grimace308

as they improve your power stroke, they are suitable for all bikes. comfort or whatever, they are more efficient.

if dude is sucking bass with garbage pedals, why wouldnt a pedal system that increases his pedaling efficiency, be a better thing?

BIGDADDY2359

Try a pair of KIO LOOK classics! Great pedal!

Scummer

Eggbeaters for my winter shoes and Look pedals for my road shoes.

Longfemur

For the application you have (the OP, that is), it's pretty hard to argue with SPD mountain bike type or compatible.

You really shouldn't worry about toe clips vs clipless arguments. If you want to pedal with your foot more attached to the pedal, go clipless. It's everything toe clips with straps are but in a much more convenient package... and I'm telling you this as a very old toe clip user from way back. As I've recommended many times before, if you decide on a Shimano pedal and a Shimano shoe, not only will you not have any worries about how the shoe works with the pedal, but you can and should choose the multi-release cleat, and you should back off on the tension adjustment almost all the way back to loosen the tension. It's really hard to imagine anything could be more child's play than riding on pedals set up that way. The multi-release cleat and looser tension on Shimano SPD pedals makes all the difference in the world.

It's one thing to be nostalgic about the past, but clipless pedals are one of cycling's best among more recent inventions.

StephenH

I noticed these things in a Nashbar circular. Haven't tried 'em, just saw them.

https://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product..._200276_200409

jboyd

This is not intended to go against the clipless religion. I agree that clipless are what they are, and if you love clipless, that is what you should use. But in some cases, it is not the end all of biking. It just depends on what you want to get out of biking. If you are all about speed, distance and the purest of efficiency, then you need to wrap your head around clipless.

I tried the clipless route and failed. I will admit that efficiency, especially on hills was better. But, I was never comfortable both mentally and physically. I rode about 700 miles on clipless last year and had three falls. One ended up breaking two of my ribs. I also noticed that most of those miles, my good karma feeling from biking in general was gone. I remember several times sitting on the edge of my bed putting on the shimamo shoes and thinking "I remember when I just hopped on and took a ride:-("

This year, I took the clipless off and finally chose a snazzy set of BMX platforms with replaceable pins. They are the PRIMO Super Tenderizers. So far I have put about 350 miles on them and I am feeling the love. I have yet to have and pin-to-shin issues. The best part is, true to my new years resolution, I am just hopping on and riding. I live in a very hilly area and most of my rides are 20-30 miles. As far as the efficiency goes, I have learned how to take the bite that the pins have in my shoe soles and "drag" the pedal on the upstroke and I can't tell much difference between the two styles. After a while you don't miss what you don have.

Good Luck to you with your decision. Part of the fun of this sport-hobby obsession, is figuring out the stuff.

Here is what I use now and am in love with.

Longfemur

I totally agree that clipless or toe clips are not necessary to enjoy cycling. If someone asks, then I usually recommend the SPD type. My logic is that if someone asks for a recommendation that does not involve foot restraint, then pretty much any flat pedal will do and there's no point in asking. Any kind of everyday athletic shoe will grip any kind of pedal with teeth more than well enough to ride in any way but competitively. Even though I have clipless pedals, I often ride without clipless or toe clips.

StephenH

Something that's not obvious is that a part of the downward force you put into a pedal is just going to lift your leg on the other side. If you consciously lift that leg, it reduces the force required to pedal on the other side. I've read (in these forums) that most people that are clipped in don't actually pull up on the pedals, so it seems you can get some of the benefits just by adjusting technique.

jferna

i pull up on my clipless (both mountain and road)... thats way i've had to up the retaining tension on both of them...

IceNine

To all the people who said that clipless is the way to go for all types of riding, the OP said that money is a big priority. Please show me a clipless shoe and pedal combo that costs less than twice the cost of platform pedals with Powergrips and regular shoes? I have several pairs of platforms already lying around and I already own regular shoes. For me the powergip option costs $20. Can you identify a clipless solution that costs less than $40 for both pedals and shoes?

