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I own this set of HT pedals. They were attached by a mechanic at a bike shop. I'd like to avoid a return trip and remove them myself.

Most articles I've found about removing bike pedals mention a tool called a pedal wrench or pedal spanner. However it's not clear if that's what I need in my case: it's not immediately obvious to me that my pedals have the requisite surface for that tool to grip. Most of the how-to articles mention, as a secondary option, that some pedals are removed via a hex wrench. I'm currently inclined to think this is the correct solution in my case: I can see a spot on the opposite side of the crank arms from the pedals that looks like it'd fit a hex wrench. But I can't confirm this and HT's website is completely unhelpful.

Which tool do I buy? And If I do in fact need a hex key, which size should it be?

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Depends on the pedal exactly how to remove, but there are two main methods.

You need to look closely at your pedals and see what they have. I've searched but its not visible on any website/review.

  1. Wrench flats on the side of the axle allow a spanner. These are often 15mm apart, so a 15mm open-ended spanner may work, but a proper pedal spanner (wrench) is thicker than a cone-spanner but thinner than an adjustable spanner/crescent. They're often longer than a normal hand tool, for added leverage. See photo:

enter image description here

  1. Hex driver in the end of the shaft - this is common on clipless pedals. The size is often 8mm or 10mm, with bigger providing more torque and also more weight saving. A pedal thread is 9/16" or 14.3mm, so a 12mm socket is very unlikely, that doesn't leave a lot of metal. You might find weird sizes like 9mm or 11mm, so make sure the tool has a good tight fit before applying leverage.

https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/pedal-installation-and-removal

Some pedals have both wrench flats and a hex socket, doesn't matter which you use.

If you don't own hex drivers, then buy a decent set of P-handle ones with 2/2.5/3/4/5/6/8/10mm. Avoid buying one tool at a time, that's the most expensive way to acquire tools. Personally I've never been able to remove a pedal with a multitool - there's simply not enough leverage.

The single most important thing to know when replacing pedals is the THREAD is left-handed on your LEFT hand side of the bike. So the common "righty-tighty lefty-loosy" is opposite when you remove the pedal from the non-chain-side of the bike.

And the followon is that if you use a hex driver on the inside of the crank, its also reversed. So slow down and think before you add a lot of torque, lest the problem get worse by stripping a thread.

Reassembly/refitting a pedal:

  • Use grease or assembly lube on the threads.
  • Make absolutely sure you're putting the right pedal on the right crank, and the left pedal on the left crank
  • Make completely and utterly sure you're not cross-threading. Easy to do, and will ruin the crank arm.

Further reading: https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/pedal-installation-and-removal

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  • 3
    You got the thread directions wrong! The thread of the right pedal is right-handed. See the caption of the picture of the threads in your linked park tool article.
    – Erlkoenig
    Mar 13, 2021 at 8:03
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    Few comments: 1. Pedal wrenches are usually thinner than normal open-end wrenches because having full-size wrench flats would eat up too much spindle real estate. 2. 6 and 8mm hexes are more common. I’ve never seen 10mm before on pedals, and the wall thickness would be extremely low. 3. What Erlkoenig pointed out.
    – MaplePanda
    Mar 13, 2021 at 9:21
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    The thread is right on the right and left on the left, but when using a hex key you have to turn it the wrong way for that because you're turning what would normally be the far end of the screw. All the pedals I've ever fitted have allowed me to start them a few turns by hand, before using a tool. This makes it easier to avoid cross threading
    – Chris H
    Mar 13, 2021 at 10:38
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    @ChrisH Exactly; to put it differently, if the handle of the hex wrench inserted into the pedal bolt is pointing up, you have to pull it to the back of the bike to loosen it, and to the front to tighten it. This is true for both the left and the right pedal.
    – Erlkoenig
    Mar 13, 2021 at 11:57
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    The thread is definitely left-handed on the left pedal. I always use my right or left hand. The thumb points to the direction where the pedal should move and the fingers show the rotation.
    – Vladimir F Героям слава
    Mar 13, 2021 at 12:36

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