…especially after you slipped on the first one and the screwdriver has ripped the plastic slot to shreds. Will I really have to drill it out? Is there something better to use rather than a screwdriver which might not destroy the caps so easily? One really wet ride and they feel like all the grease has been stripped out of them and they’re only 12 rides or so old. I realise they are high maintenance pedals and have lived with egg beaters for a few years and am resigned to the fact that I will need to grease them regularly. This has really annoyed me though as I can’t get into the blasted things to service them. If I drill the end caps I’ll have to buy a rebuild kit which is even more annoying.

Maintenance after 12 rides? Sod that! Bin them and buy Times instead. Maybe some maintenance after 12 years.

Same thing happened to me, I managed to cut it out with a stanley knife in the end but it took awhile.

I had the same problem with mine – ended up using a screwdriver and a hammer to turn the caps far enough to get some molegrips on them.

The caps seem to be ‘disposable’. Much prefer the Candys I have with alloy caps on them.

Use a coin in the slot held in molegrips rather than a screwdriver ?

I used a few techniques together, one being a drill, the other being fire.

Yeah I’ve got XT trails on all 3 bikes now

Yeah, same happened to me when I was attempting to open them up to chuck in some grease. Was using a really big screwdriver which fitted the slot well and they still rounded out 😕

Have bought a rebuild kit which comes with fresh end caps so will screw them in very lightly after I grease them and hope they want to come out without a fight when I need to rebuild.

If not I shall resort to a drill/molgrips/fire/nuke from orbit as appropriate. Metal end caps were far better.

After chewing up some end caps in the past, I now have a properly big screwdriver for the job (almost the full width of the end cap). Much easier, and saves damaging the caps on any of my various Eggbeaters and Candys. Definitely worth investing a small amount of money in the right tool.

Bear in mind that you do need the end cap to be fairly tight to prevent lateral play in the pedal. I think they are built with loctite, which is why they are so tight. I grease them when re-installing and just do them up nice and tight and have never had issues now.

Same for me, first careful attempt at removing and screwdriver just turned the nice straight slot into a smooth plug with plastic swarf ! I drilled and cut away at it with a stanley blade till it came out. You get new ones with a pedal bearing kit so no biggee.

Thanks guys. Love the way the pedals work but this is totally a pain in the ass. May as well ride them without greasing them at the weekend and invest in a rebuild kit (or 12).