Just found out most bike shops don't actually grease pedal threads

Was reading through the Park Tool blog last night and it hit me. All these years I've been slathering grease on pedal threads thinking I was doing it right. Apparently most manufacturers say to use a dry install or just a tiny dab of anti-seize. If you over-grease you can actually mess with the torque spec and the pedal might back out. Caught me totally off guard. Has anyone here actually had a pedal fall off because of too much grease?

2 comments

2 Comments

piper1751mo ago

The Park Tool blog got me reading the same thing last week. I've got a set of Shimano SPDs that I've been greasing for years, never had an issue. But I ride mainly dry roads, no rain or mud. Are you thinking this is more of a concern for mountain bikers who are dealing with wet conditions and mud, where grease could actually wash out faster than a dry install?

hugo501mo ago

Take that idea a step further - I think the real issue is less about the grease itself and more about how it traps grit in wet conditions. If you're riding in slop, that grease turns into a nice little paste for grinding your bearings down faster than a dry install ever would. But for road riders like us, it's probably one of those things where the "right" way doesn't actually matter much in practice.