I’ve never used these, but my new Qu-ax cranks come with a huge relief cutout around the pedal thread which really looks like it’s designed to take one. I have also wondered if I should have them with my Nimbus Venture cranks. Am I supposed to be using them, or does it not really matter?
Really necessary? Probably not. People get by without them all the time.
Good idea? Absolutely. They prevent galling of the aluminum face of the cranks. I buy them practically in bulk from the local bike shop.
I never use a pedal washer. There’s nothing wrong with dirty pedals.
Washers? same as with grease, make me wonder; do you want your pedals to sit tight, or not?
Are you telling me that my pedals will come loose if I don’t use washers and grease? Or if I do use them?
I always grease pedals and never use washers only with my ti axled echo tr and spirits
I always grease my pedals too. It’s common bike shop practice (at least in the 3 I worked at 20 years ago). They won’t come loose if you tighten them properly, and will come loose when you need them to. Ungreased parts that have been together for years and have been exposed to the elements can take heroic efforts to separate and may be destroyed in the process.
I don’t have any experience or opinions on pedal washers, but I can add that it is always a good idea to put an anti-seize compound (whether in the form of regular grease, white lithium grease, molybdenum disulphide, or whatever) whenever you have a steel part being inserted into an aluminum part (or vice versa). If not, an electrolytic reaction takes place over time that causes corrosion/oxidation, and can make them very difficult to get apart. (It’s not a bad idea with two similar metals also.)
Cranks with single sided pedal inserts will need pedal washers to prevent the insert from loosening, K1 al regular cranks for instance.
I always grease my pedal threads (and in fact any other threaded fastener on a bike/uni - well apart from those which are under low tension and so need thread lock like bearing clamp bolts). Was trying to get clarification of Leo’s comments though.
Grease (as in grease) is meant to prevent friction (like lube on condoms prevent friction).
Neither does belong on a pedal, as you do not wish to have movement, in particular not on unicycles on which you do backward riding (especially SIF/SIB/seatdrag), or carry passengers, which all make pedals come off, like of your L pedals is R and R is L.
You may consider the kind of “grease” looking substance to prevent metals to stick together. I guess “thread sealant” is the proper English.
However, this still wont contribute to having more tight pedals.
I believe rather still the opposite.
A believe that grows especially since getting un-greased pedals off is usually harder.
But, there’s anything between greasy stuff and Locktite.
I never used any grease there, not even on ERGAL and alike insert / Titanium axle combinations (of which people predicted cold fusion or so - but until now I have not noticed that, yet).
And not on any steel pedal ax or insert combination either.
In fact; if I get new pedals with some on it, then I take it off immediately with benzene.
Also mind, I travel a lot with my unicycle; and to have it fit into my suitcase I frequently have to disassemble the pedals. I never encountered any insurmountable troubles.
Oh, and I like to mention I ride my unicycle often in wet conditions.
The same count for rings, I fail to see how they would contribute or improve.
Yep, grease prevents friction, which is why it is always used on threaded fasteners in industry - it means that you get a reliable and repeatable tension on your “bolt” for a given installation torque, as the majority of the torque is going into tensioning the interface rather than friction. If you install your “bolt” dry then you get an unpredictable amount of friction and hence an unpredictable installation tension. Meanwhile once a bolt is done up, whether you use grease or install dry makes very little difference to the torque required to initially loosen the bolt (always assuming you’re not getting galling between the parts which grease would prevent).
As for riding backwards etc., would it help if I mentioned that the cranks I mention in my OP are going on a Schlumpf 29er? 
I heard from reputable sources that grease is a good idea. I always grease my pedal threads and never have problems with them coming undone.
Leo, if you ungrease your pedals with benzene (benzeen in Dutch), please be advised that this is carcinogenic. Better use petrol or white spirit (in Dutch Ibenzine[/I]).
As to washers: I would say yes especially in aluminium cranks (without steel inserts). Aluminium creeps somewhat under tension, so you’ll have to retighten the pedals repeatedly over time. In the process, the outmost thread of the crank will tend to deform and bulge out somewhat, to the extent that the pedal will be somewhat difficult to get out: you need a tool even for the last bit of unscrewing. And once the pedal is out, it may be impossible to get it (or a replacement) back in again. A steel washer prevents this deformation, in my experience.
Measured over somewhat longer period of use, using full body weight (or of two bodies) and numerous variation in force and unpredictable angles all over the length of the axle (like reality), or, a instant constant needed with a narrow tool (like in “lab” conditions, measured at the spot where the tool was applied)?
Certainly, that’s why I used the words “in particular”.
And in case of a Schlumpf or alike unicycle that you likely only use outdoor… then even I might like to use it in case the axle isnt CroMo or Ti, but a metal which does corrodes.
Another thing; it’s cleaner in my suitcase to. Though I know there’s greasy thread-lockers that become dry and like powder.
I never ruined thread, but I would not be surprised if that would happen over time when using the cheaper axles .
Ah, exactly, that’s the words I was looking for, but couldn’t find. See; I told you before your English translations skills are excellent!
Google Translate didn’t help me, so I start to think I was wrong.
Anyway, yes; it’s white spirit down in my kitchen cabinet, and not benzene.