How To Change Pedals - Remove And Replace Your Bicycle Pedals

[@ElteHupkes]

For those wondering whether applying all of of your force in the wrong direction might be helpful: it is not. I just ran that experiment for about 20 minutes, you know, so you don't have to. You're welcome.

[@vSlo]

Thanks

[@sirtottswithamustache2646]

Lucky, it took me 3 hours to figure that out

[@ElteHupkes]

@@sirtottswithamustache2646 I'm feeling for you 😅.

[@IReadBlitz69]

I appreciate the heads up haha

[@54car54]

lol, same here, until I finally did the KZbin search and found this video :)

[@krisel1783]

7 years and I still need KZbin for this.

[@michaelrmcornejo]

Ahh this comment was from 7 yrs ago. I think this warrants a celebration!

[@NVGTO]

Even way more than 7…

[@eijmert]

14 years now, you still need youtube?

[@Fonkemman]

Here again. We don't really replace pedals frequently, that is good.

[@j3st3rjok3r]

love how effortless this guy takes them off, while me, I've been at it for over 30 mins 😒

[@danielroach3904]

All about the leverage 😉

[@OGeffects]

OMG same here.....the crank kept rotating in the direction I was pushing

[@shefce1]

U need a good tools

[@shefce1]

Actually just tried with cheapest allen key works straight away

[@goblin_clips3536]

Bruh its cause his pedals are greased and he provably used wd-40 to make it looser and easier to remove

[@henryangus6934]

A bike mechanic at MEC told me that it would be easy to remove the pedals later if you use a little grease on the axle before you install the pedals. It prevents it from seizing over the years of use. Works like a charm!

[@deathwarmedup73]

grease doesn't always do the trick over long periods / year-round use. anti-seize is prolly best bet

[@Teleken1968]

Thanks for making a potentially confusing thing simple. With your help I was able to successfully install clipless pedals on my new road bike after 30 years of not touching a bike.

[@manwithnoname6580]

For me, it was thanks for making a potentially confusing thing 10 times more bloody confusing.

[@ryanmathieu8764]

Quick tip, to remove pedal regardless of side always push the wrench or allen key toward the rear wheel. and to install regardless of side always push wrench or allen key toward the front wheel. Edit: some people seem confused by “push” in my above comment. What I mean is apply force at the pedal be in Allen key or wrench so the force is always going toward the real wheel to make lose and toward the front to tighten. For example if your wrench is in low position your moving your hands away but the force at the pedal to wrench union is still moving toward rear or front.

[@Esqj]

Perfect explanation!!!!

[@ryanmathieu8764]

Glad it helped, it won't help one bit getting them lose pedals can get rather tight on the crank. I usually set crank vertical place Allen key horizontal and then step on Allen key to get them loose.

[@Esqj]

The pedals are too tight or have been on a long time. I can't loosen them and will have to take my bike to a local bike shop.

[@ryanmathieu8764]

Esqj Yeah if you had a bench Vice with some shop towels you can place crank arm in vice and break them lose this way. but I would take it to a bike shop so you don't damage your bike.

[@ryanmathieu8764]

Esqj Also I forgot to mention some pedals have both allen key from the rear side and two flat spots on the pedal side for a pedal wrench if so you use both to lose a stuck pedal.

[@bigchief939]

This channel has helped me twice today alone, thanks mate.

[@boyd-desmond-69420]

Haha same here!

[@DrCheeks]

Off to the bike shop I go then!😆😆 The first five seconds told me all I need to know😏

[@katsujinkin60]

Thank you so much. I just removed a set of pedals that I had planned to replace for a long time. These practical videos are extremely helpful!

[@bremnet1812]

10 years later.... This video is still relevant! Thanks Dan!

[@thomasawiebe]

Great instructions! I switched pedals between bikes, one with allen fittings, one with wrench fittings. Once I collected the correct tools, it took less than fifteen minutes to do both, with periodic reference to the video. Particularly useful was the specific orientation of the pedals and tools. Thank you!

