On the other hand, don't be swayed by the lone voice against clipless. A lone voice that, by the way, advocates two much more difficult systems to master than clipless. I've ridden toe clips and straps, Power Grips, Look style clipless, single sided SPD and two sided SPD style clipless. The two sided SPD is by far the easiest to use.

Toe clips, Power Grips, Look style and single sided SPD all require you to flip the pedal up to engage the system. I found Power Grips to be the worst as you have to wiggle you foot into the strap. That's not something that is easy to do while you are trying to get started. I tried to use them on mountain bikes which is an even worse place to use them. Off-road, you need that boost of power of being attached to the pedals provides and if you have to flip the pedal and then futz with trying to get into the strap, you lose that advantage. Toe clips aren't much better and they tend to drag on the ground until you get them flipped.

Double sided SPD is always there for your foot to engage. Just get your foot on the pedal and you only have to shift your foot a little to get the cleat engaged. Getting out of them takes a simple movement of your foot and they release. You can set the tension to just about any level that you want. Many people who have problems with clipless probably haven't adjusted the tension from the factory and it's set too high.

I don't race but I do commute to work on clipless, I mountain bike on clipless, I tour on clipless and I go for fast rides on clipless. Some people here (see above) have a irrational fear of clipless but there really is nothing to fear. It may take a little practice and a little bit of adjustment but they are easy to use and certainly aren't the "death traps" that some would have you believe.

The best mountain bike SPD pedal is the Shimano M520, by the way. They are cheap (about $30) work better than other brands and last for, roughly, ever.