Throwmeabone

I've been trying out some half clips that are like short toe clips that don't take straps. I like that they keep my feet from slipping forward, but at the same time they lock my feet into one position. It's good for power (balls of the foot over the pedal axle), but at the same time, it can cause some foot discomfort from not being able to move my feet around. I could just flip the pedals around as needed, but then the clips drag on the ground especially while turning.

I went on a brief ride today without them and realized how much I had gotten used to them. I could barely keep my feet on the pedals! One time my foot slid completely off and actually struck the ground.

But besides not being able to change foot position, I don't feel comfortable using them at lights. I want to be able to pedal really hard right when a light turns green to keep up with traffic, but instead of struggling to get both feet in, I usually just leave one foot out and pedal sort of lopsided until I have some more breathing room to get it in.

Any thoughts on pedals?

charles vail

For me, plain double sided BMX pin or cage style pedals work the best for ease of use. I can wear any normal shoe for any weather and I can get into and out of them quickly. My foot is free to find an alternate spot for comfort and I never get foot pain or hot spots using them. They require no special maintenance and performance is as good as I need. I don't however believe retention style pedals have any significant performance benefit. Others may differ.

turtletwins2002

After using clips and straps and look road pedals (206?) and not liking them for some of the same reasons you listed, I switched to some speedplay frog pedals. They have tons of float and the advantage of being double sided, no need to ever even consider looking down. Since there is no spring pressure to overcome, they are very easy to get into and out of, even at slow speeds. In addition, you can choose from the much hipper and comfortable MTB style shoes, which will allow you to walk when necessary.

nashcommguy

+1 here. Different types of commuting calls for different types of pedals. I got used to dual-sided clipless SPDs a while ago on a long distance tour and find them most comfortable for all my riding. Platforms are good for running errands in 'street' shoes when going on/off the bike frequently(I use my touring shoes for those situations). I've got several pairs of mtb/touring and road shoes, but all my bikes have dual-sided spd clipless. Even my wife's bike has Shimano PD-520s and she loves them. Mine are all Wellgo cheapies. Some I've had for over 10 years w/no probs. Was thinking of moving to 'eggbeaters', but if it ain't broke, don't fix it. My wife and I w/minor seat adjustments can use any bike in our fleet. Once I moved to clipless it was 'goodbye toe clips', but I still have a high regard for them and those who use them.

huhenio

meh ... I use my road pedals and shoes every day.

rmp5s

+1

I do the same.

But...I haven't been riding long and I've never tried clipless or toe clips so what do I know?

koko_t

Yup +1. BUT my commute is relatively short (less than 10 miles) with 2 hills. I used to ride SPD clipless, and these are definitely my favorite type of pedals for long road rides and mountain biking, but for the commute, I love being able to ride in the shoes (or sandals!) that I will be wearing at work, and not worrying about shoe changes. I also frequently go from one side of campus to the other, and not having to change shoes for a 5 minute ride is also a big bonus.

I see no disadvantage, performance or efficiency wise, with my big DH platform pedals, but this is probably because my ride is relatively short. Once I got used to not being clipped in, it was like it freeeeed my mind...free the heel, free the mind (oh whoops, wrong forum )

Paraphen

I've been using toe clips because that's what was on the bike when it was handed down to me. I ended up sticking a pair of bolts through the back side of both pedals to give me a little more to grab at with my toe when flipping them around which has made it a lot easier to get in them from starting out, though there's still the occasional traffic light start where I end up just giving it a few quick mashes with an upside down pedal and sort things out on the other side. I'm sure I could get by without them, but I've got fairly large, clumsy feet and usually avoid shifting gears during the downtown part of my ride, so I like the security of knowing if I need to throttle up to 100+ RPM for a few seconds to make that stoplight, my feet aren't going to slip off.

I'd love to switch to clipless pedals, but I'm broke and all, so that's not gonna happen for a while.

martianone

My preference is for flat/BMX style pedals;
have big feet and ride with a variety of footwear- depending upon the time of year.
The Shimano MX-30 is a good choice- works well, fits large shoes/boots and has taken
the use from a heavier rider. they are a little on the expensive side.

zed4130

i like spd style peds, double sided and mtb's shoes, easy to work in , i use spd peds on all my bikes, easy to use ,

BarracksSi

Big clipless platforms. Won't drag on the ground like unused toe clips, use almost any shoe, usable for mashing away from a stoplight, and still clipless.

huhenio

clipless road pedals ... that is what i meant

icedmocha 

I switched from spd's to BMX. I am so glad that I changed. It is cheaper, easier to ride (hop on and go!), and causes less waste. Clip-in's require additional shoes et al.

keytree

I use some variety of MKS platform pedals on all my bikes. Really well-made and nice-looking. I`ve never felt comfortable using clipless pedals when riding busy city streets.

m_yates

Platform pedals for me....I tried pedals with clips, but it was a pain to get my foot in and out of while stopping. I also don't think it helps that much with pedaling efficiency compared to plain old platform pedals.

