These seem to be a decent compromise. Anybody have experience with them? The Nashbar ones (on the left) are, like, $4! The others look more substantial, but they're also $25....

No experience with them, though I do suggest you make sure you get the right kind to match the cleat needed for your style of SPD or SPD-clone pedals (e.g. Shimano may not work with Wellgo).

If these are similar to what comes on "showroom bikes" these things are horrible. Bike shops frequently have double sided ones of these so that you don't have to have a cleated shoe to test ride bikes. They're plastic, light, cheap, and tend to fall off. How are these secured?

These appear to clip into SPD pedals. It seems that the either/or platform/clipless pedal makes no one happy. The singlespeed bike I converted for trips around town is rapidly moving up the charts, and, gee, wouldn't a set of clipless really help on the hills?

I bought a cheap pair off ebay and couldn't get them clipped in correctly.

Why would you want one?

Might be better to just get the pedals that are built like this (platform on one side, SPD on the other). My wife has some Terry pedals on her Terry bike that she likes. No chance of the platform falling off either.

I have a pair of the ones on the right (Decksters). They work well, except if your shoes are wet. When wet, they really have no grip on anything, so you will have to be a little more careful

They are well built (solid steel) and clipped into my SPD pedals nicely, although to yank them off it takes a little brute force. You will need to 'flip' the pedal each time you use these since the weight of the Decksters makes them wrong side up.

There is some play in the pedals, so it won't be like having an old fashioned platform pedal. It takes some getting used to if you have been previously clipped.

If you regularly ride w/o clips, I think it is the way to go.

Yeah, good question. I just converted a bike to a singlespeed to use as my "go anywhere" bike. But it has rapidly moved up the charts and is now my main commuter. And when I'm hitting these hills, I'm sort of wishing that I was clipped in. But then if the bike had clipless pedals, I'd have to go and find a THIRD bike for the around-the-neighborhood jaunts.... You see how quickly this spirals out of control.

They come standard in boxes of some pedals. They are kind of like the spare tire in most cars. Good enough to get you home.

My only experience is with the adapters that come on new bikes from the LBS. They were no good for anything but a test ride.

I ride my 14X2 commute on a single speed. I have a pair of the Shimano M324 SPD/Platform pedals (metal cages). I find them very convenient especially when having to get started across an intersection on an incline, If I miss the cleat, I can alway get the platform side and get across without stalling, and irritating the motorists behind me.

The natural hang of the pedals favors the clip side with the natural starting motion coming from behind the pedal and rolling it forward. If I am in regular street shoes I roll the pedal back from the front to get the platform side. It's really pretty easy (if I explained it clearly).

I'd put on a pair of Crank Borther Mallets then. They've got a big enough platform for riding around.

Or just go with clips and straps. Did that on two of the bikes, the ones that get used the most for toodlin round. Keep a pair of battered Chucks (need to find some slip on Vans) in the garage, ready to slip on and ride.

Yeah, the Mallets sound good. But I'm already committed to SPD's on the road bike. The eggbeaters take a different cleat, right? And can you really ride them with any old tennis shoe?

I'm with Jimcross on this one. If you're going clipless but also want the ability to ride with regular shoes skip the Decksters and go with a clip/cage 2 sided pedal like the Shimano M324 or a wide double-sided pedal like the mallets. I love my M324s.

I've been riding with the showroom plastic inserts for Shimano m505 pedals on my new bike for, oh, about 100 miles now. I'm scared to freakin' bejeezus of clipless pedals. I did my first clipless ride last night and, of course, almost fell over about 3 times. I'm not ready for the inevitable battle-scars of the clipless learning process yet.

The ones on the right look very similar to my showroom inserts. They're absolute crap, especially compared with the platforms + toeclips I've been using.

I think you should just get another bike.