How to Remove Bike Pedals Without Breaking Your Bike (Or Your Spirit)

Bicycle maintenance often feels like a secret society where everyone else somehow knows the handshake except you. Among the various rituals of bike care, pedal removal stands as one of those deceptively simple tasks that can quickly spiral into an afternoon of cursing at inanimate objects. Yet once you understand the peculiar logic behind pedal threads and leverage, what seemed like mechanical sorcery becomes surprisingly straightforward.

The Backwards World of Pedal Threading

Before diving into the actual removal process, let's address the elephant in the garage: pedal threads are weird. Really weird. The right pedal (drive side) threads normally—righty-tighty, lefty-loosey. But the left pedal? It's backwards. Lefty-tighty, righty-loosey. This isn't some cruel joke by bicycle engineers; it's actually brilliant physics at work.

When you pedal forward, the rotational forces would naturally loosen standard threads on the left side. By reversing the threads, the pedaling motion actually tightens the left pedal instead of loosening it. It's called precession, and it's the same principle that keeps helicopter blades from unscrewing themselves mid-flight. Pretty neat when you think about it, though less neat when you're cranking the wrong direction and wondering why nothing's budging.

Essential Tools and the Art of Leverage

You'll need a pedal wrench—a long, thin 15mm wrench specifically designed for this job. Sure, you could use a regular 15mm wrench, but pedal wrenches exist for good reasons. They're thinner to fit in tight spaces, and they're longer to give you more leverage. Physics is your friend here.

Some pedals also have a hex socket on the back of the spindle, usually 6mm or 8mm. If yours do, an Allen key might be all you need. I've found this method often works better, especially on stubborn pedals, because you can get a cleaner angle of attack.

A bit of penetrating oil can work wonders on pedals that haven't been removed in years. WD-40 works in a pinch, but proper penetrating oil like PB Blaster or Liquid Wrench is better. Spray it where the pedal spindle meets the crank arm and let it sit for at least 15 minutes. Go make a cup of coffee. Patience pays dividends in bike maintenance.

The Removal Process: Where Theory Meets Reality

Position your bike so it won't move around. A repair stand is ideal, but flipping the bike upside down works too—just protect your saddle and handlebars with some old towels. Some folks lean the bike against a wall, which is fine as long as it's stable.

For the right pedal, position the crank arm pointing forward (3 o'clock position). Place your wrench on the pedal flats so it angles back toward the rear wheel. Push down hard. The pedal should start to turn counterclockwise. Once it breaks free, that initial resistance disappears and it spins out easily.

The left pedal is where people get tripped up. Same crank position—forward at 3 o'clock. Same wrench position—angling back. But this time, you're turning clockwise to loosen. It feels wrong because it is wrong by normal standards, but it's right for bike pedals. Embrace the contradiction.

Here's a trick I learned from an old mechanic in Portland: if you're struggling with leverage, slip a piece of pipe over your wrench handle to extend it. Just don't go crazy—you can damage the crank threads with too much force. Sometimes a sharp, decisive push works better than gradually increasing pressure.

When Pedals Fight Back

Seized pedals are the bane of home mechanics everywhere. If penetrating oil and reasonable force don't work, try heat. A heat gun or even a hair dryer can expand the metal slightly, breaking the corrosion bond. Focus the heat on the crank arm, not the pedal—you want the crank to expand away from the pedal spindle.

I once spent two hours trying to remove a pedal from a bike that had been stored in a beach garage for a decade. Salt air had essentially welded the pedal to the crank. What finally worked was alternating between heat and penetrating oil, combined with tapping the wrench with a rubber mallet. The percussion helps break up corrosion in ways that steady pressure can't.

If you strip the flats on the pedal (it happens to the best of us), you might need to get creative. Vice grips can work as a last resort, though they'll likely destroy the pedal. At that point, you're committed to replacement anyway.

The Reinstallation Dance

Getting pedals back on is theoretically the reverse of removal, but there are nuances. First, grease the threads. This prevents future seizing and makes the next removal much easier. Any bike grease works—you don't need anything fancy.

Start threading by hand to avoid cross-threading. The pedal should spin in easily for several turns before you need tools. If you feel resistance right away, back it out and try again. Cross-threaded pedals are expensive mistakes.

Remember: right pedal goes in clockwise, left pedal counterclockwise. Tighten firmly but don't overdo it. Pedals self-tighten through precession during normal riding, so gorilla strength isn't necessary. About 35 Newton-meters if you have a torque wrench, or "pretty tight" if you're going by feel.

Regional Wisdom and Shop Tales

In the Pacific Northwest, where I cut my teeth on bike maintenance, the constant rain creates its own challenges. Pedals there seem to develop a special kind of corrosion that laughs at penetrating oil. Local mechanics swear by a mixture of ATF and acetone as a homemade penetrating oil that outperforms commercial products.

Down in Arizona, the problem is different—dust and grit create a grinding paste that locks pedals tight. Mechanics there often use compressed air to blow out the threads before attempting removal.

I've noticed European bikes, particularly older ones, sometimes have different threading standards. French and Italian bikes from the 70s and 80s might have reverse threading on both pedals or use non-standard sizes. Always worth checking if you're working on vintage steel.

The Philosophical Side of Pedal Removal

There's something meditative about working on your own bike. In our increasingly digital world, the tactile feedback of metal on metal, the satisfaction of breaking free a stuck part, connects us to a simpler mechanical age. Each seized pedal is a puzzle, each successful removal a small victory.

I've taught dozens of people to remove pedals over the years, and the moment of understanding—when they grasp why the left pedal is reverse threaded—is always gratifying. It's not just about the mechanical knowledge; it's about demystifying technology, making it accessible.

Some bike shops will remove pedals for free if you're buying new ones from them. There's no shame in asking for help, especially if you don't have the right tools. But learning to do it yourself opens up possibilities. Suddenly, traveling with your bike becomes easier when you can remove the pedals to pack it. Upgrading to clipless pedals isn't intimidating when you know the basics.

Final Thoughts on the Humble Pedal

Pedals are perhaps the most intimate point of contact between rider and machine. We push against them thousands of times each ride, yet rarely think about them until something goes wrong. Learning to remove and install them properly is a rite of passage for any cyclist who wants to understand their machine.

Next time you're spinning down a quiet road, take a moment to appreciate the engineering marvel beneath your feet. Those backwards threads on the left side? They're keeping you rolling forward, one revolution at a time.

Authoritative Sources:

Barnett, John. Barnett's Manual: Analysis and Procedures for Bicycle Mechanics. 6th ed., VeloPress, 2013.

Jones, C. Calvin. Big Blue Book of Bicycle Repair. 4th ed., Park Tool Company, 2019.

Sidwells, Chris. Bike Repair Manual. 5th ed., DK Publishing, 2021.

Zinn, Lennard. Zinn & the Art of Road Bike Maintenance. 6th ed., VeloPress, 2022.