Originally Posted by
RyanTheRobot
Oh about to go for a ride to grab some dinner on my crap bike and was reminded of one other thing I am had a question about... the pedals. I read this thing a while ago
http://sheldonbrown.com/fixed.html and he talks about not using regular pedals. A lot of photos I see seem to though and my friends bike has regular pedals. I've never worn cleats and am kinda intimidated by something that is difficult to pull out of quickly. For a beginner is it best to use regular pedals despite that guide or maybe a harness type thing that I see a lot of fixed bikes use?
When riding fixed, some guys (most?) prefer to use a skid-stopping technique rather than brakes. This works best when your feet are connected to the pedal.
Also, when riding fixed, if you get going too fast and aren't a skilled rider then you can lose control of the bike pretty quickly-- since the speed of the cranks is directly related to the speed of the wheel-- if your feet come off the pedals at high speed then you might be f*cked. Clipless pedals (confusingly named, as they require a cleat that mechanically engages with the pedal body) are the safest to use. The 'harness' you mention is a clip-and-strap system, which holds the foot to the pedal with a strap. Some [idiots] ride platform pedals without any retention system...which is generally regarded to be pretty stupid.
I wouldn't be too nervous about clipless pedals. They're surprisingly easy to use, and the release pressure can usually be adjusted. They can be a bit costly if you aren't sure about the whole thing (the shoes actually cost more than the pedals, generally)...do any of your friends use them, and would let you try them?