Lungimsam- you were right. The GR-9's are too narrow. They are pretty much perfect for use with my skinny, firm-soled Sambas, but just a little narrow for use with my trail running shoes... so not versatile enough for this urban commuter/touring bike.

I've ridden enough old 10 speeds to know I'm not a giant fan of the rat trap pedals so I actually cancelled the sylvans and went with the AR-2, which seemed to suit my needs better: http://www.amazon.com/MKS-Extra-Trac...ywords=ar2+mks

The possibly bigger problem was the steel clips... too skinny and easy for my feet to slip through either side, and they felt flimsy and like they were going to break if I let them drag on the asphalt. I like my old plastic MTB clips better, so I went with those instead and will use the leather straps. After some research into this, I was tempted to run double MTB clips/straps (like my first bike as a kid), but there just aren't many pedals that adapt double straps (I feel like I should design some widened platforms that do!).

Anyway I'm considering keeping these GR-9's and steel clips for day trips with my Sambas, but I could probably get my money back as I serviced the bearings on them... so pm me if interested. Thanks for everyone's input!