Removing pedals?

[Pale Rider]

Precession baby, yeah!

Or put simply, the thread will tend to move in the direction the fixing is moving.

The left hand, near side, non drive side crank moves anti-clockwise when pedalling the bike, so the thread will turn that way.

Normally, that would undo it, so it's left handed which means it will tend to tighten.

No problems with a normal thread on the other pedal because that moves clockwise in use.

The wheel nuts on many commercial vehicles are handed the same way.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Or put simply, the thread will tend to move in the direction the fixing is moving.

The left hand, near side, non drive side crank moves anti-clockwise when pedalling the bike, so the thread will turn that way.

Normally, that would undo it, so it's left handed which means it will tend to tighten.

No problems with a normal thread on the other pedal because that moves clockwise in use.

The wheel nuts on many commercial vehicles are handed the same way.

I'll just stick to remembering that it's the left hand one that's a bit odd.
I'll leave the question of why to Wilbur and Orville.

 

[Jimmy Doug]

Aren't they self-tightening with use?

I don't think it's a case of pedals being made to self-tighten; it's more the case that they're made not to come undone while you're riding! If they're greased, they shouldn't tighten beyond the point you need to use force. The trouble is that if the crank is aluminium and the thread steel, they can literally cold weld together!

 

[e-rider]

the left side pedal has a reverse thread, the right side pedal has a normal thread
pedals are typically tightened to 40-50Nm - if the threads are greased and they are torqued correctly they should never be difficult to remove even after 10 years

 

[simongt]

To show that even the experts get it wrong; back in 1925 a French cycle maker called Hirondelle came up with the Retro-Direct. This was a single speed fixie with a gear / chain arrangement where to pedal in a high gear, one pedalled forwards in the usual fashion. To pedal in low gear, one simply pedalled backwards. However, Hirondelle had overlooked the very simple basic point that if you pedal backwards for long enough, the pedals will unscrew and fall off - !

 

[Tim Hall]

To show that even the experts get it wrong; back in 1925 a French cycle maker called Hirondelle came up with the Retro-Direct. This was a single speed fixie with a gear / chain arrangement where to pedal in a high gear, one pedalled forwards in the usual fashion. To pedal in low gear, one simply pedalled backwards. However, Hirondelle had overlooked the very simple basic point that if you pedal backwards for long enough, the pedals will unscrew and fall off - !

Barmy cycling bloke Drew Buck rode Paris-Brest-Paris on one of them in 2007. Linky.

 

[Profpointy]

To show that even the experts get it wrong; back in 1925 a French cycle maker called Hirondelle came up with the Retro-Direct. This was a single speed fixie with a gear / chain arrangement where to pedal in a high gear, one pedalled forwards in the usual fashion. To pedal in low gear, one simply pedalled backwards. However, Hirondelle had overlooked the very simple basic point that if you pedal backwards for long enough, the pedals will unscrew and fall off - !

could easily have been fixed with some split pins or somesuch. Still sounds barmy, but hey

 

[DaveReading]

However, Hirondelle had overlooked the very simple basic point that if you pedal backwards for long enough, the pedals will unscrew and fall off - !

Though if you adopt that technique in preference to using a pedal spanner, your legs will probably fall off before the pedals do.

 

[roger06]

Finally got it sorted, free of charge, by a nice chap at Halfords...

 

[simongt]

Halfords - free of charge - nice chap - RESULT - !

 

[roger06]

Halfords - free of charge - nice chap - RESULT - !

Yeah that's what I thought. Especially as he had to take the bike 'out back' and returned with bleeding knuckles!

 

[e-rider]

Barmy cycling bloke Drew Buck rode Paris-Brest-Paris on one of them in 2007. Linky.

funny how you describe Drew Buck as 'barmy'. I know Drew and he is quite normal, until it comes to long distance rides when something malfunctions in his brain!

 

[hennbell]

If the crank is metal.
Take the crank arm off and apply and carefully heat. You could use a brazing torch or an oven. Remove the pedal while everything is still hot. Next time make sure to grease the spindle crank arm interface

 

[roger06]

New pedals are duly greased! I'm amazed at the difference. I've only gone to a cheap pair I had on an old bike but they are so grippy compared to the 'city' pedals Evans put on.

 

[alecstilleyedye]

my lbs has a huge pedal spanner; probably why shop-bought bikes can have such tight pedals.

i never overtighten, so easy to swop pedals around when needed..