Originally Posted by
andrewclaus
Thanks for the shopping list, everyone. I just converted back to flat pedals after about 50 years of various clip and clipless systems. Late last year I salvaged and repaired a bike that came with generic black flat pedals. I tried them out "for the first ride." 1500 miles later they're still there and I love them. I'm going to convert my other bike and it's good to have a list to choose from. I'm surprised at how little I miss the cleats and clips, at how little difference it really makes.
The difference is found on the hills where being able to apply more force to the pedals and do so for more degrees of pedal movement is quite apparent. Riding on flat ground while running errands the flat pedals with sneakers are fine. The other very big difference with clip and clipless shoes is the stiffness of the sole which is less tiring for long rides.