[@rajeshnarayanan7418]

really helpful! the first 60secs clarified what i was struggling with - the thread direction!! thank you!

[@nwimpney]

The part about the pedals trying to loosen themselves is incorrect. It's a bit counterintuitive, but the way the pedals thread on actually causes them to tighten them as you pedal. It's not because of friction, but something called "mechanical precession" This is very apparent on unicycles, which use the same crank interface but don't have chainrings. it's easy to install the cranks on the wrong sides (or mount the whole wheel backwards). Beginners will frequently do this, and it causes the pedals to loosen and/or fall off. If you install your pedals on your bike too loose, they will actually stay on fine (because of the threading direction), they will just make noises, and cause some excessive thread wear as it frets slightly due to the thread clearance.

[@JAMaxeRestoration]

You are correct nwimpney. This guy is not only wrong about the reason for the thread direction. He hasn't come back and corrected himself. It's like lets do an informational video, upload it, have people who really know what they are talking about point out an error 9a big error) and just forget about it. I'm wondering how they made this mistake, he looks like a bicyle guy, has a bike, nice shop and tools. he even has a repair stand!

[@michaelnielsen3672]

Agreed

[@beeble2003]

@@JAMaxeRestoration The video is about how to change your pedals. If you're changing your pedals, it doesn't matter *why* they're threaded the way they are; you just need to know which way to turn the wrench. Sure, it would be nice if they corrected the error, but the error itself is completely irrelevant to the purpose of the video and in no way reduces its usefulness or credibility.

[@flanderstf]

Can't believe that an incorrect statement that pedals loosen as you pedal hasn't been corrected. Really unprofessional . What is weird us that people thank him ! I guess at least he gets them off and they can mimic that. Better to watch the video where you use your foot on the wrench to loosen it.

[@LegendaryCR]

He doesn't appear to be covered in oil like I am right now.

[@SpiritofPluto]

+TheRoadWar LOL

[@raiden490]

lmao omg stfu XD

[@IFTY_MTB]

TheRoadWar why

[@floydburkett2749]

TheRoadWar. lollolol.

[@Jackbilecki]

Same

[@gcn]

That's a very good tip - once you make the mistake of crunching your hand into your chainrings it's not something that you do again in a hurry! Another tip is if your allen key isn't giving you enough leverage an old set of straight handlebars can help to get the extra leverage you need.

[@chuckievancarthago]

Global Cycling Network - using some pipe on the allen key (or any other key/wrench) as a handle extender can be unsafe: it can slip off under load, sending parts flying around, or it can break the allen key, with the same effect. In the factory where i work, we were explicitly warned about this and to use a heavier-duty key instead (longer & thicker handle)

[@Piccolo49]

I needed to change my pedals on my Rogue Echo Bike and your video helped when I was unable to remove the pedal bolt. I had no idea the alan wrench was on the back of the bolt. That helped alot as I now had leverage. Thank you again!

[@Southbaychief]

Just want to take a quick second to say thank you. I just switched my pedals right now. This video was very helpful. Time for a ride. 🤙

[@mrharlemike28]

Thank you so much! 56 seconds into the video and I found out exactly what I needed to know. Awesome!!!

[@carloss7655]

thanks for this video! Never worked on bikes before but I just swapped my basic pedals for some clip in ones in under 5 mins thanks to this video.

[@amyreiss101]

I love these guys. Somehow they spoon-feed us without being too patronizing

[@jmfogelman]

Something I've found that makes dealing with the chainrings a bit safer is to shift into the big ring before you start dealing with pedals on the DS. The chain will cover the teeth and round out the rings so if you do accidentally bash your hand, you won't do any damage beyond just bashing your hand.

