Classic & Vintage - French Bike: Change PEDAL thread vs tapping crank?

Has anyone tried adapting modern pedals for a French bike by taking the pedal thread down with a threading die (or having a shop do it)? That way, you don't change the old parts permanently, unlike tapping the crank.

Of course, it's tougher and you'd probabaly need to chuck the parts in something large like a lathe or a drill press.

No, but tapping the crank is pretty easy, and why keep it French anyway?

I don't know of anyone who has tried it. This is not a simple matter for several reasons: you need to find the appropriate dies, with reverse threads as well, the pedal spindle is likely hardened and difficult to cut, and you will need to disassemble the pedal to work on the spindle alone. Contrast all of that with tapping an alloy crank and it's why I don't think you ever see anyone do this.

Karl

Al, you could just go this way...

http://yhst-84224226242177.stores.yahoo.net/ofrthpe.html

No shop would do this. it's crazy. You'd have to find the right dies and then.. yeah hardened steel, no thanks. Tap the cranks (a shop will do this).

Al, you could just go this way...

http://yhst-84224226242177.stores.yahoo.net/ofrthpe.html

I have a pair of those in the full cage road version. Very nice pedals! The end caps are chromed plastic, though, my one gripe. No, MKS caps don't fit. ;)

Cheers,
Karl

Yup -- either keep it all French or retap the (aluminum) cranks to ISO.

If you have set of compatible spindles in metric thread, just replace the English spindles with the metric ones. I've done this to make a set of NOS erstwhile-metric thread Zeus pedals work in an English thread crank.