Originally Posted by
SBRDude
The disadvantage to being clipped in is the cost of the pedals and need for cycling shoes with special cleats for the clips. That also means walking around in cycling shoes off the bike, which may or may not be an issue. If it is an issue, there are more "walk friendly" shoes available. The downside to many of those is that they flex, which is good for walking, but less efficient for cycling. Another disadvantage is that there is a bit of a learning curve to getting out of the clips and it's not uncommon for new users to fall over at stoplights.
The pedals that Machka refers to are an excellent way to have both styles in one pedal. I use something similar on a bike for around town.
Your disadvantages are pretty minor. Pedals are very cheap. A set of Shimano clipless mountain bike pedals can be had for around $40. You can find others for much, much less. Shoes aren't all that expensive even compared to regular walking shoes. Mountain bike shoes are every bit as stiff as road bike shoes
and you can walk in them...sometimes for miles
One of the huge advantages of clipless...or clips for that matter...is that you feet are attached to the bike. Hitting a pothole at 30 mph and having your feet slip off pedals is far more frightening than falling over...at slow speed...with your feet still attached to the bike.
Originally Posted by
lechatmort
I just got a simiilar one, the A530. They're easier to service, and have a flat bottom instead of a cage which people say is more comfortable while riding in soft-soled shoes. Haven't tried both so I wouldn't know really. The nice thing about the PDM324 is that you can add proper pedal reflectors.
I still need to work on my pedal flipping technique though
My wife tried the A520 after using M520 (2 sided mountain bike pedals) and hated them. She didn't like flipping them up at each stop. She's not all that thrilled about clipless anyway...she's crashed a couple of times but who hasn't
...but they seem to be growing on her.