[@arvinpelias]

9 yr old helpful comment

[@jblbassslayer3108]

Should have seen that before slicing my hand open 😂

[@hardman666]

Thanks mate, I spent 2 hours trying to remove the left pedal, your video saved me from breaking the bike

[@peterdobbie1310]

Really helpful. It worked. I’m now NOT a Bike Mechanic. I’m a Bike Magician 😀 From complete bike to bike box ready to fly in 30 minutes. Thanks.

[@TheTruth175644]

Old video but still gold. Saved my hands as I was going in the wrong direction! Thanks dude! However, I don’t have a big enough Allen key to tighten my new pedals on. Off to the store I go!

[@gcn]

It's all about leverage. If you're using allen keys then you could try using a pedal wrench. I have in the past taken the cranks off the frame and used an old set of MTB bars to increase the length of an allen key, then stood on the opposite pedal and the bar. I wouldn't recommend that method though!

[@skeenautube]

This is a super useful video! Thank you! Why 846 people would NOT find this useful is amazing.

[@chancedizzled]

Thank you went from some fortes to some clipons!!!!!! i was doing it all wrong this morning! Started off with a Metric 16 and then watched this video!

[@jackl593]

An easy way to always remember how to untighten the pedals is to sit on the bike normally facing forward and pedal backwards. Yes, that back pedalling is the motion you must apply to the wrench or Allen key to loosen it. On both sides. It's dead simple. You don't need to think about how it's threaded or which side you are doing. 😀

[@thiccboiteddy1146]

Underrated comment.

[@mattsweeney5648]

This doesn’t help, thanks

[@nstearns]

That was super helpful for me

[@bwcvlogs3938]

WoW thanks a lot man

[@rusty-oc2tj]

Smart, very smart

[@anthonystoppani126]

Awesome, thank you! Managed it with a 15mm and steel pie easily but the key was turning in correct direction!!

[@johnseverson5534]

Thanks, very helpful! I had to extend my leverage by fitting a pipe around my 15mm wrench. I pronounced lever and leverage in the British manner throughout in tribute to this smart British mechanic.

[@bobbobbington1132]

At 38 seconds, the statement about pedals being designed to loosen themselves as you pedal is backwards. They are designed so that the torque applied to the pedals while pedaling TIGHTENS them, to ensure they won’t unscrew themselves. It’s a very important safety feature in the design. The confusion over what is happening is natural, as you have two rotating frames of reference to keep track of. I’ve known very smart physics majors who have gotten mixed up on this, so it’s very easy to do.

[@IanTompsett]

I've just been wrestling with this problem because it is incredibly confusing and I think you're right but for the wrong reason. Pedals undo in the same direction they rotate, so it's not a torque force that causes them to self-tighten. If you torque them in the direction they rotate, they loosen. The reason they do in fact self tighten when you pedal is due to mechanical precession, which acts in the opposite direction. Now I just hope in right because I'll have another meltdown if I still don't understand it 😂

[@leomarkaable1]

Chain ring side, normal world. Non chain rings side, non-normal world.

[@pentiuman]

THANK YOU! I KNEW I WAS RIGHT (and video author is WRONG!) He's getting a thumbs down from me for this. I am more forgetful and easily confused due to a brain injury, but it makes my perfectionism stand out - and I see other people's mistakes more easily! When I assume the other person is right, I can't make their process make sense in my brain.

[@csplau]

This is an excellent! It helped me to change the crankbrothers pedals! Thumbs up!!

[@AayanKhan-me3to]

I just got a full suspension MTB from Santa Cruz and they included PLASTIC pedals. This helped me replace the pedals to some flush low key shimano flat pedals thanks

[@ArtIrwin]

This was exactly what I needed, thanks!

[@richardmason6640]

Every time I need to change a pedal I come back to this cause I can never remember the way to turn. ❤❤❤❤ cheers for making life easy

[@davidduganne5939]

If you install and tighten to the proper torque, it makes the removal task easier. I don't trust a bike mechanic who says they don't "need" to use a torque wrench because they can "feel" the right amount.

