Do any of you remove your pedals after each ride?
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Do any of you remove your pedals after each ride?
Lately I've noticed that a lot of people out at the MUP where I ride are removing their pedals before mounting their bike on their car for the drive home. This has sort of left me curious, because whenever I remove my pedals, it seems to be a bit of a struggle. I always seem to get grease on me, and the pedals never want to come off as easily as I'd like them to. In short, it seems to be more of a hassle than it's worth.
So here are my questions - if there are any of you who do infact remove your pedals after each ride, how much grease are you using, how often are you applying grease, and how tight are you putting your pedals on? Are you putting new grease on before each ride? Are you installing your pedals a little on the loose side so that when your ride is finished you don't have to really crank on them to get them to come off?
As a side note - after the conclusion of Stage 7 of the Tour de Georgia on Sunday, my girlfriend and I were in the team area, observing the High Road mechanics clean the team's bikes. While we watched, I noticed that the mechanics were removing the pedals with only a palm sized allen key, and didn't seem to be applying much force at all. Indeed, it seemed as though the pedals must have been fairly loose to come off so easily. And from my point of view (which was about 5 feet away from the bikes), the pedal threads didn't seem to be exactly covered in grease - what's the deal?
So here are my questions - if there are any of you who do infact remove your pedals after each ride, how much grease are you using, how often are you applying grease, and how tight are you putting your pedals on? Are you putting new grease on before each ride? Are you installing your pedals a little on the loose side so that when your ride is finished you don't have to really crank on them to get them to come off?
As a side note - after the conclusion of Stage 7 of the Tour de Georgia on Sunday, my girlfriend and I were in the team area, observing the High Road mechanics clean the team's bikes. While we watched, I noticed that the mechanics were removing the pedals with only a palm sized allen key, and didn't seem to be applying much force at all. Indeed, it seemed as though the pedals must have been fairly loose to come off so easily. And from my point of view (which was about 5 feet away from the bikes), the pedal threads didn't seem to be exactly covered in grease - what's the deal?
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the pedals stick out a lot, removing them for transportation really lessens the width of the bike.
Some people really tighten down the pedals when it's not necessary.
Some people really tighten down the pedals when it's not necessary.
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It's not hard to put them on or take them off. People make it seem harder than it is and, as AEO implied, a lot of folks waaay overtighten their pedals. You won't strip any threads as long as you remember which side is reverse threaded and have the right wrench for the job.
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The thread direction on pedals makes them self tightening (unless you are peadling backwards) which is good because otherwise they would be self loosening.
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Yeah I agree - I don't see the point of it, but they're definately doing it (they = roadies at MUP). I guess they just think it's cool or something
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They also have professional mechanics who completely tear down the bikes, including gluing new tubulars every stage. Doesn't mean it makes much sense for the rest of us to do that after every ride on the MUP.
They're also getting new bikes with new components at least every year.
They're also getting new bikes with new components at least every year.
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i just snug my pedals on, they arent going anywhere... no need to really torque them down hard...
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Maybe "they" have more bikes than pedals..?
I do pedal-swapping fairly frequently. If I'm going on a ride with a non-biker, I'll swap out the clipless pedals for clips 'n straps. Or I might swap Look for SPD because my winter/rain shoes are SPD.
Anyway:
1. I don't grease the pedal each time, but the threads are usually pretty greasy.
2. I probably get the pedals too tight. I don't want creaks, though.
3. I use a Nashbar pedal wrench. Doing without a pedal wrench is kind of like doing without a chain whip. You can get the job done without it, but it's really worth it to have the right tool.
4. I wouldn't remove the pedals just to stick the bike on a rack. But pedals CAN scratch up other bikes or even the car.
5. My fave MUP is within riding distance.
I do pedal-swapping fairly frequently. If I'm going on a ride with a non-biker, I'll swap out the clipless pedals for clips 'n straps. Or I might swap Look for SPD because my winter/rain shoes are SPD.
Anyway:
1. I don't grease the pedal each time, but the threads are usually pretty greasy.
2. I probably get the pedals too tight. I don't want creaks, though.
3. I use a Nashbar pedal wrench. Doing without a pedal wrench is kind of like doing without a chain whip. You can get the job done without it, but it's really worth it to have the right tool.
4. I wouldn't remove the pedals just to stick the bike on a rack. But pedals CAN scratch up other bikes or even the car.
5. My fave MUP is within riding distance.
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This is totally the key. Pedals are self tightening. You put them on so that they won't move in the crank. An easy hand tightening with little force should do the trick. As long as the grease is not dried up, they should be easy to get off and on. Usually, I remove and grease the spindle at the beginning and the end of each season. They are easy to remove with an allen key.
