How To Take Bike Pedals Off

Knowing how to take bike pedals off is a must-have skill for any serious biker. This is especially true for bikers who travel to destinations specifically to ride. Bikes are much more portable when their pedals are removed, and when strapped to the back of a car, bike pedals may fly off. Use the following guide to take off your bike pedals while keeping their assembly intact.

1. You’ll really only need a wrench to do the job. When you take off bike pedals, you generally don’t need to mess with the arm (the bar that attaches the pedals to the gears) at all. And since the pedal is attached to the arm with a simple bolt, the right sized wrench is all that’s necessary to get the job done.
2. Bikes pedals are engineered to screw on opposite ways on each side. This means you’ll have to throw the old standby: “lefty loosey, righty tighty” out the window. For most bikes, the right side pedal loosens with a counter clockwise turn, and the left pedal loosens with a clockwise turn. Though it may seem harebrained to assemble bicycles this way, it actually prevents both pedals from falling off while you ride – which isn’t so bad.
3. If you’ve never taken off your bicycle pedals before, be careful. Since they are often exposed to the elements and the pressure of you riding on top of them, pedals can become very stubborn over time. It may take some household oil or WD-40 to get the pedal’s bolt moving.
4. There is a specific technique to removing stubborn bike pedals. First, you position the arm of the bike forward, towards the handlebars. Then, depending on the side of the bike you’re working, place the wrench on the bolt so that a downward move will loosen it. You’ll know which bolt to place the wrench on because it connects the inside end of the pedal to the crank arm of the bike. This way, you can exert much more force than if you were pulling up.
5. When you’re done, put the pedals in a safe place and store your bike. Nothing’s worse than having a perfectly maintained bike with no pedals. Be sure to store them near your bike in case the urge to ride hits you suddenly. With that, the easiest process to make your bike more portable and sleek is complete.