How to Change the Crank on a Spinning Bike

Spinning bikes are refined pieces of equipment used by health clubs, gyms, and individuals for hard cycling workouts. Spinning bikes are made to take a beating; however, one area of the bike that is constantly abused, but rarely maintained properly, is the crank. The crank is the sprocket and pedal arm assembly that bears the weight and pressure of the rider day in and day out. Sometimes due to this constant pressure the crank can become bent or stiff because of worn-out bearings. In the case of a warped or worn-out crank, you can simply change it out for a new one and keep on pedaling!

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• New crank arm assembly for your model of spinning bike Bottom bracket tool Screwdriver set Sprocket set Pedal Wrench

1. Begin by removing all the plastic shrouding around the crank assembly. The plastic is held on by small metal screws which can be removed using the screwdriver set. When all the shrouding has been removed, use the ratchet set to loosen the chain adjustment bolts on the rear wheel of the bike.

2. Slip the chain off the front crank and then use the pedal wrench to remove the right and left pedals. Use the bottom bracket wrench to loosen the circular ring on the right-hand side of the crank, then repeat for the left side. Most spinning cranks are one-piece units, so slide the bottom bracket rings off the crank arms and then pull the crank through the right side of the bottom bracket.

3. Install the new crank by reversing the removal process. Slide the new crank into the bottom bracket, screw the bottom bracket rings in tightly, and then put the pedals back on. Slide the chain back onto the sprocket and then tighten up the chain adjustment bolts. Bolt all the plastic shrouding back on and you are done.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember that the pedals and bottom bracket rings are reverse threaded, so to tighten them you turn counter clockwise instead of clockwise.

Resources

• Buy parts and accessories for your spinning bikes here

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[costamesawill]

on 10/12/2009 Great article! Thanks!
Another great resource for spinning bike maintenance answers is Studiocycles.com or BikeTekUSA.com. Both offer really informative manuals on how to maintain and get the most out of your bike.