Also, I don't understand why efficiency is such a big deal to most bike riders, esp. Clydes. Presumably, most of us are riding to have fun and improve our fitness and loose weight. Does going 5% faster with the same effort allow you to loose more weight or improve your fitness?

Longfemur

Expensive?

I wasn't familiar with the current situation until last year when my adult daughter decided to buy a road bike. What I found is that it's actually cheaper and easier to go to a local bike shop and buy clipless pedals than it is to even find a good quality ordinary pedal (other than cheap mountain bike pedals). Good so-called platform pedals are more of an internet-based item, and by the time you get a pair home, they aren't that cheap.

Of course, with clipless, the shoes do add to the cost, but then, once you have them, you do end up with better shoes for cycling than civilians shoes.

Nocturnal

...best of both worlds? I would like to get the Shimano M234s for the combo platform/clipless. Anybody tried these? As my work commute is ~1mile I don't want to clip in, but on longer rides I do.

IceNine

Perhaps you've never struggled financially. For a lot of people clipless pedals and biking shoes are very expensive.

In contrast, I can bike to four different bike shops in 15 minutes from home that carry various MKS platform pedals for $25 or BMX pedals for $20. Or you can post a WTB to your local craigslist and get some platforms for $5-$10. Again, go back to post #1 and take a look at what the OP is asking for: easy to use, easy to walk in, minimal cost system. BMX style pedals with regular sneakers or platforms with Powergrips would meet the stated objective far better than clipless pedals, because they cost far less, they are easy to use and easy to walk in. The OP didn't ask for a system where cost is irrelevant, and how could he increase his time trial speed as much as possible.

fp64

Here's what I did: went on ebay, get some lighter mtb shoes & spd pedals, went to the lbs and had them install some new cleats. both the shoes & pedals were "pre-owned" but the whole set up coast me about $40.

cyccommute 

Clipless:

• Pedals $25
• Shoes $30
• Total $55

Power Grips

• Grips and pedals $34
• Inexpensive athletic shoes ~$30
• Total: ~$64

Clipless for a lot less than double the price of Powergrips.

RI_Swamp_Yankee

Your math is wrong. The athletic shoes can be worn inside the house, at work, in the mall, etc. The clipless shoes cannot, unless you like being kicked out of places with stone, tile or hardwood floors. Since th clipless shoes cannot be worn at the destination or around the house, you have to add the inexpensive athletic shoes to the tally for the clipless combo.

So, the tally for clipless is $85. $20 more than pedals and powergrips. (I will leave the question of whether you can find clyde-friendly clipless pedals for that much to one side.)

PLUS, going clipless is absolutely not for everyone. $55 is a steep price to buy something you may only use once... or worse, you may stop riding as much because you've never gotten comfortable with clipless pedals, or you got gun-shy after hurting yourself trying to unclip.

cyccommute 

Clipless mountain bike shoes...the pair that I linked to is a mountain bike shoe...can be worn anywhere a regular shoe can be worn. The cleat is recessed and doesn't damage floors. I've wear them on tour. I wear them to work. I've hiked miles and miles in them. I've worn them in museums, shops, shopping centers, hotels, etc.

The Shimano M520 pedals are extremely rugged. I've been using one pair for more than 5 years without any issues whatsoever in rugged mountain bike riding.

Additionally, IceNine said that you couldn't find a pair of clipless shoes and pedals for less than twice the cost of a pair of Powergrips, pedals and regular shoes. Even at $85 (a number I don't accept for the above reasons), that's not 'twice as much' as going the Powergrip route.

sstorkel

The $25 price on M520 pedals is great! Though I have to admit I was a bit put off by the $219 freight charge from your Danish vendor

FYI, JensonUSA is currently selling M520s for $34.74 through 4/15. Nashbar also has quite a few deals on shoes. I like the MT31 for $33 and they have Exustar shoes for as low as $20. Lots of Shimano, Addidas, and Exustar shoes in the $30-40 range at Nashbar.