Pedal removal - spanner direction ( which side non-std ? )

[531colin]

The easy way to remember which pedal is which thread is also the easy way to undo a pedal.

Ready?
To undo either pedal, you need to tie the opposite pedal/crank to the chainstay.
That's it. simple.

Explanation.....to undo either pedal, you will be turning the spanner so that the bike can backpedal on the freewheel....so just tie up the opposite one.
Tightening either pedal, the freewheel will hold it for you.

[mjr]

Yes, left pedal drive side left-hand thread. Right pedal non-drive side right-hand thread.

Which side is your drivetrain?!?

[hamster]

Easiest way I remember: the spanner goes to the back to remove, forwards to tighten (spanner is always above the chainset etc to avoid skinning my knuckles).

Bottom brackets go the other way - forward to loosen, back to tighten.

[simonhill]

Easiest way to remember it needs just 3 words:

Right is right

As in right pedal screws the normal (or right) way.

[De Sisti]

The way I remember it is:

To take to pedal off, turn the spanner to the back of the bike (whichever side of the bike you're facing).

[fredN4]

de sisti advice is the easiest way to remember it and the way that I do it.

[Sweep]

Easiest way to remember it needs just 3 words:

Right is right

As in right pedal screws the normal (or right) way.

Yes this is what I use.
Thanks to mick for the memo of the bb working the opposite way.
In truth, i tend to double check my park book of bike maintenance before applying force to anything.

[De Sisti]

de sisti advice is the easiest way to remember it and the way that I do it.

A good friend (Mick Kelly) who taught me everything I know about bike maintenance used to quote:
"Back (it) off"; when it came to removing pedals.

[Mick F]

Yes, left pedal drive side left-hand thread. Right pedal non-drive side right-hand thread.

Which side is your drivetrain?!?

oops!

I got mixed up!

Correction to wot I sed:
Left pedal (non-drive side) left hand thread.
Right pedal (drive side) right hand thread.

[carpetcleaner]

Turn the spanner towards the back of the bike to loosen both pedals.

Turn it towards the front to tighten.

[tatanab]

Turn the spanner towards the back of the bike to loosen both pedals.

Turn it towards the front to tighten.

Just pointing out in fun that this is only true if you have the spanner above the pedal. If you have it below it is the opposite. This is where these generalised rules/descriptions (several in this thread) fall down because they are describing an image in the poster's head which may not be the image conjured by the reader. An illustration overcomes that.

[DaveReading]

Turn the spanner towards the back of the bike to loosen both pedals.

Turn it towards the front to tighten.

Just pointing out in fun that this is only true if you have the spanner above the pedal. If you have it below it is the opposite.

Or the spanner above the pedal, but the bike upside-down.

[Mike Sales]

All these explanations would just confuse me.
I think everybody knows which direction of turn clockwise is, and which direction to turn a screw to go in or out. For most people it is automatic.
That is what is called a right handed thread, and nearly all threads are right handed.
The only exceptions I know are the left pedal of a bike and the right cup of a bottom bracket.
And one thread of a turnbuckle, but that is not relevant here.

[simonhill]

I agree. I had to work hard to visualise some of these simple explanations.

As you say most if not all know the way a normal thread goes. You only need to know which pedal is the normal or 'right' one.

Hence right is right. Job done.

Incidentally my pedals have RH and LH on the flat.

[Phileas]

I tend to think of the correct way as being what you might assume was the wrong way if you forget about the precession of the bearings.

However, I think I now prefer 531colin’s principle.