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I just install my pedals finger tight since the are self tightening.
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Er, no.
Frankly I'm surprised the MUP crowd can figure out the reverse threading. Perhaps it's reasonable with four bikes jammed on to a trunk rack.
Frankly I'm surprised the MUP crowd can figure out the reverse threading. Perhaps it's reasonable with four bikes jammed on to a trunk rack.
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I've been at charity/for fun rides where some folks madly search for pedals to borrow - a caveat about frequent removal.
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They also have professional mechanics who completely tear down the bikes, including gluing new tubulars every stage. Doesn't mean it makes much sense for the rest of us to do that after every ride on the MUP.
They're also getting new bikes with new components at least every year.
They're also getting new bikes with new components at least every year.
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If you live in Atlanta (where the traffic is absurd) it's basically your best option if you want to spend any significant time in the saddle. So, believe me, the majority of the crowd "can figure out the reverse threading."
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Maybe they need a better car rack system?
Even with bikes close together, it's generally not that hard to figure out a way to get them to fit next to each other without having a pedal jam into another bike. If the bikes are that close together, I'd be even more worried about skewers against forks, or do they take the wheels off too?
Even with bikes close together, it's generally not that hard to figure out a way to get them to fit next to each other without having a pedal jam into another bike. If the bikes are that close together, I'd be even more worried about skewers against forks, or do they take the wheels off too?
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Lately I've noticed that a lot of people out at the MUP where I ride are removing their pedals before mounting their bike on their car for the drive home. This has sort of left me curious, because whenever I remove my pedals, it seems to be a bit of a struggle. I always seem to get grease on me, and the pedals never want to come off as easily as I'd like them to. In short, it seems to be more of a hassle than it's worth.
So here are my questions - if there are any of you who do infact remove your pedals after each ride, how much grease are you using, how often are you applying grease, and how tight are you putting your pedals on? Are you putting new grease on before each ride? Are you installing your pedals a little on the loose side so that when your ride is finished you don't have to really crank on them to get them to come off?
As a side note - after the conclusion of Stage 7 of the Tour de Georgia on Sunday, my girlfriend and I were in the team area, observing the High Road mechanics clean the team's bikes. While we watched, I noticed that the mechanics were removing the pedals with only a palm sized allen key, and didn't seem to be applying much force at all. Indeed, it seemed as though the pedals must have been fairly loose to come off so easily. And from my point of view (which was about 5 feet away from the bikes), the pedal threads didn't seem to be exactly covered in grease - what's the deal?
So here are my questions - if there are any of you who do infact remove your pedals after each ride, how much grease are you using, how often are you applying grease, and how tight are you putting your pedals on? Are you putting new grease on before each ride? Are you installing your pedals a little on the loose side so that when your ride is finished you don't have to really crank on them to get them to come off?
As a side note - after the conclusion of Stage 7 of the Tour de Georgia on Sunday, my girlfriend and I were in the team area, observing the High Road mechanics clean the team's bikes. While we watched, I noticed that the mechanics were removing the pedals with only a palm sized allen key, and didn't seem to be applying much force at all. Indeed, it seemed as though the pedals must have been fairly loose to come off so easily. And from my point of view (which was about 5 feet away from the bikes), the pedal threads didn't seem to be exactly covered in grease - what's the deal?
they will know to attach two bikes on the rack with the chains facing away from each other
so they wont be damaged.
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Maybe they need a better car rack system?
Even with bikes close together, it's generally not that hard to figure out a way to get them to fit next to each other without having a pedal jam into another bike. If the bikes are that close together, I'd be even more worried about skewers against forks, or do they take the wheels off too?
Even with bikes close together, it's generally not that hard to figure out a way to get them to fit next to each other without having a pedal jam into another bike. If the bikes are that close together, I'd be even more worried about skewers against forks, or do they take the wheels off too?
To clarify - it's not like every single roadie I see out there is taking their wheels and pedals off after they finish their ride. I'm just suprised to see it at all, and without fail, every time I go out there I see someone putting their bike on the roof rack, minus wheels and pedals.
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Wheels come off too. I'd be (even more) confused if they took the pedals off and left the wheels on.
To clarify - it's not like every single roadie I see out there is taking their wheels and pedals off after they finish their ride. I'm just suprised to see it at all, and without fail, every time I go out there I see someone putting their bike on the roof rack, minus wheels and pedals.
To clarify - it's not like every single roadie I see out there is taking their wheels and pedals off after they finish their ride. I'm just suprised to see it at all, and without fail, every time I go out there I see someone putting their bike on the roof rack, minus wheels and pedals.