Bicycle Mechanics - Broken Pedals

I ride an old Schwinn Continental though I put a lot of my old Varsity parts on it. I keep snapping the pedals off, this is the third time, and as I have been climbing a hill and out of the saddle, I crash. They break off right through the bolt where the pedal meets the crank. The pedals I use are the original rat traps that came with the bikes. I am a heavier rider.

My question is, are there pedals out there that will not do this that will fit my bike?

Yes there are. Just pay more than $8 for them and don't try to bypass that by picking up strays from the bike store junk box that originally came on department store junk bikes.

You'll need to measure the pedal thread diameter. There's 1/2 inch and 9/16 sizes. The 1/2's are typical for BMX bikes but some cheaper bikes came with that size as well. So check to be sure before you go shopping.

At the bike store, NOT at the Walmart bike section, ask for some pedals that are good for trail riding and light jumping and tell them the spindle thread size that you measured. A set that will be very durable but not all that pretty will run you around $15 to $25.

Thank you for the reply.

I was a major pedal breaker for a number of years and it stopped when I changed to Campagnolo pedals 35 years ago, after which I never broke one again. You don't have to go to the top of the line. Any pair of quality pedals should serve you well. Look for a pair that says it has Chrome-moly or CrMo axles (spindles) as this is a much stronger steel than some of the other common alloys.

There's another cause of broken pedals that you may need to keep in mind. When pedaling through turns the inside pedal can touch the ground. If it's happened to you you know it's no fun and can cause you to lose control of the bike, but it can also bend or stress the pedal spindle leading to failure down the road. Look at your pedals and check if they have the telltale scrapes on the outside corners.

Avoid the problem by coasting through hard turns with the outside pedal down, and if you do ever bend a pedal - causes a rocking feeling in your foot or ankle - replace it immediately before it breaks under load.

Thanks for the replies had to go with steel axles as the LBS didn't have cro-mo at 1/2 in. I'll be looking for those online to replace these ones later.

Thanks for the replies had to go with steel axles as the LBS didn't have cro-mo at 1/2 in. I'll be looking for those online to replace these ones later.

As you found, your Continental takes 1/2" thread pedals. These are not common, since 9/16" thread is the de facto standard for "quality" pedals.

BMX pedals are generally beefier and often come in 1/2" thread. I looked around Dan's Comp and found these: http://www.danscomp.com/465108.php

There are tons of good 1/2 inch bmx pedals and Wellgo offers a nice road pedal in 1/2 which is a Campy Record clone.

Thanks for the replies had to go with steel axles as the LBS didn't have cro-mo at 1/2 in. I'll be looking for those online to replace these ones later.

Chrome moly is a special type alloy of steel. But it's not the only good steel that can be used for pedal axles even if it is one of the better ones. Assuming you followed my advice and requested something that is at least light duty jump durable then likely your new pedals will be equipped with a different but still good quality tough and durable steel axle that should last you for many years.

Indeed they should be durable, my LBS specializes in cyclocross and I explained my issue, so not terribly worried but want to get a stronger set in the near future anyway so I have them.

BMX pedals +1

If you want, in the future, there are BB adapters to put a different type BB in the OPC type frame .
2 reducer sleeves threaded, held together with 4 small bolts in the outer edge...
they are a BMX part too.
then a 3 piece cranks and BB assembly can replace the one piece forged steel crank.
Opening up a large selection of possibilities ..