79pmooney

I can see both sides of this. Yes, any good pedal wrench works fine used properly. Some of us have trouble remembering how we did jobs last time (perhaps years ago) and forget that technique. The OP's silly wrench would be so idiot proof. Strand beside the bike, lean over the TT, fit that wrench over the far pedal while it is down. Use. No surprises. Not even at midnight before the big ride.

And total aside re: not so tight pedals unscrewing from one who has half his life's mileage on fix gears. Not so tight pedals and unscrewing - a safety feature. The only time a pedal unscrews is when the bearings start going to h*** and the bearing drag exceeds the wrenching force. Pedal bearings reverse the torque direction on the pedal axle. One side is threaded in reverse to both self-tighten when the bearings are healthy. If the pedal unscrews, guess what? Your bearings need help!. One of my fix gear nightmares is the pedal bearings seizing and destroying my foot and ankle. So - if my fix gear pedal ever unthreads, I'll be saying "thank you God, for not letting me sock that pedal on tight!"

smd4

Some bike tools are pretty specialized. I suspect there’s a good reason the “middle” pedal wrench was never invented.

soyabean

Again, you are trying to justify your own inexperience to already existing quality tools that work fine in the industry.

It's not the tool's fault if you have no idea what you are doing.

Again, my suggestion is to leave it to your local bike shop to prevent further self inflicted injury.

There's a good reason why gas powered chainsaws, pnuematic roofing nail guns, 15 amp circular saws, are best left for professionals despite being easily buyable at any local Home Depot. Human limbs lost by "first injury" doesn't prompt the manufacturers to redesign already good tools for complaining amputees. Licensed contractors prevent.

Schweinhund

Using the PW3 or the PW4 you REALLY have to be doing it wrong to bang your hand on the sprocket.
I use one (1) hand on the wrench. one hand on the frame and with either park tool you can strip the threads out of the crank arm.

JoeTBM 

It is all in the techniques but I always reach for the Park Tool PW-4 or this Bikehand version. Both give plenty of leverage even for the toughest pedal. Also have a PW-3 but don't care for it since it has both a 155mm and a 9/16" side, never found a need for it even with all the old bikes we service.

DaveLeeNC

Why in the world would I need to 'justify' not having any experience here? I have no experience here and have absolutely no reason to justify that to anybody. It is a fact. What a stupid statement. I am, however, justifying my thinking.

dave

HillRider

I'd like to jump in here with a couple of comments.

First, I agree with 79pmooney that there is no reason to install pedals with gorilla torque. Moderately tight is plenty and, as noted, pedal threads are designed to self tighten so they won't come loose spontaneously. I've always installed pedals with moderate force and in 250,000+ miles have never had one come loose by itself.

Second, If you have to remove a badly over tightened or corrode pedal, Fit the pedal wrench in place and rap on the end with a rubber mallet rather than applying steady (and awkward) pressure. That way the wrench doesn't slip and shock will break loose the threads.

Schweinhund

Wait until you run into some 70's and earlier american bikes with one piece cranks, they are all 9/16

_ForceD_

The PW-3, like other pedal specific wrenches, has both a 15mm side and 9/16 side.

Dan

Schweinhund

Why yes, yes it does. This one is mine.

Rogerogeroge

Wait until you run into some pedals made in the last two decades and they don’t have any flats for wrenches, just 8 mm hex head indents in each spindle.

Schweinhund

Well golly gee fricking willikers, what will they think of next.
You're right I'm sure.
And here I was thinking that this worked pretty good for that purpose. Kick stands too. Anything 8mm hex
I can do this all day son. I have been collecting tools for 50 years.

jccaclimber

To the OP, if you really want to do this:

1. Get a shop to waterjet if from a piece of steel and harden it with a torch, roll your own handle.
2. Something like McMaster Carr PN 5524A32 with a crows foot as mentioned earlier in this thread, https://www.mcmaster.com/5524A32.
3. Make friends with a welder.

Personally I like a long generic pedal wrench oriented correctly, but I’m half your age with only half the injuries.

smd4

Such a wrench will be mostly impossible to use.

Chuck M 

I've found a 12 pack will aid in that endeavor.

andrewclaus

The method described at least twice above (pedal forward, handle back, push down) is so simple and safe, yet not intuitive, it needs to be taught. The only time I step in at a work stand in the non-profit shop is to stop someone from hurting themselves, or even once a customer.

I spent much of my childhood working with and for my father, a plumber. He taught me many necessary lessons on tool safety, often after a needless injury. One of those lessons was to always consider what will happen when the tool slips, or the piece of work breaks.

_ForceD_

Sage advice.

Dan

DaveLeeNC

FWIW, I strongly disagree with that statement. But it isn't like I have used one for this application.

From a personal perspective, this tool would allow you to use 1/2 the shoulder force (per shoulder) as both shoulders would be directly applying torque to the spindle (and applying no other forces).

dave

smd4

Okay.

I made a mockup of your tool by cutting a 15mm notch at the 18 inch mark on an old yardstick.

My theory was borne out.

Or do this experiment: Try to use your actual pedal wrench without holding onto the pedal (this is essentially 1/2 of your wrench concept). Use one or both hands on the wrench. What happens? Go ahead. I’ll wait…

Get a proper pedal wrench and learn how to use it to avoid injury. There’s a reason a pedal tool of this design doesn’t exist.

maddog34

Or my Suntour Superb pedals with.. gasp.. 5mm allen sockets... oh wait.. they're from the 70's so they don't fit your window of experience, i guess..so we'll just forget about them....

the Suntour Bear Traps i just removed from a Touring bike have a 5mm allen socket AND 15mm flats available.. and what appears to be shin meat still attached to them... might be arm or knuckle meat though... i didn't ask..

maddog34

Turn the 15mm slot sideways, in line with the handle... have the slotted plate extend down below the handle to allow access to the 15mm slot... make the handle out of tubing that will accept hand grips for an MTB.(7/8"or 22mm). slit it where the plate will slide in, weld as needed .. Glue the grips on with 3M Weatherstrip Snot.... point the open end of the slot towards your dominate hand when using it.... it will work great.

As to the "overtightened pedals" discussion operating as a sub-thread in this thread..... MOST are the reverse thread side.. anyone care to guess how they get "overtightened"?
And then.. there's the Ancient cottered cranks with well over a half century of rust...
and the self-loosening box store garbage with soft metal (i can't bring myself to calling it "steel"...) and insanely loose-cut threads...

grumpus

There's no need for a twin handle wrench, the pedal already has a foot long bar attached to it.

DaveLeeNC

I don't see a way to create a true mechanical couple (no net translational force - Couple (mechanics) - Wikipedia ) using one of the cranks, but maybe there is something clever to be done here that I am not seeing.

dave

soyabean

Exactly.

Such a silly wrench would make things even harder and cumbersome with more in the way.

Again, the OP really just needs to use their LBS to prevent any more inexperienced DIY accidents.

DaveLeeNC

This is absolutely not a solution to the problem at hand. I have 3 drives trains all with Garmin Vector pedals (2 road bikes and a indoor bike). And I ride all 3 of them regularly. Unfortunately, as of a couple weeks ago, I only have two functional sets of Vector pedals so the question is repair, replace, or swap. I do believe that I am capable of learning to remove pedals properly, even if my skill level (WRT a stuck pedal) was not exactly up to snuff in a single instance.

dave