Lefty loosey righty tighty

[Dogtrousers]

Inspired by yesterday's wordle I'd like to say how much the saying "Lefty loosey righty tighty" annoys me.

How much? A moderate amount.

I came across it relatively recently (this century) on the web, so I'm guessing it originated in the US. Not that I have a problem with that. I have a problem with the fact that it's stupid.

There's nothing inherently "righty" about clockwise, which is "tighty". If you have a spanner in the 12 o'clock position, sure, if you push the free end right it turns clockwise. But if it's at 3 you push it down, at 6 you push it left, at 9 you push it up. So it could be right, left, up or down.

If you have a screwdriver rather than a spanner, you rotate it. It's neither left nor right.

So why not just remember that clockwise goes forwards (like time) and anticlockwise backwards (like time).

Did the mnemonic arise in the digital age where no one understands what a clock face is?

I'm hazarding a guess that it's related to a world where everyone drives a car. Turn the steering wheel clockwise, it steers right. Despite that explanation I still think it is stupid.

 

[N0bodyOfTheGoat]

Have fun with this on the non-driveside pedals.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Have fun with this on the non-driveside pedals.

I remember once removing a pedal that had a hex socket rather than (or perhaps as well as) 15mm flats. I carefully reminded myself that the left pedal was the "wrong way". I started heaving on the Allen key. It wouldn't shift. I got some extra leverage, the cheap Allen key turned into a barber's pole. I then realised that although I was turning it the correct way (clockwise to undo) I was looking at it from the wrong side! Doh!

 

[T4tomo]

I agree, clockwise tightens things - how hard is that to remember? Not very. Non drive side pedal is reverse thread - again not difficult to remember.

I have also confused myself with a hex key at the back of a pedal - I have to picture it from the other side in my head and then make sure it goes the correct way, if you happen to be leant over the bike, effectively upside down doing it, its even more confusing.

 

[Vapin' Joe]

It's like reaching under a car to undo the sump plug. It takes me about thirty seconds to figure out which way to turn the thing.

 

[Paulus]

Have fun with this on the non-driveside pedals.

And a driveside fixed bearing cup.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Have fun with this on the non-driveside pedals.

You mean left pedal?

 

[Yellow Saddle]

And a driveside fixed bearing cup.

You mean right bearing cup?

 

[Yellow Saddle]

It's like reaching under a car to undo the sump plug. It takes me about thirty seconds to figure out which way to turn the thing.

It's easy, lefty loosey, righty tighty. Just ask @Dogtrousers, he'll tell you.

 

[Dogtrousers]

You mean left pedal?

You mean right bearing cup?

Well it's all relative. If you're upside down when looking at the bike from behind then the non-drive side is ... hang on, which hand is my watch on? Lefty righty rootie tootie.

 

[All uphill]

Clockwisey tighty, anticlockwisey loosey.

No, I don't think it will catch on.

 

[Webbo2]

I have a friend who having turned his bike upside down proceeded to screw the pedal in to the wrong side of the crank.

 

[Ian H]

Inspired by yesterday's wordle I'd like to say how much the saying "Lefty loosey righty tighty" annoys me.

How much? A moderate amount.

I came across it relatively recently (this century) on the web, so I'm guessing it originated in the US. Not that I have a problem with that. I have a problem with the fact that it's stupid.

There's nothing inherently "righty" about clockwise, which is "tighty". If you have a spanner in the 12 o'clock position, sure, if you push the free end right it turns clockwise. But if it's at 3 you push it down, at 6 you push it left, at 9 you push it up. So it could be right, left, up or down.

If you have a screwdriver rather than a spanner, you rotate it. It's neither left nor right.

So why not just remember that clockwise goes forwards (like time) and anticlockwise backwards (like time).

Did the mnemonic arise in the digital age where no one understands what a clock face is?

I'm hazarding a guess that it's related to a world where everyone drives a car. Turn the steering wheel clockwise, it steers right. Despite that explanation I still think it is stupid.

The engineering world does refer to left-hand and right-hand threads.

 

[classic33]

I agree, clockwise tightens things - how hard is that to remember? Not very. Non drive side pedal is reverse thread - again not difficult to remember.

I have also confused myself with a hex key at the back of a pedal - I have to picture it from the other side in my head and then make sure it goes the correct way, if you happen to be leant over the bike, effectively upside down doing it, its even more confusing.

Pedals are easy, both go the same way.
Back to front coming off, front to back going on.

 

[Dogtrousers]

The engineering world does refer to left-hand and right-hand threads.

So the engineers' version of the mnemonic, covering both thread handednesses would be something like: lefty righty loosey, righty righty tighty, lefty lefty tighty, righty lefty loosie.