[@Justputitasv]

Thanks to you ,got my first pedal wrench and changed my pedal in just 5 min

[@gcn]

Boom! that's how we do it 🙌

[@gcostagcosta]

This video always helps me out... thanks

[@chrisjuden8275]

Rather than all this clock and anticlock, wrench this way or that business, it's much simpler to say - and to remember: turn the pedal axles forwards, i.e. the same way as the wheels, to attach, backwards to remove. And to those who've said don't bother tightening pedals hard because they get tighter in use: yes they do, usually, but don't count on it. It is possible for a loose fitting and not tight enough pedal axle to fidget in the crank threads, alternately tightening and loosening a bit, and making a creaking noise as it frets at the threads, making itself an even looser fit. This is the voice of experience here! It took me quite a while to track down that creak. Because the pedal didn't even seem loose, I tried most everything else first. But the creaking only stopped once I put a longer spanner on it and leaned hard!

[@jshepard5840]

Sorry it took me so long to give this video a like. I've been coming to it about once a year or so because I can never remember which way to turn the allen key when I do maintenance on my pedals, or in today's case to install my new Assioma power meter pedals. Cheers!

[@davidhalley9795]

Thank you so much! I’m a newbie and this was quite helpful. All of two minutes!….I didn’t have to remove any pedals.

[@jamescarney6894]

Thank you Global Cycling Network. Yes I was trying to do this exercise but I thought I had better check on KZbin first, and voilà here you are.... silly me probably would have turned everything the wrong way... Ha ha ha, but it looks like I am not the only one, this video has 3,500,772 views... Congratulations, you are providing great education for all the dummies of the world.

[@gcn]

Hope you found it helpful, it's more complicated than it seems

[@christopherbromsky6900]

love the post, explained simply and professionally

[@SouthLondon69]

Just wanted to say thanks for this video. I was looking for the position of the crank arm and tool to stop everything spinning and this showed me all I needed to know.

[@THX-wc2jo]

Perfect video, GCN - cheers!

[@D24V1D]

0:54 the tip of the day, thanks👍🏻

[@MegaMagik95]

best vid i’ve ever watched

[@boogybass]

You guys are great at teaching things every cyclist should know how to do.

[@gcn]

Thanks Ron Mollinga !

[@mikepodolski]

Global Cycling Network 9

[@SmellyT0fu]

When you're using the wrench, just make sure that you're well away from the chainring because if you're pushing a lot of force on the pedals to undo the pedals and the nut cracks loose, you don't want any part of your hand/knuckle to hit the chainring thereby taking a lot of skin off.

[@inicoik]

Just did that. Watching video to confirm I was pushing in the right direction. Chainring got halfway in my thumb

[@dequitjoseph2938]

I almost broke my non-drive side pedal; but gladly I came across to your channel and found out it's threaded counter clockwise. Thanks a lot!

[@pwhitmer8]

This was a great tutorial, and really helped, even though I didn't have the actual biking tool. The simple points to remember helped me change my pedals without a problem.

[@gcn]

Great to hear we can help you out peter :)

[@gcn]

Great to hear we can help you out peter :)

[@enduro2]

Thank you very much for your instructional videos, they are all excellent. This one enabled me to competently change my pedals at home.

[@LaplacianFourier]

Oh man, I’ve done righty tighty left loosy with hammer on both the pedals, unwittingly tightening one of them. RIP crank set! 😭

[@Bleakosity]

Thanks this video helped me change my pedals.

[@pablolopez584]

Thanks Dan, I keep going back to this video to remember it haha

[@andrewsinger113]

Perfect video. Made it easy and safe. Thanks!

[@sanderdekoster7922]

Awesome. Love the explanation. Saved me a bit of frustration for sure!! Thanks

[@mackenziehahn1798]

Thank you I was able to instal with out a problem. Y’all rock.

