Parts and equipment for motorcycles, quads, scooters and bicycles

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Understanding bicycle pedal threads

In the world of cycling, there are three threading options for pedals:

- The 9/16" (14.29 mm x 1.27 mm). This is the universal thread for all adult and children's bicycles, pedals and cranksets of any brand. This is the international standard, universal and essential today (hint: left and right pedals are identified L for left and R for right).

- The 14 mm x 1.25 mm. The historic and typical thread of old French bikes but which is no longer used today.

- The 1/2" (12.7 mm x 1.27 mm). This type of thread is not very widespread. We find it on one-piece cranksets on old bicycles or children's bicycles.

In any case, for these three types of threads, so as not to loosen while driving, the right pedal has a standard thread (from left to right) and the left pedal has a reversed thread (from right To the left).

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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!

pedal thread

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).

pedal thread

Find all our tips for choose the right pedals.


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