Originally Posted by
ironwood
You could go with platform pedals such as the Grip Kings or Thin Gripsters both sold by Rivendell, for your around town riding on a bike you might also be loaning to others.
I realize that this is heresy and if you do it you will be called a retrogrouch, but you do not need to be attached to the pedal for riding around town.
Originally Posted by
Hibonite
I agree with ironwood. For around town and even fully loaded touring there is no need for cleated shoes and pedals. An added benefit is now you don't have to carry a second pair of shoes on tour. I did this on my Pacific Coast tour and worked out great with MKS sneaker pedals and Keen sandals. I would only use cycling shoes and spd or equivalent if there is sustained climbing involved.
It is not really heresy, I have seen several bike tourists that are on multi-month tours, or longer, that use normal shoes instead of bike shoes. And lets face it, people that have been living on a bike for many months or years know more about this sort of thing than the rest of us do.
For exercise riding around home, I usually use a double sided SPD pedal (Ritchey Comp V4 MTB). On my errand bike I have platform on both sides. My foldup bike has toe clips on platform.
On a bike tour, I prefer the flexibility to sometimes use SPD shoes and at other times use trail running/hiking shoes. And I like to carry a second pair of shoes for when the first pair gets soaked in the rain.
In other words, it really is personal preference, and that preference can vary by type of usage.