Pedal Washers?

My road bike came with washers on the pedal spindles to go between the
pedal and crank. Since the pedals come off the bike 2x/workday on
average, and at least 6x/week, it's no big surprise I managed to lose
one.

My question is what are they for, and should I care. I've read a
bunch of reasons for them, the two most common being
1) to keep the pedal off the crank arm enough to fit a wrench
2) To evenly distribute pressure from the pedal to the crank arm.
3) To avoid scratching the crank surface.

If it's actually 1 & 3, I don't care. My wrench fits fine without it,
and the bike has scratches and will get more. OTOH, if they serve a
functional purpose I should replace it, and if it's an important
functional purpose I should replace it soon, and minimize use until
then.

So, what are they really for? How much do they matter?

Thanks,

Dan

wrote:
My road bike came with washers on the pedal spindles to go between the
pedal and crank. Since the pedals come off the bike 2x/workday on
average, and at least 6x/week, it's no big surprise I managed to lose
one.

dude, this is not "best practice". standard iso threads are not
designed for this kind of use - they are for "fit and forget".
similarly, aluminum isn't a wear resistant material for this application.




My question is what are they for, and should I care. I've read a
bunch of reasons for them, the two most common being
1) to keep the pedal off the crank arm enough to fit a wrench
2) To evenly distribute pressure from the pedal to the crank arm.
3) To avoid scratching the crank surface.

If it's actually 1 & 3, I don't care. My wrench fits fine without it,
and the bike has scratches and will get more. OTOH, if they serve a
functional purpose I should replace it, and if it's an important
functional purpose I should replace it soon, and minimize use until
then.

So, what are they really for? How much do they matter?

kinda 3. it's to prevent surface damage to the crank face, thus help
mitigate fatigue initiation.



Thanks,

Dan

again, what you're doing is very bad news for crank wear and fatigue.
at a minimum, you should inspect the cranks, especially the pedal eyes,
very closely for cracking and fatigue on a weekly basis. buy a
magnifier and use it to do so.

better yet, don't remove the pedals at all. if you know that carpet
offcuts can be used in bike packing or have even rudimentary tetris
skills, can't imagine why you would need to do so.

On 14 Aug, 13:40, " wrote:
My road bike came with washers on the pedal spindles to go between the
pedal and crank. *Since the pedals come off the bike 2x/workday on
average, and at least 6x/week, it's no big surprise I managed to lose
one.

My question is what are they for, and should I care. *I've read a
bunch of reasons for them, the two most common being
1) to keep the pedal off the crank arm enough to fit a wrench
2) To evenly distribute pressure from the pedal to the crank arm.
3) To avoid scratching the crank surface.

If it's actually 1 & 3, I don't care. *My wrench fits fine without it,
and the bike has scratches and will get more. *OTOH, if they serve a
functional purpose I should replace it, and if it's an important
functional purpose I should replace it soon, and minimize use until
then.

So, what are they really for? *How much do they matter?


You can buy folding pedals. This will save any damage to the crank
pedal eye. Ignore the washers they may have been supplied so that the
bike can be set up for display and dissasembled without scratching.

schreef:
My road bike came with washers on the pedal spindles to go between the
pedal and crank. Since the pedals come off the bike 2x/workday on
average, and at least 6x/week, it's no big surprise I managed to lose
one.

My question is what are they for, and should I care. I've read a
bunch of reasons for them, the two most common being
1) to keep the pedal off the crank arm enough to fit a wrench
2) To evenly distribute pressure from the pedal to the crank arm.
3) To avoid scratching the crank surface.

If it's actually 1 & 3, I don't care. My wrench fits fine without it,
and the bike has scratches and will get more. OTOH, if they serve a
functional purpose I should replace it, and if it's an important
functional purpose I should replace it soon, and minimize use until
then.

So, what are they really for? How much do they matter?

Thanks,

Dan


WTF at least 6 times a week. Why?????
Washers are for distributing the load. None of the pedals I use have
washers.

Lou

On Aug 14, 9:02 am, jim beam wrote:
wrote:
My road bike came with washers on the pedal spindles to go between the
pedal and crank. Since the pedals come off the bike 2x/workday on
average, and at least 6x/week, it's no big surprise I managed to lose
one.

dude, this is not "best practice". standard iso threads are not
designed for this kind of use - they are for "fit and forget".
similarly, aluminum isn't a wear resistant material for this application.

Yeah, I know. Loosening the stem and turning it 90 degrees as often
as I remove the pedals isn't the best practice either, but it's the
rules to put a bike on the bus I take to & from work when not pedaling
the entire way.


My question is what are they for, and should I care. I've read a
bunch of reasons for them, the two most common being
1) to keep the pedal off the crank arm enough to fit a wrench
2) To evenly distribute pressure from the pedal to the crank arm.
3) To avoid scratching the crank surface.

If it's actually 1 & 3, I don't care. My wrench fits fine without it,
and the bike has scratches and will get more. OTOH, if they serve a
functional purpose I should replace it, and if it's an important
functional purpose I should replace it soon, and minimize use until
then.

