Originally Posted by
joejack951
What issues did you have with the Wellgo pedals? I have many thousands of miles on Performance and Nashbar branded SPD pedals (relabled Wellgo pedals as far as I can tell) and they've worked quite well for me. As long as you have them adjusted properly, entry and exit are a breeze and you don't come unclipped. I've been commuting on two different sets (two different bikes) of Performance Forte SPDs for 5 years now.
For a new rider, I would hesistate to recommend SPD-SLs or any other single sided road pedal because they do require a considerable amount of extra attention for clipping in and you better be prepared to unclip when the time comes. SPDs or Crank Bros. pedals are much eaiser enter and exit and cheap enough that upgrading after a short time won't break the bank (you can always move them to a different bike so that they don't go unused).
I've never had an "off brand" pedal, SPD or ARC compatible (Wellgo, Nashbar or Performance), that I can enter or exit as easily as Shimano. I've tried many and I always come back to Shimano. To me, it isn't worth the savings.
I agree SPD-SL isn't the best for a new rider but the OP bought shoes that are 3 hole and it seems that SPD-SL would be a good option as the entry-level Shimano SPD-SLs are reasonably priced and easy to enter/exit. Had the OP been starting with nothing, I would have recommended M520s with MTB shoes.