Introduction: Pop-On Bicycle Pedal Version 2.0

About: I make stuff, or at least I try. When I'm am not making things, I enjoy learning what I can in the areas of history, religion, electronics, and 3D printing.

Hi all.

Biking is a great outside activity for both physical exercise and leisure enjoyment. It does not, however, come without its challenges. One challenge I have faced as a bicyclist is broken pedals. To address this, I wanted to create a simple bicycle pedal replacement that could be used in the case of a broken pedal and could be installed without the use of any tools whatsoever. Enter the Pop-On Bicycle Pedal.

As you might guess from the title of this post, this is sort of a follow-up instructables to my previously posted Pop-On Bicycle Pedaland introduces a revision of my original pedal design. The main body structure of Version 2 is very similar to Version 1, but the attachment mechanism is quite different. I decided to update my design because I not only wanted the pedal to be a bit more robust, but also wanted to be able to take the pedal off without breaking it (something that is hard, if not impossible, to do with my first pedal).

Step 1: What You'll Need

Tools Needed:

- 3D Printer with minimum build volume: of 30mm x 90mm x 100mm

Materials Needed:

- Plastic printer filament

You could use ABS or PLA to print this pedal; I used PLA.

Step 2: Let's Print It

After you've gotten your 3D printer ready and loaded with filament, print the thing. Download the STL files below and create the gcode with a CAM software. When printing my pedal, I used the following specifications:

Layer Height: 0.2 mm

Infill: 35%

Shells: 3

The pedal itself will need a small amount of support material, though the other pieces will print just fine by themselves.


Step 3: How It Works

Differing from the Version 1 (pictured on right) design, that had only two separate pieces, Version 2 (pictured on left) has four pieces. The catch mechanism of Version 1 was made up a ring of angled teeth inside the axle shaft. Once the pedal had been pushed onto the axle, the cap would then be put in place to hold the teeth under the washer on the end of the axle. While this design worked okay, it did have some major cons. The teeth were relatively thin and could break more easily I would like. Secondly, once the teeth were in place under the washer, there was no feasible way to take the pedal back off without also breaking the teeth.

Instead of having the catch mechanism fixed in place, Version 2 features two clips (red and orange) that are inserted into the axle shaft from the sides. The cap (blue) is then inserted into the shaft and interlocked with the clips, holding them securely in place. Besides being more robust then the teeth, the clips can be removed after being installed, making the Pop-On Pedal Version 2 a reusable part unlike Version 1.

Step 4: Install Your Pedal

Once you've printed the pedal and lock mechanism, you can now pop it on your bike.

First, slide the pedal onto the the pedal axle. Then push the clips into place on either side of the pedal. Finally, pop the cap into place to secure the clips. And that's it. There are no wrenches or ratchets to put away; you are free to ride away.

Thanks for reading this instructables post and enjoy your Pop-On Bicycle Pedal!

jlaake