Originally Posted by
jim p
I have never done this but I have read that if you don't want to reuse the crank, then you can take the bolt out or loosen it and then ride the bike a block or two and the crank will come loose. If this works the crank hole may be deformed which makes it unusable.
This works in many cases, but
DO NOT REMOVE THE BOLT so the crank doesn't come off entirely. Simply back it off about 1/16" or so so the crank can pop loose, but not come off. It can take serious pedal load to make this work, so do standing sprints, or look for a steep hill to chug up in a big gear. You'll hear/feel the crank come free, then can gingerly ride it home, and odds are it'll still be fine.