What Size Mountain Bike Pedals Do I Need

The size of a bike pedal is usually determined by the size of the shoe that you want to wear. It will be easier for those with smaller feet to use small pedals and vice versa.

There are four main types of mountain bike pedals: flat, platform, clipless and toe clips. Flat pedals are the most common type of pedal used on mountain bikes and they have a wide surface area that is easy to grip with your feet while riding.

Platform pedals have a large surface area but they do not offer as much grip because there is no inward or outward movement. Clipless pedals are used in conjunction with special shoes that have cleats on them which attach to the pedal when you step down on it.

Are my pedals 9/16 or 1 2?

If the cranks are THREE PIECES, meaning two crank arms bolted to a spindle, it will be 9/16 thread on the pedals. If the crank is ONE piece through a large bottom bracket housing, it’s 1/2 thread.^[1]

How do you know what size pedals to get?

Check the Cranks on the Bike Manufacturers made it easy to put the sizing on the crank, knowing that people would look for their pedal size. What is this? If your cranks are made up of three separate sections, two separate crank arms, and the spindle that goes through the frame, your pedals will be size 9/16″ x 20 TPI.^[2]

Does MTB pedal size matter?

You have limited contact points with your bike, and just a few square millimeters of pedal space can make a massive difference — pedal size directly impacts how you and your bike perform together, and how comfortable and confident you feel while riding.^[3]

Are all bike pedals 9 16?

Most pedals have 9/16″ x 20 tpi threads. Pedals for one-piece cranks are 1/2″ x 20 tpi. Older French bicycles used a 14 mm x 1.25 mm thread, but these are quite rare. French-threaded pedals are commonly labeled “D” and G” (French for “droite” and “gauche” (right and left).^[4]

What is standard pedal thread size?

Bicycle pedals are commonly a 9/16″ x 20 threads per inch. The inside diameter of the internal thread (the “nut”) must be smaller. Measured in millimeters, the OD of the pedal is typically 14.2mm.^[5]

What size pedal wrench do I need?

The flats on almost all modern pedals take a 15mm spanner, though many pedal spanners also have a 9/16-inch jaw for older pedals. Don’t be tempted to use thin wheel cone bearing spanners, as they’ll distort and be ruined. 4. If there’s a hex socket it will be 6mm or 8mm.^[6]

How do I know what pedals to buy?

flat bicycle pedals: Choose clipless pedals if you want more efficiency and control; with your shoes connected to your pedals, you transfer power when you pull up and push down. Choose flat pedals if you need to quickly take your feet off the pedals or want comfort while walking in the shoes that don’t have cleats.^[7]

What sizes do bike pedals come in?

When it comes to pedal sizes, there are two sizes: ½” and 9/16”. ½” pedals are only used on very basic bikes with a one piece crank. A one piece crank is just that, it’s one piece of steel that is bent/forged to run from one pedal, through the frame, to the other pedal.^[8]

Are bike pedal clips universal?

Clipless/clip-in pedal cleats are specific to the manufacturer; so, for example, Shimano cleats are not compatible with Look pedals. The exception to this rule is there are now some two-bolt systems created with cross-brand compatibility, namely from brands like Ritchey and Wellgo.^[9]

How do I choose mountain bike pedals?

In short, the more pins in the bike pedal, and the longer the pins, the better grip you will get between your shoes and your pedals. We recommend that mountain bikers look for flat pedals with 10-12 pins per side. There are a couple of other pin-related items to consider as well.^[10]

What kind of pedals should I get for mountain bike?

Clipless pedals are by far the most common choice of pedal for most mountain bikers. The main reason is that they offer much-improved efficiency as your foot is directly connected to the pedal and so allow you to pull up as well as push down with your foot.^[11]

Is 15mm the same as 9 16?

14mm = almost 9/16 inch. 15mm = almost 19/32 inch. 16mm = 5/8 inch. 17mm = almost 11/16 inch.^[12]