Bicycle pedals, in conjunction with the gears, chain, wheels and brakes, control the speed of the bike. There are many designs for the exterior of pedals, from solid pedals to those that have a frame shape that is mostly empty space, from platforms to clipless pedals, but they all have the same basic internal parts.
Types
There are two basic kinds of pedals: platform and clipless. Platform pedals may or may not have toe clips, which attach to one side of the pedal and hold your foot in place on the pedal. Clipless pedals are generally smaller than platform pedals and have a cleat on one or both sides that hooks into a special cycling shoe.
Parts
A pedal consists of an axle, ball bearings, bearing cups and the pedal surface itself. The ball bearings sit inside the cups inside the pedal. The axle slides into the pedal body, with a threaded part protruding from the pedal. The axle secures in place, loosely contacting the bearings, with nuts and washers. The bearings facilitate a smooth pedal rotation.
Attachment
The threaded end of the axle that protrudes from the pedal screws into the crank of your bicycle, which is attached to the front chain ring. Pedals screw into the cranks such that the forward pedaling motion keeps them from coming unscrewed: clockwise turning tightens the right pedal, while counterclockwise turning tightens the left pedal. Cyclist Jim Langley advises that you usually need a pedal or cone wrench to screw the pedal firmly into the crank.
Rotation
The pedal's axle enables it to rotate with your foot position. While the cranks move the pedal axle in a consistent circular motion, your foot angle, and therefore the angle of the pedal, adjusts slightly throughout each rotation.
Considerations
In the early 21st century, platform pedals are still the standard for casual riding bikes, mountain bikes and kids' bikes. However, more road bike riders, and some mountain bike riders, whether serious or competitive riders or city commuters, choose clipless pedals for their efficiency. You can improve your pedaling efficiency on platforms by attaching toe clips, if your pedals are designed to accommodate them.
Maintenance
Some models of platform bicycle pedals have an almost completely enclosed axle, which is difficult to maintain by adding grease or replacing bearings, or not designed to be serviced at all. There are different systems across pedal brands to hold the axle in place. However, you need just a few basic tools, such as the correct sizes of cone, socket and regular wrenches, to maintain almost any pedal.
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