How to Lubricate Bicycle Pedals With Grease

To keep your bicycle running smoothly, lubricate the pedals with grease every month as part of your normal maintenance routine. If you frequently bike through muddy trails or dusty off-road conditions, you might need to grease your pedals more often. Dirt and debris cause pedals to wear out quickly, and simply hosing down your bike after a ride actually does more harm than good to your pedals.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Wrench
Cloth
Bicycle grease

Step 1

Unscrew the pedal from the crank arm. You may be able to use a normal combination wrench instead of a special bike pedal wrench. First try a 15mm wrench, the most common size for bicycle pedals. Other pedals are installed with an Allen wrench. Check your bike manual for details if you are unsure.

Step 2

Wipe the pedal threads off with a cloth, removing any grit in the process. Apply a light layer of grease.

Step 3

Reinstall the pedals. Make sure you get each pedal on it's appropriate side--pedals should be marked left and right to avoid confusion.

Step 4

Riders who use cleats will want to lubricate the metal parts of the cleat as well to prevent their feet from unexpectedly sticking to the pedals.

Tips & Warnings

If your wrench lacks leverage, attach a cheater bar to lengthen it. Just slip a length of pipe over the handle of your wrench to temporarily increase the length and leverage.

If the pedal can't be removed easily, try using Liquid Wrench or WD-40 to loosen it. Forcing the pedals off could strip the threads.

Remember that the right pedal--next to the drive train--is threaded normally, meaning turning clockwise will tighten it and counterclockwise will loosen it. The left pedal is threaded in the opposite direction.

Article Written By Denise Bertacchi

Denise Bertacchi is a freelance writer with a degree in journalism from Southeast Missouri State University. She is a St. Louis suburbanite who has written for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Boys' Life, Wisconsin Trails, and Missouri Life.

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