Page 1 of 2

Lightweight Pedal Spanners?

Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2018 10:36 am
by Richard G
Anyone got any suggestions for this? Realistically for carrying for the entire of a ride so you can get your pedals on at the start / off at the end.

I've bought two different (light) ones and both have failed at getting the pedals back off. I guess the other option would be taking something heavier, throwing it away and buying another at the end (or finding a friendly bike shop). Not exactly financially or environmentally friendly though.

(No hex key option on the pedals I use)

Re: Lightweight Pedal Spanners?

Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2018 11:45 am
by Richard G
This looks reasonably promising, though I don't know how heavy it is...

Image

https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/TOJOMPSKB ... tle-opener

Re: Lightweight Pedal Spanners?

Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2018 2:49 pm
by Blair512
My pedals can be taken on and off using an Allen key from the back of the crank, if you had pedals that do this then you could do it with a multi tool which I assume you'd be carrying anyway?

Re: Lightweight Pedal Spanners?

Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2018 3:08 pm
by PaulE
If you've got a fairly robust seatpost ( so not carbon!) You could use a cut down 15mm spanner, with the seatpost giving leverage.

Re: Lightweight Pedal Spanners?

Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2018 3:47 pm
by Solo
Blair512 wrote:My pedals can be taken on and off using an Allen key from the back of the crank, if you had pedals that do this then you could do it with a multi tool which I assume you'd be carrying anyway?
+1 for new pedals :-bd

Re: Lightweight Pedal Spanners?

Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2018 4:02 pm
by Richard G
Yeah, new pedals isn't a good solution. I know what works for me, and those are it.

Don't fix what aint broke. :P

Re: Lightweight Pedal Spanners?

Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2018 7:50 pm
by Alpinum
Toppeak's Alien II multi tool come with one.
As small as (just about) feasible.

Re: Lightweight Pedal Spanners?

Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2018 9:21 pm
by lune ranger
In the past I've used a 15mm cone spanner for this.
Pretty light but not at all robust. It's absolutely fine for putting the pedals on and if you don't over tighten them (hard with a cone spanner) it's fine for getting them off too.

Re: Lightweight Pedal Spanners?

Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2018 9:35 pm
by Richard G
That's what I tried last time, but alas, despite barely tightening them, I bent the spanner trying to get them back off. =/

Re: Lightweight Pedal Spanners?

Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2018 9:44 pm
by AlasdairMc
Alpinum wrote:Toppeak's Alien II multi tool come with one.
As small as (just about) feasible.
This. Get one as a spare and use it with your regular 8mm Allen key

Re: Lightweight Pedal Spanners?

Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2018 10:00 pm
by lune ranger
Richard G wrote:That's what I tried last time, but alas, despite barely tightening them, I bent the spanner trying to get them back off. =/
Guess I'm lucky to have puny arms then

Re: Lightweight Pedal Spanners?

Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2018 7:56 am
by techno
This will work if you can find one, if not you can borrow mine for the trip. Weighs 95g.

http://velobase.com/ViewTool.aspx?ID=f5 ... &AbsPos=14

Re: Lightweight Pedal Spanners?

Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2018 8:02 am
by Cheeky Monkey
Regular spanner. Some fit pedal flats or can be made to with judicious filing / grinding. Cut off the ring end (weight saving) and as much handle as practical / you dare / might work with your seatpost as leverage.

Re: Lightweight Pedal Spanners?

Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2018 8:21 am
by Richard G
techno mail wrote:This will work if you can find one, if not you can borrow mine for the trip. Weighs 95g.

http://velobase.com/ViewTool.aspx?ID=f5 ... &AbsPos=14
Interesting. Seems the new version is the Park Tool HCW-6, but it's a good amount heavier unfortunately.

Will keep an eye out for one of the older sort.