I have some cheap Dimension platform road pedals that I have used for ~1200 miles. They are not adjustable. When those wear out, I plan on buying MKS platform pedals with adjustable bearings that can be re-packed.

d2create

I think the best pedals for commuting are the "campus" style pedals with the clip on one side and regular platform on the other.

Or if you have the balls to say F.U. to The Man, get some studded bmx style pedals. Like McDonald's... I'm lovin it.

capolover

I have BMX resin pedals with my capo. I thought about getting some clips to pop in and out of but...

IDK, I only commute 12 miles, and though I do have some hills i never feel that I'm going to slip or anything.

boredo

I commuted on platforms, SPDs, and clips and straps before settling on Powergrips, which feel like the best match for commuting conditions. Compared to clips, they're a bit easier to get in and out of, don't scrape the ground as much, and having the toe free allows for more fore-aft adjustment and easier adjustment to wearing different kinds of shoes. They also don't scuff the toes of my work shoes like the clips did a little.

capolover

Those powergrips look fun.

Pretty secure i take it?

boredo

Those powergrips look fun.

Pretty secure i take it?

Yeah, I would say they're at least as secure in feel as clips and straps. You stick your toe through at the angle of the opening, and then straighten your foot to snug the strap (see the "How they work" page on the website). A nice side effect of the design is you can control the snugness a bit by choosing how far through the strap to put your foot. The farther in your foot goes, the wider your shoe is and the more snug the retention.

Longfemur

Absolutely no contest. For commuting or most riding that isn't road racing, mountain bike style SPD (or SPD compatible), walkable shoes. Once you have used this system, I can't imagine anyone going back to toe clips or ordinary pedals. Toe clips are especially inconvenient in the stop and go kind of riding that most commuting consists of. You can't really make the most of a road bike position without using either clips or clipless pedals. On bicycles where you are sitting more upright and further back behind the bottom bracket, you can do without foot restraint just because you are pushing down on the pedals in a different way. But if you want to be an efficient cyclist on a bike which uses a more forward, more bent over position (and it doesn't have to be a road bike), you shouldn't be pushing down on the pedals. You should be smoothly twirling them. For that, you need toe clips or clipless. Forget about the pulling up on the pedals stuff. It's more for the purpose of starting the forward motion earlier as the pedal comes over the top, and later follow through as the pedal goes past the the 6 o'clock position.

I tried testing my own advice recently by going back to toe clips. I couldn't wait to put my SPD pedals back on after a good trial period of a whole week.

rlrct

I commute with Shimano SPD dual-sided mountain pedals. I need to walk from where I lock my bike up to the fitness center to shower, and the mountain bike shoes make that a lot easier. I used to use road pedals and a beat up pair of moccasins for the walk. I like the advantage of the dual-sided peals. When I'm taking off from a stoplight, it's easier to get it or pedal unclipped than the old road pedals.

exarkuhn15

I've got Power Grips attached to those big Nashbar Jaws pedals - I wanted some cheap platforms that were bigger than standard pedals, since my feet are on the bigger side. It took a bit of work to get the powergrips on the Jaws pedals, but they're on, and work great.

I love not having to wear special shoes, and I can easily flip them over and ride on the platform side if I want to wear sandals (the Power Grip material is pretty hard, so you likely wouldn't want to use them with sandals on, at least in my experience). Because the powergrips aren't really that long, I find that they don't really drag on the ground.

I've never ridden clipless, and I do all my riding in the city, so I have to stop or slow almost every block for pedestrians, stop signs, and red lights, so clipless seem like a bit of a pain, because when I'm riding I'm typically going somewhere where I'll be walking around - so I don't want special shoes.

I don't really need a foot retention system, but I like having my feet attached in some way - keeps you from falling if you're gears skip at just the wrong moment when you're cranking away.

The best thing I've found for city riding? Use Power Grips, but only keep 1 foot in them at a time! That way you can always put a foot down at a red light, you're still always somewhat connected to the pedals, and it makes it really easy to pull up on the pedals when stopped at a light to get them in the perfect position for starting off again. I find this is a great balance.

lil brown bat

Same here, you can pedal not clipped in if you need to (in heavy ro sketchy traffic I'll frequently pop one foot out and ride for a block or more). I loathe toe clips but that's a personal preference. It's just what you like best.

alhedges

I moved back to toe clips after a couple of years of clipless. I moved away from clipless because: (1) I didn't like having to change shoes; and (2) the downtown portion of my commute is pretty urban, and I feel safer in loose toeclips and (loose) straps.

The shoes issue is even more clear for my noncommuting trips, most of which are 1/2 -1 mile away; "gotta get some milk, better change my shoes" got kind of old.