Just found my 1000th stripped pedal thread in a rental fleet bike

I work at a shop in a beach town, and we maintain a fleet of 200 rental cruisers. Yesterday, I pulled a bike for a creaky crank and found the left pedal thread was totally gone, just smooth metal. My repair log says it was number 1000 for stripped pedal threads since I started here three years ago. I guess that's what happens when tourists try to force pedals on with pure enthusiasm and no grease. Has anyone else hit a weirdly specific repair number that made you laugh?

4 comments

4 Comments

maxl931mo agoTop Commenter

Ever try to fix one with a helicoil?

murray.robert8d ago

That "tourist torque" thing is dead on, fiona_carr26. I swear some people think pedals need to be torqued down like a lug nut on a semi truck. Helicoils work okay @maxl93, but on aluminum cranks you're usually just buying time before the whole arm needs replacing.

fiona_carr261mo ago

Tourist torque is no joke.

simonk981mo ago

Remember that time my cousin borrowed my socket set and came back with a rounded-off bolt head on my lawnmower? He claimed he was "just snugging it up." @fiona_carr26, your tourist torque comment makes total sense now. Some people just have no feel for how tight things should be. It's like they think every fastener needs to be cranked until it screams.