i hear that. i've worn my lakes to interviews, clubs, etc. i get lots of questions about them. i'm always like, "s'all about the acceleration, man"...

i admit i was scared to try clipless at first. was off-road for the first try, didn't fall, hit the streets the next day and haven't changed 'em since. only time i couldn't clip out i'd been riding around in mud so the cleats got borked up, but i landed on nice soft grass so it didn't matter.

the exustar mtb ones from mec are ok, i've been pretty tough on them and they've held up well. nothing compared to the quality of my sidis of course, (which i got a good deal on) but fine for a starter pair. i like mtb style for everyday because they're marginally easier if you have to walk around/take stairs.