Removing Trek bicycle pedals is just like removing pedals from any other bike. Pedals have been standardized to be interchangeable. There are many kinds of pedals and you can change them for efficiency, test out another brand or remove damaged ones easily. You only need one wrench and must remember one simple rule: the pedal on the left side -- the one that you pedal with your left leg -- has backward threads. The pedal on the right has standard threads.
Items you will need
15-mm wrench
Stand over the bike. Decide which is the left and right side. If you can't decide, look on the pedal axle right where the pedal emerges from the crank; you will see either an "R" or an "L."
Swing the pedal up to the top of the pedal stroke. Place a 15-mm wrench on the small flat area between the pedal and the crank. The wrench should fit right over top of the "L" or "R" on the pedal.
Hit the wrench with the palm of your hand, giving it a sharp blow to loosen the pedal. You want to move it clockwise if you are on the left side or counterclockwise if you are on the right side.
Grab the opposite crank arm if the pedal won't loosen. Smack the wrench again as you hold the opposite crank with the other hand to keep it from moving. Do both sides until the pedals loosen up.
Unscrew the pedals with your fingers and remove them.
Tips
- Some wrenches have a fat head or are too wide to fit into the space between the pedal and the crank. Look for a thin wrench.
Tips
- Some wrenches have a fat head or are too wide to fit into the space between the pedal and the crank. Look for a thin wrench.
Writer Bio
Specializing in hardwood furniture, trim carpentry, cabinets, home improvement and architectural millwork, Wade Shaddy has worked in homebuilding since 1972. Shaddy has also worked as a newspaper reporter and writer, and as a contributing writer for Bicycling Magazine. Shaddy began publishing in various magazines in 1992, and published a novel, “Dark Canyon,” in 2008.
