Tried to do the most simple of maintenance tasks today, simply to change the batteries in my Garmin Vector 3 peddles. Hardly requires a degree in Mechanical Engineering right? Well hours later I had to confess I was beaten 🙁

So what was so difficult?

First let me say that on the whole these have been a great bit of kit and well worth the (not inconsiderable!) price tag. I am probably not making best use of them yet as I am still in the process of learning how to build effective training around using power instead of HR. More about that another time perhaps.

Out riding last weekend and warning message popped up saying the batteries were running low. For the sake of a few quid, changing them before they ran out completely seemed like a good plan. Even better I remembered a conversation I heard at the club a while back as to where to find and how to access the batteries. It “just” needs an Allen Key…

Taking out the old batteries – childs play.

Dropping the new batteries repeatedly and spending ages trying to find them on the floor – inevitable.

But what I hadn’t remotely accounted for was just how tricky putting the b****y thing back together could be!

You basically have to load the batteries into the pedal and then line the cap up with two contacts and try and align it flush to the thread. It is this last point that became impossible!!! Grrrr! Two hours of cross threading it and pretty much knackering the threads in the process, I had to give up and take the other “walk of shame” into a local bike shop (huge thanks to them!) to ask for their assistance. I have no idea what magic the lady behind the counter worked… Perhaps she had pedal pixies at her disposal, but in a couple of minutes she had it sorted…

Take from this what you wish. But my advice is that come the inevitable day that requires a battery change you head to your bike palace armed with sandwiches and a flask. Like me, you could be gone for some time!