Pedals on too tight GGRRRR

BigLee1

I`ve tried to remove my spd`s tonight that were fitted by the shop I bought my bike from & have succeeded insplitting the allen key bit behind the pedal while trying to lever it off using a 2ft breaker bar :evil: :evil: Yes I was turning it anti clockwise

Why the f*ck do they put them on so tight????

I`m popping to Halfords tomorrow to see if they`ve got a good quality pedal spanner
& warm the crank up & see if that gets it away.

Bas*ards :evil: :evil:

My left knee is hurting & I`m grumpy :evil:

spasypaddy

that is the exact reason i wont be buying spd 540s as they are only removable with an allen key. I'll either buy a second pair of 520s for my second bike or get some egg beaters, im really undecided

BigLee1

I`m not even sure they`ll come off as the allen key bit is now a little wider than it was when I started :oops:
If they didn`t have spanner flats on I`d be at it with the ginder :roll:

spasypaddy

did you get 520s or 540s? If its 520s they will come off with a pedal spanner

BigLee1

520`s, I did check that there was spanner flats! I was going to use a spanner but have lost my 15mm so I might as well get a proper long pedal spanner as we`ve got 4 bikes between us & I seem to be our roads cycle expert! So it will get some use

spasypaddy

just out of interest why are you trying to remove them?

BigLee1

Well........ I`ve got back into cycling after a good few years although I`ve always had a bike,a Trek Y3 full sussy `98 vintage , so I bought a road bike to do a bit of road riding & commuting. I`ve done 300ish miles on it with a few 34miles round trip commutes which were ok apart from me knowing my left cleat could do with being adjusted a little. I was moving my foot to get it comfy within the float of the pedal. One night coming home from work I can`t have done that & the next day my knee was aching a lot. I had a week off then started again after adjusting my cleat but it`s still aching so thought I`d put a normal pedal & clip on that side to see how my knee felt.
So thats why I want to remove my pedal!

Unless anyone has any tips on cleat position with a sore knee they`d be much appreciated! If it`s any use the bit that hurts seems to be the part where the kneecap tendon joins my lower leg. The part that you kneel on I did have a 2 mile run the other night & it seemed to ease it a bit. I also raised my saddle about 10mm but haven`t had a ride yet as I`m on nights this weekend :oops:

Big Red S

BigLee1 wrote:

Yes I was turning it anti clockwise

Which one was this? Only the left undoes anti-clockwise.

BigLee1

Twas the left. I even checked the threads on the pedal I was going to fit which way they went to unscrew

fossyant

A proper pedal spanner is best - I've got a complete set of campag cone and pedal/headset spanners - very good tools, had them years (15-20 that is)

Dorian Gray

Forgive me for nagging, but anticlockwise from which side - the bike side or the outside? The left pedal will unscrew anticlockwise from the outside, but from the side of the of bottom bracket that will be clockwise.

Have you tried a liberal squirt of WD-40 from both sides, letting it soak for a few minutes? Try giving it a sharp blow too rather than steady enormous pressure. By sharp I mean the heel of your hand on a longish spanner, or possibly your foot (though watch the crank doesn't break!). Obviously don't take a mallet to it just yet. Good luck!

sqwerl_mk2

spasypaddy wrote:

that is the exact reason i wont be buying spd 540s as they are only removable with an allen key. I'll either buy a second pair of 520s for my second bike or get some egg beaters, im really undecided

If you want some help I'd suggest not getting Egg Beaters.
They're great pedals and I use them on my commuter. The BUT is that the cleats wear out too quickly, even the hard-wearing expensive cleats. I go through 2/3 sets a year, commuting 3/4 days a week on average. I do clip/unclip a lot though as I have about 55 sets of lights on my route.

ColinJ

Dorian Gray wrote:

Forgive me for nagging, but anticlockwise from which side - the bike side or the outside? The left pedal will unscrew anticlockwise from the outside, but from the side of the of bottom bracket that will be clockwise.

Have you tried a liberal squirt of WD-40 from both sides, letting it soak for a few minutes? Try giving it a sharp blow too rather than steady enormous pressure. By sharp I mean the heel of your hand on a longish spanner, or possibly your foot (though watch the crank doesn't break!). Obviously don't take a mallet to it just yet. Good luck!

Hang on a minute... Left pedals have a reverse thread (I remember it as 'right is right, left is wrong'). That means from the outside the left pedal unscrews clockwise!

ddraver

they don't put them on tight, they tighten themselves naturally, so the longer you leave it the tighter they go,

I put some grease on the threads on mine to keep them loose-ish, and even occasionally loosen and retighten them

BigLee1

Theres the old saying of using the right tool for the job & after buying a pedal spanner it came off no problems I`ve now got a clipless pedal on one side & clips & straps on the other! :?

BigLee1

So those of you contemplating buying pedals without spanner flats on- DON`T!!!

nicknick

Have you considered removing the end cap and pulling the body off the axle and getting some big mole grips or stilsons on it? just a thought!

BigLee1

It`s ok now, my big pedal spanner got it off!