I have some new pedals on my bike! They are quite chunky, and very white. For some reason, Essex is coming to mind... They actually match the bike itself, a quarter-century old Raleigh Marauder that seems to be made of cast iron and has retained its murky whiteness despite serious peeling, rust and grime.
The old pedals made a noise like putting cats through a mincer. Pedestrians twenty metres ahead would jump and look around in fear, unaware that it was just the gentle pressure of my right ankle that was causing the noise. The right pedal in particular was so jammed up (no bearings, and rusty metal was grinding on plastic, I guess) that sometimes it would stick, and eject my foot at the top of its circuit, leading me to practise my kicking moves rather against my will as I sauntered down the High Street, or, more worryingly, battled along a major road with little margin for error.
It took the bike repair man all afternoon to get the pedals off. Spanners, levers and the weight of two men couldn't do it. A mysterious "heat gun" was employed, though I never got to see it.
