How To Remove Bicycle Pedals (Steps)

Like any other parts of a bike, pedals will need a partial or complete repair or even an overhaul from time to time. This is easy to understand because they are the most active parts of a bike. They bear a little too much weight, and they also get engaged for long periods. So, the question of removing bicycle pedals is very appropriate and will be responded to effectively in this read.

Removing Stuck Bike Pedals

Generally speaking, it is easy to replace bike pedals. While that is the case, some issues may make both or one of the pedals to get stuck. A bike might be a little too old, causing it to become rusty and, thus, difficult to remove. In some cases, the pedals may have been fitted on a little too tightly. Whichever the case is, you only take a couple of steps in removing stuck bike pedals, and here they are:

1^st Step: Get Some Penetrating Oil

• In this step, you should pick an oil made for the specific job of loosening the bike parts.
• Get the oil sprayed in the section that is connected to the crank arm.
• Then, wait for about 10 minutes for it to sit in the area.
• The time detail varies from oil to oil since others work faster than others. Your focus should be on the guidelines provided by the manufacturer.

2^nd Step: Choose the Turning Direction

• You need to determine and know the direction that the pedals should turn.
• The right pedal, or the drive-side pedal, usually has a regular thread. To loosen it, turn it in a counter-clockwise direction.
• The left pedal, which is on the non-drive side, should be turned clockwise if you are loosening it.

3^rd Step: The 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock Positions

• Now, ensure that the pedal on the right is aligned in the 3 o’clock position.
• Then, get the left pedal (or the non-drive one) in the 9 o’clock position.
• Once that is done, take a 15-millimeter open-end wrench or a 15-millimeter pedal wrench and place it on the pedal.
• Then, press down on the wrench you are using. As guided by the specific thread, turn the wrench.

4^th Step: Involving the Rubber Hammer

• Get a rubber hammer and use it to tap the wrench’s bottom. You should go for this option if you lack a pedal wrench (and are using an open-end wrench). The caveat to this option is that you will not have as much leverage as you would if you had a pedal wrench.
• Get the wrench secured and use the rubber hammer to tap it. This will make up for the leverage caveat. You will now be able to loosen the pedal.

How to Take Off Bike Pedals Without a Pedal Wrench

For a good number of times, you may not have the wrench with you. An emergency can come up in a place far away from your toolbox. It is good that you prepare for these kinds of times. This segment will look at how you can do the pedal removal when a wrench is not within reach.

1^st Step: Get the Bike Positioned Accordingly

• The exercise should commence by getting the bike in a position for the business. To do this, get the cycle to face its drive side or the side with the right pedal. If it is still difficult to figure out the position, turn the bike to the side with the chain and the chainset.
• Then, ensure that the crank arm is turned to the 3-o’clock position.

2^nd Step: Ensure that the Spanner is Inserted Where It Should Belong

• Now, get the spanner and place it (on the surface) between the pedal’s body and the crank arm. From that position, you can now start the removal exercise.
• Ensure that the spanner does not tamper with any of the other bike’s part since, naturally speaking, that is bound to happen.

3^rd Step: Rotating the Spanner in a Counter Clockwise Direction

• At this step, you should start the spanner rotation, doing it in the anticlockwise movement style.
• Before you make that move, you need to ensure that you hold down the brakes with both of your hands.
• Then, get your feet pushing down and onto the item (the spanner). While you do that, ensure that that the pressing is done firmly. This will help to prevent you from getting any serious injuries. Also, it will prevent the parts of the bike from falling apart.
• You are likely to experience a balance at this stage, so be careful that it does not happen. Also, keep an eye on the pedals since they can break loose suddenly. Since this stage is a make-or-break one, ensure you don’t suffer the adverse repercussions.

4^th Step: Get the Pedal Freed

• Since you have already loosened the pedal, you need to do an anticlockwise rotation on the spanner. This move is meant to let the pedal free from the bike.
• As you make a move, ensure that you apply only a moderate pressure amount. This will prevent you from dealing with extensive damage to the bike’s structure.

5^th Step: Get the Bicycle Turned Around

• At this point, it is assumed and presumed that you have completed and successfully freed the pedal. Also, you should have been unleashing the pedal on the drive side.
• This step is simple – you just need to turn the bicycle and make the drive side face the floor. It would help if you took this position since it will give you a chance to work on the other pedals, even changing them.

6^th Step: Start Rotating the Crank Arm (9 o’clock Position)

• This step is relatively easy, and the message in the title is straightforward. While doing it, ensure that the pedals are aligned in a horizontal way to the floor.
• This will put the crank arm in an excellent position where you will be able to impact it conveniently.  

7^th Step: Get the Spanner Positioned Accordingly

• As you position the spanner, ensure that it is aligned with the crank arms.
• Process and push your foot down to meet the spanner. This is meant to rotate the non-drive side pedal clockwise and eventually loosening the pedal. You’re now done!

How to Remove Bike Pedal Crank

1^st Step: Remove the Cap from the Crank’s Center (if it has one)

• You will find some cranks having plastic or metal caps that fit over the crank’s bolt. If you find that your crank has any one of those caps, get a screwdriver first.
• Then, fit the screwdriver under the cap’s edge to pop it out of the fitting it comes with. This move should open you up to the crank bolt. You will see it looking like a hexagon and sitting at the crank’s center.

2^nd Step: Get an Allen Key and Loosen the Pinch Bolts (if the bike’s crank has them)

• While some cranks won’t, others will have two small bolts or punch bolts fixed near the crank arm’s top. If they are in your crank, get a 5mm Allen key and insert it into the holes (at the top of the arm). Then, start a counter-clockwise rotation of the key.
• When the pinch bolts get loosened, you will get a chance to separate the crank from the other parts of the crankset.
• Shimano cranks are the ones that have the 2-bolt design. This type of crank will need you to remove the pre-loaded, plastic screw that is on the non-drive (or the left) side of the bike.
• If you don’t have any pinch bolts on your crank, skip this step.

3^rd Step: Allen key insertion into the Crank Bolt

• Get the Allen key’s handle and turn it counter-clockwise. This will help you to loosen the crank’s bolt. When the item is loose, unscrew it completely.
• Go to the bike’s other side and remove the other bolt if your crank has bolts on the bike’s two sides.
• You may need to have a 4mm to 8mm Allen key as most cranks require that. Take a keen look at the user manual that came with the bike and find out the specific size needed by your bike.
• If you can’t find an Allen key, you can look for it in hardware stores or bike shops as hex keys or Allen wrenches.

4^th Step: Sliding the Crank off the Spindle

• This step depends on whether the bike has self-extracting cranks or not. The first step you need to make is pulling the crank away from the bike. This will remove it from the parts forming the rest of the crank.
• Follow that up by sliding the crank’s other side and push it out of the bottom bracket. Then, get the rest of the crank pulled away from the bike.
• If you have any rubber washers involved (around the spindles), ensure that you slide them off before getting the new cranks installed.

5^th Step: Get the Cranks Loosened with a Crank Extractor

• Whether at a bike store or an online store, you can get a crank extractor tool. Once you do, insert it into the hole in the crank-bolt.
• Then, make clockwise turns to screw it until you achieve particular tightness. Then, get the extractor’s handle turned in a counter-clockwise way until the popping off of the crank happens.
• Proceed to the other side of the bike and get the crank’s other side removed in the same way.