aMull

Before i got my fixed gear all i used were platforms. Now that i've spent time with clips and straps and beying able to pull up on the pedals i don't think ill go back to platforms. Clips for me since you can wear any shoes you want.

Jurgen

Yes, BMX/DH pedals for me on my all year, all weather commuter. These 20 dollars ones from MEC have served me well so far:

https://www.mec.ca/Products/product_d...=1215016421714


I ride SPD-SL on my roadie, though. (And I sometimes get a numb foot after an hour or so.)

eAspenwood

after trying almost everything, i like my mks grip kings a lot. i put them on my main two bikes.

itsthewoo

I switched to toe clips from MTB style. I would occasionally have my foot slip out of pedals (especially when it was really wet), and decided to opt for toe clips to combat that.

I find my pedaling much more efficient and my feet more secure with clips. The only thing that bothers me is when I'm pedaling out of a one foot stand stop (i.e. at an intersection). In those cases, I just pedal with one foot in clips and the other out until I have enough speed to smoothly get into the clips. I'm trying to be able to do this without looking .

genec

Try these. I just replace "campus" pedals on my daily rider with these...

https://bicyclewarehouse.com/itemdetails.cfm?id=7652



Shimano
PD-M647 Pedals (PD-M647)

They are good platforms with SPD on both sides... you can just pedal with the nice wide platforms or clip in to the "clipless" SPD. Since both sides are the same, there is no need to flip the pedal around. They work great.

hankbrandenburg

I'm using egg beaters with mtb shoes - I'm reasonable happy with them.

capolover

I just got some welgo m-21s with some plastic straps at rei. (25 bucks)

I'm gonna give it a shot on the commute home and see if i like it over my platforms/bmx.

Pepper Grinder

Double-sided SPD. I use toe clips when I don't feel like taking an extra pair of shoes on my rack for somewhere where I can't be seen in ugly MTB shoes, but i HATE riding with clips. hotspots galore. yuck yuck yuck give me my SPDs!

geetlord

+1 Ive been riding with the crank bros mallets for about 4 months now, and they work well for everything. They were especially nice this winter when my cleats would occasionally get clogged with ice and be rendered useless.

Hydrated

I have a pair of these on my main commuter bike, and they are by far the most comfy pedal that I've ever used when wearing my SPD shoes. The big cage surrounding the SPD mechanism gives nice even support while you're clipped in and virtually eliminates hot spots for me.

Using regular shoes with them is another story. Wearing regular shoes with these pedals transforms them into some sort of bicycle-based torture device. The slight bulge of the SPD mechanism in the center of the pedal makes your foot roll over enough that it feels like your foot will slide off of the side of the pedal. That causes you to tense up your feet and legs to try to stay on the pedals. I rode mine about 10 miles like this, and I had cramps and sore legs into the next day.

So:
with SPD shoes = great
without SPD shoes = pain

CastIron

Dual sided clipless platforms.

Having said that, I've used clipless nearly exclusively--year round--with no problems. Heavy urban traffic, snowstorms, shopping, whatever.

RazorWind

I really wish someone would make an SPD-SL pedal like that.

I use Crank Brothers pedals, currently. The Soloist has the Candy ones, and my more utility-oriented bike has what they call Mallets, which have the same crank brothers clipless mechanism, but also has a nice big platform around it, meaning I can ride them with or without my cleated shoes. Very handy.

MrRamonG

Crankbrother egg beaters for me. I have them on all my bikes and I am very satisified. Four-way entry, can't beat it.
https://www.crankbrothers.com/eggbeater.php I dont even know what a hotspot is.

CrankBrothers also has great customer service.

nahh

I use toe clips..the only problem is at stoplights. i always just end up flipping the left one over and just using the platform. mine don't drag if i'm in somewhat of a straight line, it's when i'm turning that it becomes an issue.

crhilton

I bought Shimano A530 pedals. If I have a long commute I can wear the shoes, but most days I just put on my birks. The pedals are always the way you don't want them to be. I'm still getting used to kicking them in the right direction.

However, I bought these on a new bike which had no pedals. So I didn't burn any money on unused pedals! I just spend $60 more, heh.

whatsmyname

FTW! SPDs on one side, flats on the other. Best of both worlds!

chipcom 

The correct answer is: whatever works best for you and your situation.

For my 25 mile each-way rolling commute, I prefer A520 SPD pedals.
On my winter bike I have M524s with SPD on one side, platform on the other.
If my commute were like 5 flat miles, I might opt for just simple platforms.

Jerrod

I have been using the Shimano PD-A530 SPD pedals and would recommend them for added performance while maintaining utility.

ch9862

I currently have these on my commuting bike. Work great when I'm clipped in, but the "platform" side is polished (very slippery) and has a bulge in the middle which makes it pretty much unusable in normal shoes. And of course they are balanced to rotate the clipless side DOWN... The A530s look much better.

Others may know more though.

chipcom 

The A520 doesn't have a platform side...they are just a single-sided SPD 'road' pedal. The platform is on the SPD side to give your foot a bit more support area.

The A530 is SPD on one side, platform on the other...but now the platform area on the SPD side isn't there anymore (note how it curves) like on the A520. It's basically a more streamlined M324.

What I would like to see is a double sided A520, double-sided SPD and platform on both sides...similar to Mallets.

I have M424s and 647s lying around unused because I could not stand them. To big, heavy and ugly for road bikes, the platform was often too snug and caused foot pain unless I shimmed my cleats, and as stated earlier, they are a torture device in street shoes.

ch9862

I stand corrected. I was sure they were meant for normal shoes on the "other" side .

Others may know more though.