy tandem.
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 4 Times
in
4 Posts
Well, let's wrap it up, shall we? OP: Yes, that wrench is for a specific size (15mm), which is the most common size for pedals for modern 3- and 2-piece cranks.
If you're not sure what size wrench your pedals take, measure it or go the trial-and-error route.
If you're not sure what size wrench your pedals take, measure it or go the trial-and-error route.
08-31-08, 08:07 PM
#16
Recreation Ecologist
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 218
Bikes: Schwinn Criss Cross (hybrid beater), Nashbar AT-2 disc MTB
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Haha! The bike is perhaps 12 years old. Does that place it in the modern category, crank wise?
09-01-08, 01:57 AM
#17
Low car diet
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Corvallis, OR, USA
Posts: 2,407
Bikes: 2006 Windsor Dover w/105, 2007 GT Avalanche w/XT, 1995 Trek 820 setup for touring, 201? Yeah single-speed folder, 199? Huffy tandem.
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 4 Times
in
4 Posts
1-piece (Ashtabula) cranks come on department store, lower-end BMX, and older bikes: https://sheldonbrown.com/opc.html . The cranks are smaller than 3-piece (your 12-year old bike did not come with newer 2-piece) because one arm has to slide through the bottom bracket. On 3-piece systems, the cranks bolt onto the bottom bracket spindle.
See: https://sheldonbrown.com/gloss_bo-z.html#bottom . The left two are 3-piece, the right one is 1-piece.
See: https://sheldonbrown.com/gloss_bo-z.html#bottom . The left two are 3-piece, the right one is 1-piece.
09-01-08, 12:24 PM
#18
Recreation Ecologist
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 218
Bikes: Schwinn Criss Cross (hybrid beater), Nashbar AT-2 disc MTB
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
JiveTurkey, you're really helpful. Thanks man! I'll check my crank type before I begin my commute home this afternoon.
