Indoor exercise bikes are one of the top calorie-burning equipment you can keep at your home. It allows you to perform your ride indoors when you have limitations to go outside due to the weather or physical problems.
And when you buy an exercise bike, after using it for a long time you may face some trouble with your bike’s pedal.
Here, I will help you with some necessary info to let you know how to fix exercise bike pedals.
Different types of Pedals
Definitely, you won’t have the capability to fix your exercise bike’s pedal if it is broken while you don’t have any idea about it.
So try to get a bit of knowledge about the specific exercise bike. It will help you to perform the pedal fixing session in a convenient approach.
Flat
Flat pedals are the simplest among all exercise bike pedals that you get to buy from the market. The built-in material is plastic or metal. Their size and shape are large but flat looking. You will get an advantage from that. You can use both flip-flops and also go barefoot on a flat pedal.
Toe Cage
This type of pedal is close to flat pedals. The only difference is it has a cage system for your toe and you will also get adjustable straps with it. The purpose of the cage is to make sure that your feet are in the right place. These are very user-friendly. You can pedal it with footwear and also with your barefoot. And both work fine in it.
Clipless Pedals
Compared to the previously discussed bike pedals, I would say Clipless pedals are far more advanced.
This type of pedal needs to clip the shoes inside the pedals between the cleats. A good number of cyclists suggest using these pedals. And the reason behind this is that, if you use it you will be able to place your feet solidly inside the pedals. As a result, you will be able to pedal much faster.
Dual-Sided Pedals
You can say this one is the mixed version of a clipless and toe cage. It allows the rider to select between normal footwear and also footwear that is compatible with cleats.
How to Fix Broken Exercise Bike Pedals: Troubleshooting
You might face several problems with your exercise bike pedals. As it’s a machine after all, so some fixation is okay.
But the good thing about repairing the pedal of an exercise bike is that it’s not complex like some other mechanical stuff. Rather, it is easy to sort out the problems.
So here I will talk about the problems and how to tackle some common stationary bike pedal problems.
Loose Pedal Problem
Amongst all the problems, the loose pedal issue of the exercise bike is the most common. Whenever you first notice that your pedals become loose, you better immediately take action to give it tight back. For that, you will require a pedal wrench.
Now, inspect the bolt which secures the pedal. Often it might be that the pedal became loose because the bolt became loose. If you find out the bolt became loose, use your pedal wrench and screw up the bolt.
Let me remind you that you need to turn the bolt in its own direction. And it will vary from the left pedal to the right pedal. When you are going to work on the right pedal, you need to rotate the bolt in a clockwise direction using a wrench.
And when you go for the left pedal, you need to spin the bolt in a counterclockwise direction.
Now, have a look at whether both of the pedals are working or not.
Replacement of Pedals
Sometimes situations arise when you have to change and replace the pedals. Somehow your pedal got broken because of any unwanted incident or due to falling on one side, you have to change the pedal.
Also, many people change the pedals to attach SPD cycling shoe-supported pedals. This is why you should know how to tighten exercise bike pedals so you can adjust it if the situation arises.
You can tighten the newly placed pedals using a wrench. On the right pedal, tighten it clockwise and on the left pedal you can tighten it anti-clockwise.
Whatever the reason is, please remember that it’s recommended to buy your new pair of pedals from the same manufacturer.
Because other company’s pedals might not be compatible with your exercise bike. And after buying, you see that it is not fitting with your bike properly, it would be a waste of money.
In case you want a premium quality pedal made by another manufacturer, you should ensure the compatibility of the pedal with your exercise bike.
Usually, you can know the thread size of your bike’s pedal by following the manual. So use it for precise info and buy the same size thread as the original one.
For replacing your old pedal and installing a new pedal, you again need the help of a pedal wrench. And also a thread locker.
Now examine the bolt of your bike’s pedal. If you want to replace the left side pedal, you need to spin the bolt clockwise direction to detach it. On the opposite, if you want to replace the right side pedal, then you can rotate the bolt-on counterclockwise. Keep rotating the bolt until your bike’s pedal comes off.
Now take the replacement pedal and attach it with the bolt one by one. Position one or two of your thread lockers on the bike’s bolt and adjust the bolt to the hole.
Take a grip on the wrench, rotate the pedals till they become tight to your exercise bike. If you are changing the right pedal then rotate it clockwise with your fingers. Keep rotating it till the bike’s bolt gets fixed into the hole ideally. You can follow the same method for the left pedal, the only difference would be the pedals turning direction counterclockwise.
FOR THE PERFECT EXERCISE BIKE SHOE, READ – THE BEST CYCLING SHOES FOR WIDE FEET
How to solve Knocking Problems On An Exercise Bike?
The spin bike is well known for its pedal knocking problems. The reason behind the knocking might be several reasons. Mostly it occurs as a result of rust inside your pedal thread. In this case, you can use high-quality lubrication.
After removing the old pedal, now clean your pedals properly. When you will be going to install the new pedal, now lubricate the thread. It will fill up the micro gaps of the thread. Which will eventually reduce any vibration, knocking, and squeaking from your exercise bike’s pedal.
How to Fix the Pedal Strap?
If your bike has a strap attached pedal, then you might face difficulties keeping the proper tightness of your foot during your ride. So here I will help you fix your pedal strap problem easily.
You hold the strap and take it underneath through the spring roller and on top of the teeth. This is how you can clamp it tightly. But you have the option to pull it more according to your preference if you need more tension on your shoe.
One thing you should avoid is tangling the strap rather than doing the above-mentioned thing.
How To Fix Exercise Bike With No Pedal Resistance?
If suddenly on your workout time you find out that the pedal has no resistance that means your belt has come off the flywheel. So you need to open up the box or cover of the flywheel. Then if you see that the belt is on one side hanging, just try to put the belt with your hand in its place.
However, if you can’t put it perfectly in place with your hand then lose the other parts of the flywheel with a wrench. Now place the belt in its actual place.
Please be aware it might hurt a bit during the belt placing moment. After that, you should check if the pedal has got its resistance back. The pedal is supposed to get back the original resistance.
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Final Words
It’s important to know how to fix exercise bike pedals because they often break quickly. Even if you don’t know someone who would repair it for you, I hope after reading this article, you can do it yourself. So, no need to skip a day of training just because a pair of pedals are broken. Go all out, enjoy your exercise sessions.
