Replace bike pedals, step by step

Swapping pedals is one of the easiest upgrades on any bike, and it's the same job on an e-bike. The one trick is that the two pedals thread in opposite directions. This guide follows Park Tool's pedal guide and Rad Power Bikes' own pedal install steps. Your bike's manual wins where it differs.

What you need

• A pedal wrench with a thin 15 mm jaw, or a hex key if your pedals have a hex socket in the spindle end. Park Tool notes that some pedals take a 6 mm or 8 mm hex key from the back of the crank arm (Park Tool). See pedal wrench and hex keys.
• Bike grease for the threads.
• Clean rags.
• A torque wrench with a crowfoot, if you want to hit the spec exactly. Rad lists a torque wrench with a crowfoot as an option to the pedal wrench (Rad).

Park Tool warns never to use a thin cone wrench as a pedal wrench (Park Tool).

Know which pedal is which

• The right pedal (chain side) has a normal thread. It loosens counterclockwise and tightens clockwise.
• The left pedal is reverse threaded. It loosens clockwise and tightens counterclockwise (Park Tool).
• Most pedals are stamped L and R. Rad's left pedals carry a sticker and grooves on the axle, and the right pedal's axle is smooth (Rad).

An easy way to remember it: both pedals tighten when you turn them toward the front of the bike, and both loosen toward the back.

Steps

1. Turn the bike off and take the battery out. Rad also has you hold the power or MODE button to drain leftover power before you work (Rad).
2. Put the bike in a stand or lean it securely. Park Tool suggests shifting onto the largest chainring so the teeth are covered by the chain while your hand is near them (Park Tool).
3. Set the wrench on the right pedal flats so the wrench and crank arm make an angle of 90 degrees or less. Hold the opposite crank as a second lever and turn counterclockwise (Park Tool).
4. Move to the left side and turn the left pedal clockwise to loosen it (Park Tool).
5. Wipe the crank threads clean. Rad has you make sure they are clean and dry (Rad).
6. Grease the new pedal threads. Park Tool says to grease them heavily (Park Tool).
7. Start each pedal by hand, turning toward the front of the bike. It should thread in smoothly. If it binds, back it out and start again so you don't cross-thread the crank.
8. Tighten with the wrench. Rad's spec for its pedals is 35 Nm (Rad). Park Tool lists Shimano at 35 Nm minimum and gives about 360 inch-pounds as a typical pedal torque (Park Tool torque chart, Park Tool). Use your pedal or bike maker's number if it gives one.
9. Wipe off extra grease, put the battery back and test ride.

Crank arms on e-bikes

• Hub motor bikes usually have a normal crank and bottom bracket, so pedals go in the same way as any bike.
• Mid-drive bikes have the crank arms fitted to the motor's spindle. The pedals still thread into the crank arm as usual. Bosch says cranks on its drive units should only be replaced with identical or approved parts (Bosch), so a pedal swap is fine but a crank swap on a mid-drive is a job to check with the maker or a shop.
• Hold the opposite crank, not the motor or chainring, when you lean on the wrench.

Common mistakes

• Turning the left pedal the wrong way and tightening it further. Remember the front and back rule.
• Forcing a cross-threaded pedal. Park Tool says a thread tap can chase damaged threads but can't replace metal that is gone, and a crank with no threads left needs a pro to fit a pedal bushing (Park Tool).
• Skipping the grease. Dry threads creak and seize.
• Scraping your knuckles on the chainring when a stuck pedal lets go. Park Tool warns about this (Park Tool).

When to get a pro

• The crank threads are stripped or cross-threaded.
• A pedal is seized and you can't move it with a long wrench.
• The crank arm itself is loose on the spindle. See check cranks and the bottom bracket.

Sources

• Pedal Installation and Removal, Park Tool
• Torque Specifications and Concepts, Park Tool
• Replacement grips and pedals installation guide, Rad Power Bikes
• Drive unit manual, Bosch eBike Systems

Stuck after these checks? Find a shop near you.