So, what are they really for? How much do they matter?

kinda 3. it's to prevent surface damage to the crank face, thus help
mitigate fatigue initiation.

Cool. So if it's mitigating fatigue, something this practice is
increasing, I should replace it. They're cheap enough I'll just buy a
couple and keep a spare in my saddle bag for next time.


Thanks,

Dan

again, what you're doing is very bad news for crank wear and fatigue.
at a minimum, you should inspect the cranks, especially the pedal eyes,
very closely for cracking and fatigue on a weekly basis. buy a
magnifier and use it to do so.

Not a bad idea. I do look at the stuff whenever I'm messing with it,
but have not checked with a magnifier. I tend to go through my bikes
at least once a week to look over the basics, no reason not to add
this to the list.


better yet, don't remove the pedals at all. if you know that carpet
offcuts can be used in bike packing or have even rudimentary tetris
skills, can't imagine why you would need to do so.

Today was odd, the driver (a guy I see/drives me often) told me I
could throw the bike in as-is as I was taking off the first pedal. I
don't see why it matters, it's not like they're stacking the things.
Maybe I'll try to develop a rapport with the drivers I usually see and
ask if I can get away with carpet covers over the pedals, explaining
that the constant removing of pedals and twisting of stem isn't the
best thing for my bike. Some may go for it, some may not. Suppose it
can't hurt to try.

While we’re on the subject, I had the guy at the hardware store tell
me not to grease things I’m loosening/tightening regularly (stem
bolts) or removing regularly (pedals). Thoughts, assuming I still
have to continue this practice (as it is the company rule)?

On Aug 14, 9:13*am, Lou Holtman wrote:

WTF at least 6 times a week. Why?????

From the website: "Bicycles- A Bicycle may be accepted in the luggage
compartment of the coach. Bicycles will be accepted in a hard-sided,
padded case designed for bicycles or with the handle bars secured
sideways and pedals removed. C&J is not responsible for damaged
bikes."


Washers are for distributing the load. None of the pedals I use have
washers.

But would they be of use to me in this situation, especially
considering how often I'm removing and reinstalling them?

DanKMTB wrote:
On Aug 14, 9:02 am, jim beam wrote:
wrote:
My road bike came with washers on the pedal spindles to go between the
pedal and crank. Since the pedals come off the bike 2x/workday on
average, and at least 6x/week, it's no big surprise I managed to lose
one.
dude, this is not "best practice". standard iso threads are not
designed for this kind of use - they are for "fit and forget".
similarly, aluminum isn't a wear resistant material for this application.

Yeah, I know. Loosening the stem and turning it 90 degrees as often
as I remove the pedals isn't the best practice either, but it's the
rules to put a bike on the bus I take to & from work when not pedaling
the entire way.

ouch. time for a few well written and addressed letters - campaign for
bike racks on the front of busses. we have them on most public
transport here in the bay area - a huge convenience and no disassembly
rules.

i think they have details on the sfmuni.com and goldengate.org websites.
also contact sfbike.org and find out what they did to mobilize this
initiative here, then use it where you are.




My question is what are they for, and should I care. I've read a
bunch of reasons for them, the two most common being
1) to keep the pedal off the crank arm enough to fit a wrench
2) To evenly distribute pressure from the pedal to the crank arm.
3) To avoid scratching the crank surface.
If it's actually 1 & 3, I don't care. My wrench fits fine without it,
and the bike has scratches and will get more. OTOH, if they serve a
functional purpose I should replace it, and if it's an important
functional purpose I should replace it soon, and minimize use until
then.
So, what are they really for? How much do they matter?
kinda 3. it's to prevent surface damage to the crank face, thus help
mitigate fatigue initiation.

Cool. So if it's mitigating fatigue, something this practice is
increasing, I should replace it. They're cheap enough I'll just buy a
couple and keep a spare in my saddle bag for next time.


Thanks,
Dan
again, what you're doing is very bad news for crank wear and fatigue.
at a minimum, you should inspect the cranks, especially the pedal eyes,
very closely for cracking and fatigue on a weekly basis. buy a
magnifier and use it to do so.

Not a bad idea. I do look at the stuff whenever I'm messing with it,
but have not checked with a magnifier. I tend to go through my bikes
at least once a week to look over the basics, no reason not to add
this to the list.


better yet, don't remove the pedals at all. if you know that carpet
offcuts can be used in bike packing or have even rudimentary tetris
skills, can't imagine why you would need to do so.

Today was odd, the driver (a guy I see/drives me often) told me I
could throw the bike in as-is as I was taking off the first pedal. I
don't see why it matters, it's not like they're stacking the things.
Maybe I'll try to develop a rapport with the drivers I usually see and
ask if I can get away with carpet covers over the pedals, explaining
that the constant removing of pedals and twisting of stem isn't the
best thing for my bike. Some may go for it, some may not. Suppose it
can't hurt to try.

While we�re on the subject, I had the guy at the hardware store tell
me not to grease things I�m loosening/tightening regularly (stem
bolts) or removing regularly (pedals). Thoughts, assuming I still
have to continue this practice (as it is the company rule)?

i think he works in a hardware store because he's not a "doer".

