Understanding bicycle pedal threads

Explanations

Unlike the threads of bottom brackets, those of pedal have the good taste of screwing (and unscrewing, of course!) in the same direction for the three standards. We screw forward. So the left pedal is screwed in counterclockwise, while the right is screwed in the normal direction (clockwise). There is therefore a left pedal (marked L or G) and a right pedal (R or D) which are not interchangeable.

To thread, whatever the standard, you need two taps: an inverted tap for the left, and a normal tap for the right.

Now let's take a closer look at the two main standards: the 9/16″ and the French thread. They are very close in size… so much so that:

- French-threaded pedals screw without any problem into 9/16-threaded crank arms, but with some play. This solution is not recommended. Beware of tearing the thread if you press a little too hard on the pedals!

- 9/16″ pedals screw in force in French threaded crank arms. Then unscrew them, it’s rather tough! We don't recommend it, if you don't want to risk destroying your equipment. In this case, it is better to rethread the crank arms.

It is indeed quite possible to redo the crank arm threads in French pitch, to adapt them to the international pitch in 9/16″. You just have to be careful to use the right tap in the right crank arm, or buy the correct pair of taps. It is not necessarily very expensive, and if you have several cranksets to convert, your taps will quickly pay for themselves. Then you can mount all the pedals you want!

applications

- To do things neatly, place your crank arm in a vise (wrapped in a rag and with soft wood shims so the vise doesn’t mark the crankset).

- Do not re-drill the hole, it is useless, the tap will find its way.

- Take the right tap for the right side, and start screwing it in (fully) by hand in the direction you would screw the pedal.

- Adapt the "turn to the left" on the shank of the tap, and proceed par series of 1 or 2 turns forward, and 1/4 turns back to break chips… Until the non-chamfered part of the tap (sharp teeth) comes out par the back of the crankset (you can cross the tap entirely, if the diameter of the shank allows it, otherwise you will have to go back, in one go, car there are no more shavings to break).

Compatible parts and tools for your 50 bike pedalsfactory.com

To ensure a secure and durable assembly of your pedals, it is essential to choose components that are suitable for your thread. 50factory.com, we offer a wide range of spare parts and tools specifically designed to fit the three bicycle pedal thread standards: 9/16", 14x1.25 mm and 1/2".

You will find in particular:

• 9/16" compatible pedals, the universal standard used on the majority of bicycles gravel, BMX, road., city, TREKKINGet MTB.

• 1/2" threaded pedals for children's bikes or certain one-piece cranksets.

• Threaded taps to recondition or adapt your crank arms, in left (reverse thread) and right (classic thread) versions.

• New crank arms, in aluminum or steel, already threaded in international pitch 9/16".

• From pedal pullers and left turns to facilitate your disassembly and tapping operations in the workshop or at home.

• Thread conversion kits to adapt an old pedalboard to modern pedals.

Whether you are a bicycle mechanic, a restoration enthusiast or a simple user wishing to replace your pedals, we provide you with professional quality parts that are 100% available in stock.

Find all our tips for choose the right pedals.