[@2fernandi]

Very sturdy, and easy to clean.Excellent product

[@calebbennetts3559]

Thanks. That covered exactly what I needed.

[@richhughes2225]

Thank you, this is lear and easy to understand. I have no idea why anyone could possible give a "thumbs down". Sometimes it requires more force to break free. That's a possibility when dealing with threads, especially when you are removing old pedals.

[@cartman392]

Great video didn't know how easy it actually is thanks

[@Enrico-c5v]

Thanks for this video, it seems obvious but every time somehow I do it the wrong way :). Just one point: at the beginning it is said that in order to unscrew the pedals it is necessary to turn the right one anticlockwise and the left one clockwise. That is true only if you are looking at the pedal with the bike behind it. But if they tell me to screw a bolt anticlockwise I usually use the opposite point of view, which is by looking directly at the bolt. With that point of view it is the left (non chain) one that actually unscrew anticlockwise like a standard bolt.

[@unlimitedcowboy]

Just changed my pedals. Thanks a bunch.

[@iwokozminski5415]

Thanks, this was very helpful!

[@Trader0692]

Do you have a video on basic maintenance? I used to just take my bike over to my local shop as it had free labor and I generally have something to buy at the shop, but they've changed hands, and the quality has gone done drastically. If not, maybe something to consider, along with maybe a selection of tools/products to have on hand. Thanks in advance, glad I found this channel, already learned a ton.

[@barriemoorcroft534]

Perfect video. Really helpful. Cheers!!

[@AndyMcChang]

Thx for the tips. I ended up buying a dedicated pedal wrench as my pedals seized up on me. I had to step on them and use my body weight to get the pedal loose.

[@jackronald3591]

Perfect video, Thanks!! just put on some dura-ace pedals...

[@jameslopez958]

Great Video! Thanks for sharing this information 😁✌️❤️

[@indoorandoutdoorendurance3889]

Wow! You basically said (in other words) that the action of pedaling serves to loosen the pedals, because if instead the action of pedaling served to tighten the pedals, we would never be able to get them off. Until I heard you say this, I had been thinking that pedals worked the other way, in other words, that the action of pedaling served to tighten the pedals so that they would not come off. However, not long ago my bicycle pedals on one of my stationary cycles were starting to come off, because I hadn't tightened them enough. I thought I wouldn't have a problem, reasoning that pedaling would be tightening them anyway. Therefore, I put them on without really tightening them very much. The reason I didn't tighten them very much is because I had a problem getting them off, and I needed to get some help from a local bike shop. (They were rusted on really badly.) Anyway, this has been a learning experience, and I really was glad that you explained why the cycling action serves to loosen them. Thank You!

[@stratocaster47]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precession_%28mechanical%29 That is not actually correct.. Pedals are designed to tighten themselves as you cycle through a phenomenon called mechanical precession. Pedals coming off as you cycle would be a hazard

[@coolcallum6107]

Thank you I’m only 56 seconds in and you’ve helped me

[@nmarcano3]

Thanks man! Just waiting on my puller tool to arrive in the mail.

[@tubhawj]

First time changing mine. This video definitely helped!

[@k.i.7127]

Many thanks for excellent instructions; worked like a charm, regardless that I didn't have the special tool with a long arm for a leverage.17mm wrench was not as snag as desired, but did the job.

[@simonwatson9730]

Great video. Really helpful

[@oakley125]

Bro…the amount of force I’ve exerted over the last hour accidentally *tightening* the pedal I was trying to remove… 🤦🏻‍♂️. Thank you for this video!

[@s3nsec0rruptr80]

Thanks for putting the threading at the beginning--ive swapped out at least dozens of pairs of pedals over the years but every time, I have to remember which way to turn the wrench : facepalm:

[@bradtking]

Thank you, very simple

[@johnsorrelw849]

You saved me with this video! Thanks!

[@gcn]

You’re welcome ! :)

[@NallDave]

Very helpful. Just done the job, thank you.

