Took me 10 years to finally listen to my first shop manager about grease

Back in 2003 I worked at a shop in Portland. The old manager, Dave, kept telling me to use less grease on pedal threads. Said too much grease would make them back out over time. I thought he was just being cheap with supplies. Well, after having to retighten my own pedals every few months for a decade, I finally tried his way. Used just a tiny smear on each pedal and they've stayed tight for two years now. Anyone else have a piece of advice they ignored for way too long?

3 comments

3 Comments

emeryj661mo ago

Gotta push back on this one. I've been greasing pedal threads for 25 years and never had one back out. The trick is using the right grease, not just less of it. A heavy grease like Parks PolyLube will hold just fine and still let you get the pedal off next season.

davidkim1mo agoProlific Poster

Two winters ago I watched my neighbor's $4000 carbon crank get ruined because he couldn't get a pedal off and yeah, that moment changed my whole view on grease choices for good. It's the same thing with car lug nuts - people always think more grip means safer but it usually just means harder to take apart later.

murray.cora1mo ago

Have you actually tried backing out a pedal with heavy grease after a full season of riding in wet conditions? That PolyLube turns into a gummy mess when it mixes with grit and moisture, making it way harder to break free than just using a light anti-seize. I'd rather take the 5 extra seconds to re-tighten a pedal mid-season than fight a seized crank arm in a month.