On Aug 14, 9:30*am, jim beam wrote:
DanKMTB wrote:
On Aug 14, 9:02 am, jim beam wrote:
wrote:
My road bike came with washers on the pedal spindles to go between the
pedal and crank. *Since the pedals come off the bike 2x/workday on
average, and at least 6x/week, it's no big surprise I managed to lose
one.
dude, this is not "best practice". *standard iso threads are not
designed for this kind of use - they are for "fit and forget".
similarly, aluminum isn't a wear resistant material for this application.

Yeah, I know. *Loosening the stem and turning it 90 degrees as often
as I remove the pedals isn't the best practice either, but it's the
rules to put a bike on the bus I take to & from work when not pedaling
the entire way.

ouch. *time for a few well written and addressed letters - campaign for
bike racks on the front of busses. *we have them on most public
transport here in the bay area - a huge convenience and no disassembly
rules.

i think they have details on the sfmuni.com and goldengate.org websites.
* also contact sfbike.org and find out what they did to mobilize this
initiative here, then use it where you are.

Our normal around town buses have those racks. This is a longer
distance commuter bus, and bikes are stored in the under bus luggage
area. I don't see them changing their policy anytime soon. Could be
worth a couple letters, but I don't foresee much change.


If doing this is often as I am is likely to cause serious damage to
the bike, does anyone have any experience with these? http://tinyurl.com/o8rexq

I like the idea, but don't like needing a special cleat. I like being
able to wear the same shoes for any of my bikes save for the BMX,
which runs regular flat pedals that get along with any sneaker. These
would more or less require a second set of shoes, and if I wanted to
take the MTB to work I'd be back to removing pedals. It could be a
solution for the road bike, but again @ $100 in pedals + a second pair
of shoes it's not a cheap solution. And unless I bought 2 sets I'd
still be using a wrench on the rain bike. The BMX is it's own story,
those cranks are bombproof. If I need to remove those pedals, so be
it.

DanKMTB wrote:
On Aug 14, 9:30�am, jim beam wrote:
DanKMTB wrote:
On Aug 14, 9:02 am, jim beam wrote:
wrote:
My road bike came with washers on the pedal spindles to go between the
pedal and crank. �Since the pedals come off the bike 2x/workday on
average, and at least 6x/week, it's no big surprise I managed to lose
one.
dude, this is not "best practice". �standard iso threads are not
designed for this kind of use - they are for "fit and forget".
similarly, aluminum isn't a wear resistant material for this application.
Yeah, I know. �Loosening the stem and turning it 90 degrees as often
as I remove the pedals isn't the best practice either, but it's the
rules to put a bike on the bus I take to & from work when not pedaling
the entire way.
ouch. �time for a few well written and addressed letters - campaign for
bike racks on the front of busses. �we have them on most public
transport here in the bay area - a huge convenience and no disassembly
rules.

i think they have details on the sfmuni.com and goldengate.org websites.
� also contact sfbike.org and find out what they did to mobilize this
initiative here, then use it where you are.

Our normal around town buses have those racks. This is a longer
distance commuter bus, and bikes are stored in the under bus luggage
area. I don't see them changing their policy anytime soon. Could be
worth a couple letters, but I don't foresee much change.

fwiw, our longer distance commute buses have those racks, but no pedal
removal or h-bar adjust. don't know why ours should be different, but i
think it's worth investigation.





If doing this is often as I am is likely to cause serious damage to
the bike, does anyone have any experience with these? http://tinyurl.com/o8rexq

I like the idea, but don't like needing a special cleat. I like being
able to wear the same shoes for any of my bikes save for the BMX,
which runs regular flat pedals that get along with any sneaker. These
would more or less require a second set of shoes, and if I wanted to
take the MTB to work I'd be back to removing pedals. It could be a
solution for the road bike, but again @ $100 in pedals + a second pair
of shoes it's not a cheap solution. And unless I bought 2 sets I'd
still be using a wrench on the rain bike. The BMX is it's own story,
those cranks are bombproof. If I need to remove those pedals, so be
it.

Hi,

You can buy folding pedals. This will save any damage to the crank
pedal eye.

This would probably be the best solution - either folding pedals or very
small-outline ones (e.g. Egg-Beater?). They would be made to fold, in
contrast to the normal pedals, which will wear out your crank eyes
extremely fast if you remove them so often.

As for the handlebars, you might look at one of the "quick-fold" stems
or the quick-raise systems with folding device - or even replace the
stem bolts with QR levers?

Ignore the washers they may have been supplied so that the
bike can be set up for display and dissasembled without scratching.

As far as I remember, most crank eyelets fail due to "scratching"
(abrasion) of the pedal bolt's shoulder on the face of the crank - the
bolt's shoulders sink into the crank surface and over time microscopic
cracks develop. They widen and your crank breaks. The washers are
supposed to protect the crank surface to prolong the life - though I'm
not sure how well they work, I think it's a good idea. I'd replace them
- at least they don't hurt ;-)

Have fun...

..