[@workingguy-OU812]

Thanks, Dan!

[@JamesColemanLikesWind]

Good to have the video to explain. So simple yet head wrecking! @0:44 "Drive-side unscrews in conventional manner" is actually still a bit confusing as yes, ON the DRIVE side, the pedal itself screws out anti-clockwise(conventional), so if you have wrench or allen key on outside(pedal side) it is turning anti-clockwise(conventional), BUT if you look from the side of an allen key on inside it is turning clockwise to loosen(un-conventional). So, on drive side pedal/outside is conventional. On non-drive side pedal/outside is UNconventional. It is opposite if you are looking from point of view of the allen key on the inside of crank arm. YEESH. Some of the simple ways of remembering assume the allen key is on inside so don't work if you are using wrench on the pedal/outside. All clear now? No? Yes, sorry about that but I finally figured this out and I hope it saves someone a few hours or shredded threads!

[@KimonFrousios]

My assumption had been that the pedals threaded in exactly the opposite way, tightening themselves under use so the bike doesn't come apart while pedalling. So for the last several years I've assumed my pedals were epically rust-welded to the crank, never to come off again. Turns out, they were a lot less stubborn when turned in the correct direction...

[@frankr.larkin7249]

You are correct. The pedals do tighten themselves as you pedal - otherwise they’d come off. You managed to get it right following his instructions- which are correct - but following them means that you tighten the pedals as you pedal - not what he said. He got the directions right but the logic wrong.

[@IanTompsett]

But the reason they tighten is due to mechanical precession, which happens in the opposite direction. Pedals undo (due to torque) in the same direction they rotate. This is why it's such a confusing problem, because no one bothers to explain the precession bit.

[@tamleny50]

Thanks. You have a great day

[@cornelbacauanu1544]

Great explanation. Thank you.

[@peteringram4190]

Simple. Done and Done. Thank you!

[@christianideryd9558]

Amazing! How easy it was! Best channel on youtube!

[@gcn]

Christian Andersson aww thanks... We're blushing.

[@Krigarar]

Helpful video! I just replaced the regular pedals on my roadbike with clipless ones yesterday. The shop had put some type of adhesive on the thread, and I didn't have a wrench. Sure took some elbow grease...

[@beautyofaviation4852]

Thank you so much,very helpful video.

[@icejunki]

Great content Dan!

[@vishalkhindri]

Informative and helpful:) thank you

[@cbh76]

Wait, if I’m in America should I reverse these directions since we ride on the opposite side of the road?

[@Imthedragonreborn]

I think because of the Coriolis force, folks south of the Equator should reverse the directions too.

[@xyork]

With the USA being the land of the free, you can choose whichever direction you prefer and it will always work.

[@Deezeez23]

😂😂😂😂

[@Khan--nr4lw]

Bruh

[@marcocanosa]

LMFAO

[@TheMischiefmadness]

I dont have long allen key, i dont have pedal changer tool unfortunately. What i did, hope can help the newbies here like myself, for the drive side, step ur foot on the pedal while facing the hanfle bar, usep the no.15 wrench on the nut and pull it towards u. For the non drive side, sit on the frame while facing rear trye and pull the nut again with 15 wrench towards ur body. It aint pretty but gets the job done

[@girlscyclingsquadpakistan3454]

Thank you for the help. It have done it. 👍🏻🥰

[@joeldarkmaster]

These video + WD-40 really helps on changing my road bike pedals thanks!

[@billlaris9410]

nice video guys! every pedal works and fits every bike ?

[@soylentgreenb]

Cheapo 1-piece cranks sometimes use half-inch axels. Almost everything else in existance uses 9/16 (yes, even in metric countries).

[@Balgalw]

Really helpful instructions, i finally replace my old pedals, thanks!

[@GardenK11]

My pedals are solid. Snapped the allen key pushing in the right direction.

[@zambokid89]

Great video for those people like me that aren't the greatest when it come to those things :D