Originally Posted by
seypat
Well, if the OP does decide to get clipped in let's suggest ways to do it. Don't go out and invest in nice equipment starting out. invest after you've decided it's for you. Find the cheapest SPD shoes you can. That could be used from someone in your area. I wnet to REI and found a returned pair with a broken lace hole for $30. Same for pedals. Find a pair of 2 sided pedals with SPD on one side and flat on the other. Ride with one foot clipped in and the other not. Switch feet. Repeat. Clip both in, or not. After a couple of weeks, you'll figure it out. Then go out and get some better equipment, or not.
This is what I did. I bought some fairly inexpensive shoes and the (clip on one side) Shimano PD-M324 pedals and the SH56 cleats. Some say this kind of cleat releases too easy but it hasn't happened to me yet and it has to be more secure than flats. As long as you are keeping pressure on, your feet will stay clipped. Only thing I don't like about any of them is when you need a split second to put your foot down, you'll be using that split second to unclip until it becomes second nature. I haven't hit the deck yet, but I've had a few close calls. I do like the having the flat side available, it works great in heavy traffic if you are starting and stopping a bunch. I may just keep the one sided pedals for a long time. Best of both worlds except for having to flip the pedal to the side you want. If you are racing, I can see where that may be a problem time wise. I really only decided to use the cleats because I have terrible foot posture and it was hurting my knees. This has helped me keep in perfect alignment and it really cut down on the pain. And it's true, you feel like you are one with the bike.