This looks like a similar sort of size / weight, but no idea what the quality would be like: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bottom-Bracket ... 00PYMFRNE/
Cheeky Monkey wrote:Regular spanner. Some fit pedal flats or can be made to with judicious filing / grinding. Cut off the ring end (weight saving) and as much handle as practical / you dare / might work with your seatpost as leverage.
Yeah, that's definitely an option. I Though the seatpost is out for leverage (carbon).

Re: Lightweight Pedal Spanners?

Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2018 3:23 pm
by Richard G
Good news, the Jobsworth one I posted the picture of above is only 70g! Arrived today, and looks like it might do the trick.

15mm spanner, bottle opener, spoke wrench and tyre lever. Win.

Re: Lightweight Pedal Spanners?

Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2018 4:54 pm
by pistonbroke
And it fits behind your bottle cage so no chance of forgetting it.

Re: Lightweight Pedal Spanners?

Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2018 5:20 pm
by dlovett
Richard G wrote:Good news, the Jobsworth one I posted the picture of above is only 70g! Arrived today, and looks like it might do the trick.

15mm spanner, bottle opener, spoke wrench and tyre lever. Win.
But can it make cocktails though.....

Re: Lightweight Pedal Spanners?

Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2018 9:48 am
by Zippy
Here's what I'd probably do in your situation. Dunno if it's lighter, but I'd probably trust it a bit more, and has a reasonable range of versatility. I own all these tools in one form or another.

15mm claw foot spanner (open ended required)

Image
These are normally 3/8" drive.

So then either a bit adaptor to 3/8" drive. (Stubby versions do exist - or certainly in 1/4" drive anyway...)

Image

So then you can use something like this, and use this instead of your allen key multi-tool with the correct sized allen/torx bits etc.

Image

Or actually I'd use this as it has a bit more strength, and can use bit adaptors:

Image

You would need a 1/4" drive to 3/8" drive adaptor for that one.

This is some of what I have stashed in my drawers at work... - oh and clarke pro stuff is on a par with halfords pro imho, and has lifetime warranty :-bd

Image
045 (14-02-2018) by Chris Reeves, on Flickr

The above setup is probably a bit heavier, but once you ditch your multi-tool and use the bits instead with that, the weight comes down a bit. Day to day I use a standard multi-tool on the bike as it's less faffy, but on a long ride where the bike is probably in good shape so tools only needed for emergencies, I may bring a setup like that, and use tiny neodymium magnets to hold the screwdriver bits together.

Re: Lightweight Pedal Spanners?

Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2018 6:21 pm
by Lazarus
https://www.tritoncycles.co.uk/tools-c1 ... nner-p4228

park pedal spanner/ bottle opener/tyre lever - no weight mentioned on it though

Re: Lightweight Pedal Spanners?

Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2018 7:33 pm
by Richard G
Looks like 219g from what I can see.

Re: Lightweight Pedal Spanners?

Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2018 9:33 pm
by Pat
Knippex pliers? They are spendy, but lovely! I use my little 5" er all the time! Fnar, fnar

Re: Lightweight Pedal Spanners?

Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2018 11:19 am
by Zippy
Pat wrote:Knippex pliers? They are spendy, but lovely! I use my little 5" er all the time! Fnar, fnar
Like these?

Image

One of my favourite tools in my toolbox actually! Knipex make the best pliers imho. Spendy, but worth it :ugeek: :-bd

Re: Lightweight Pedal Spanners?

Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2018 4:39 pm
by Richard G
So amusingly, the pedals I was thinking about actually do have the hex key hole, but you can't use a pedal spanner on them. :lol:

That said, that little pedal spanner works perfectly. Good little bit of kit.

Re: Lightweight Pedal Spanners?

Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2018 5:07 pm
by Cheeky Monkey
:MASSIVE FACEPALM:

Re: Lightweight Pedal Spanners?

Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2018 5:19 pm
by Richard G
I'm fairly zen about it. I have a funky bottle opener out of it if nothing else. :lol: