Every kind of cyclist must have the skill to remove and change their bike’s pedals, it is absolutely necessary. This skill comes in extremely handy when you are trying to assemble a new bike on your own or want to try out something different like clipless pedals, either way, we cannot emphasize their importance enough!
This guide is specially made to teach cyclists this skill so that they may have no problems in the future. Here we will show you how to carefully remove your bike’s pedals and how to tell them apart from each other.
What Kind of Tools Do You Need?
In order to successfully remove the bike pedals, you will need to have the following tools at your disposal. Let’s discuss them:
- 15mm Spanner
- 8mm Allen Hex Key
The majority of the pedals that you will come across can be removed using the spanner or the hex key. In some situations, only the 15mm spanner will be useful, for example, if the pedals have parallel faces on the spindle between the pedal’s body and crank.
Some people might go for the more expensive versions of pedals, such as the ones from Shimano, they have a larger locking nut as compared to other pedals. You may also notice that old pedals like from 5-10 years ago would have 9/16in pedal flats. They can also be easily removed using a 15mm spanner.
You will need an 8mm hex key if our bike’s pedals have a hexagonal socket on the spindle. In very rare cases you will need a 6mm hex key instead of the 8mm one.
I would suggest that you get yourself a T-shaped hex key, they are perfect for every kind of situation, the long parts of the hex key would allow you to avoid the chainrings.
Check out here the best quality Allen Hex Key and Best Spanner.
How to Differentiate Between The Different Pedals?
For people that don’t know left and right pedals are different from each other as they have varying threads. You must know about them before you start to fit them on your bike.
Let us tell you the difference in the simplest way:
- The right-hand side also called the drive-side has gears attached to it
- The left-hand side also called the non-drive-side has no gears attached to it
Explaining The Right Pedal
When you examine the right pedals, you will see that their threads are always standard. If you want to tighten them, then you have to turn the spindle clockwise, and if you want to loosen them then just turn them anti-clockwise.
Explaining The Left Pedal
When you examine the left pedals, you will see that their threads are always reversed. If you want to tighten them, then you have to turn the spindle anti-clockwise, and if you want to loosen them then just turn them clockwise. You have to remember that the left pedals are always non-drive-side!
How Do You Tell The Different Pedals Apart?
If you had to differentiate between the two pedals then it would not be so difficult. Pedals are always going to be marked in some kind of way, and these indications will surely help you.
You can see these markings at the end of their spindles, they will be printed there, the indications will most probably be L or R. If by some chance they are not on the spindle then they will be at the body of the pedal or the wrench flats!
If you still can’t find the indications then there is another trick to it. Right pedals are always going to have standard threads, and their angles will be to the right side. Left pedals are going to be reversely threaded, their angles will be to the left side.
How To Carefully Remove The Pedals From Your Bike
In order to remove the pedals from your bike, you would need to follow two steps, we will guide you through the whole process step by step.
Step 1: How To Remove The Right Pedal
In order to get started, you would have to rotate the cranks properly, if done properly, the right-hand crank should directly point towards the front wheel. If your pedals have wrench flats then you would have to use the spanner, the wheels should be pointing at the rear. (3 o’Clock Position)
In the case of a hex key, you need to put the short end of the key into the pedal’s back, the long end of the key should point towards the rear of the bike.
When both the tools are fitted into the pedal, you need to press hard while holding the opposite crank, this will loosen the pedal, from there you can unscrew the pedal. If you have to apply a lot of force to loosen the pedal then it means that your pedals haven’t been greased for a very long time. If things are getting difficult then you can use another tool to help you loosen the pedal, a pipe for example.
Before pushing in hard, you need to make sure that the tool is fully fitted into the bike, if not then upon applying pressure it could just come off and hurt you in the process. We also suggest that you put some kind of cloth or rug under the pedals to make sure that there is no damage.
Step 2: How To Remove The Left Pedal
With the left pedals, you have to do the same, if done properly, the left-hand crank should directly point towards the front wheel. (9 o’Clock Position)
You can use both the spanner and hex key here, just make sure that they are fitted properly.
When both the tools are fitted into the pedal, you need to press hard while holding the opposite crank, this will loosen the pedal, from there you can unscrew the pedal. If you have to apply a lot of force to loosen the pedal then it means that your pedals haven’t been greased for a very long time. If things are getting difficult then you can use another tool to help you loosen the pedal, a pipe for example.
Before pushing in hard, you need to make sure that the tool is fully fitted into the bike, if not then upon applying pressure it could just come off and hurt you in the process. We also suggest that you put some kind of cloth or rug under the pedals to make sure that there is no damage.
In simple words, the methodology of removing both the pedals is the same, with a few alterations that we mentioned.
Read More Bike Maintenance Tips:
- How To True A Bike Wheel
- How To Tighten A Bike Chain
- How To Tune Up A Bike
- How to Remove Rust From Bike
- How To Clean Bike Chain
- How To Tighten Bike Brakes
- How To Use And Shift Bike Gears
FAQs
How Do You Unscrew Bike Pedals?
You can unscrew the bike pedals using a spanner or a hex key.
Are Bicycle Pedals Reverse Threaded?
Only the left pedals of the bike are reversely threaded.
Are Bike Pedals Removable?
If you have the right tools with you then yes, bike pedals are removable.
Recap
No matter if you are trying to get new pedals for your bike or if you want to try out clipless pedals, you must possess the skill to remove your bike’s pedals. Every kind of cyclist needs it, both casual and professionals.
Having this skill will make you prepared for everything, for both replacements and emergencies. Just make sure that you have the necessary tools required to remove the pedals.
Happy Cycling!
