I’ve decided the time has come to give spds a go again so bought some shimano M540s from halfords (£13.99 so couldn’t resist). Problem is I can’t get the nukeproof electrons off no matter how hard I try. Any tips as, short of going to the LBS and asking them, I’m running out of ideas.

Firstly, are you trying to turn them the right way? Right hand pedal is conventional thread, left hand pedal is left hand threaded.

Put the chain onto the big chainring or cover the chainring with a thick piece of cloth so you don’t gash your knuckles when the spanner slips.

Put the crank you’re trying to remove the pedal from pointing forwards towards the front wheel, horizontal. Put the spanner or hex key sticking upwards, and push towards the back wheel. If you can’t get enough leverage with just the spanner or hex key, then use a piece of tubing as an extension to give better leverage. A piece of scaff bar is perfect.

Are you turning them the right way?

you know about the threads being different, I assume ?

Longer spanner/allen key plus a sniff of plusgas or something if that doesn’t work

If you’re sure you have the thread direction right, standing on the spanner can work – if you can get it to the correct angle to do so

(and (copper?) grease on the threads next time you put some on)

Kettle full of hot boiling water on the crank/pedal interface will loosen things off enough to get em undone. Plus 1 for Scapegoat with the scaff pole which should always be next to the toolbox.

4lb lump hammer + spanner = success.

My mate wanted some new pedals fitting on his commuter so I wrapped end of pedal arm in tape to protect it and fitted large adjustable spanner on the end of arm then a few sharp whacks and bingo. 🙂 no one died.

As above, get a longer lever and make sure your turning the pedal the right way.

If not, plus gas is the way to go

A proper pedal spanner if you’ve not already got one.
And maybe try tightening/untighten it first, to get the thread to let go.

Whack with a mallet usually frees it up (on the end of the pedal spanner, not the pedal). But make sure you’ve got the direction sorted first.

Tell the pedals that you’re going for a really long ride and if they fall off you’ll be really, really cross. Then ride round the block and they’ll both loosen themselves nicely.

Decent fitting metal spanner, hit the end of spanner with metal hammer, the shock will help it release. And make sure you are going the right way

On the thread direction, watch out too when undoing with allen keys if your pedal has that option (or only option, like Vaults). The key socket is the other side of the crank so be careful not to get confused if you are looking at it from the other side. It’s still the same direction but it will appear anti-clockwise instead of clockwise to you for example (for undoing a left pedal).

An easy way to work it out is wherever you are, either pedal, to tighten you want to go towards the front of the bike. To loosen you go away from the bike.

Other than that I use a breaker bar to loosen stubborn pedals, though mine have allen key sockets. Or at least use a socket wrench. Little allen keys will be near impossible and they’ll probably snap. With a spanner, longer the handle or an extension bar. A lot more torque produced basically.

When you put them back on, dab of copper grease on the threads and torque to spec, no more.

On my old commuting cranks years of neglect and road salts had fully welded the pedals in. No amount of battering would work. In the end I had to remove the crank, clamp the pedal in a vice with a couple of bits of metal to get onto the flats then turn the crank. Still took a lot of force but it worked.

They do have a allen key option but it’s just not happening. I’ll try the many helpful suggestions – thanks all. As Samuri suggested they will probably just fall off 20 miles from home when I give up trying to remove them.

Just in case it helps – LBS bloke* had used threadlock on the pedals of the t*nd*m. They were a pig to get off, and made me check if the threads were different. I’d suggest trying heat, a hot air gun, to soften any goop. Plus the ally of the crank should expand more than the steel of the pedal shaft, loosening things a bit. Can you get an allen key on the inside, spanner on the outside, and mates who already have scarred knuckles to help.

*A very experienced roadie mechanic, rides a t*nd*m himself: not complaining here, just surprised by it.