Originally Posted by
avidone1
I look forward to hearing the responses to this thread. I am considering upgrading my pedals as well.
I'm not comfortable with the idea of being attached to the pedal via a cleat. I understand that falling over is a part of learning curve.
strapless pedal clips seem like an ideal solution, only I wonder if they are really effective.
Hmmmmmmmmm.....awaiting replies from those with experience.
Strapless pedal clips, cleats and PowerStraps are all workable and all helpful for maximizing pedaling efficiency, but all are something of an annoyance in stop and go traffic. They are all really nice out in the country where you might go 2 hours without having to actually take your feet off the pedals.
But all do fixate your feet to the pedals and all take some getting used to. For me, all involve having to look down to secure your feet and in the case of clips and powerstraps you often have to flip the pedal over, sometimes several times if you miss, to engage the pedal correctly. This can actually be dangerous in busy intersections with very short green lights as your eyes are off your surroundings while doing this. You get good at it and you can get into cleats without looking, but that's a lot more difficult for powerstrap and toe clip users IMO.
A good studded platform pedal can be a lot easier in stop and go traffic but won't give you the same advantage as any shoe/pedal fixation system.
Good platform pedals can be as basic as $15 Black Ops, Gates Fyxation or Stolen pedals or as shiny and expensive as Shimano Saint pedals ($70).
Go for metal bearings if you can as they will be smoother for longer.
For me, all three rider/bike interface points are not areas to scrimp... pedals, grips and saddle, and neither is the bike/surface interface (tires).