I have been thinking for some time now of using clipless pedals. Proper cyclists seem to use them and since someone recently asked if I was doing any “sportives” this summer I feel I better up my game.
However, a 1/2 hour pedal change turned into long and pricey lesson in physics and wheelie bin surfaces.
I ordered a set of SPD pedals and shoes from CRC and these arrived just in time for the bank holiday.
first I tried some simple leverage – and yes I was aware the left pedal is reversed threaded.
This didn’t work so I went and bought a pedal spanner.
I tried this with more leverage (about a 1m of square steel tube wrapped around the handle) and then a 3lb and a 5lb engineers ball pane hammer in turn. Still no joy.
So, then I turned from Newtownian mechanics – his second law about reaction’s obviously being duff – to thermal 
mechanics and, whilst my crew rested, went and bought a blow torch.
Then I went back to B&Q for some gas for the blow torch I’d just bought - damn them.
Heated up the crank – the idea being the aluminium expands more than the steel – but still no joy. finally I stripped down the pedal in situ and then was able to get a 15mm ring spanner around the pedal and tap off with hammer.
Repeated on other side.
So – lessons learnt:
Always grease your pedal threads before inserting into crank. I didn’t actually assemble this bike so maybe the guy in Hallfords could heed this.
Never try and re-assemble pedals on the lid of a wheelie bin as the bearings roll off in all directions – hence the no going back!
As for the pedals – once I’d fallen off at the end of the drive I found them OK. Getting your foot out is easy – it’s getting it in I find a bit tricky.
I think they should call them Strapless pedals as they plainly clip your feet in.
you may need to go to runkeeper to see this
Went for a on of my usual jaunts to Templepatrick and back and it definitely felt a lot smoother and I was maybe a bit quicker – although I find these things hard to say for sure as wind and engine (me) are big variants.
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