Clip on pedals and shoes
 

Does anyone commute with clip on pedals (SPD's) and shoes. I have tried it and it seems to be a pain because my commute has a lot of stop and go.

Yeah, I commute with Speedplay Zero road pedals and shoes. Double sided entry is very easy for stop and go through the city. I couldn't imagine going back to regular shoes (although speedplay makes an adapter for their pedals that turns them into platforms).

I commute in SPDs but have them set very loose so my shoes unclip easily. I also musch prefer the clipless, even with the stops.

My commute is mostly in thick traffic so I don't - too much clippping/unclipping in heavy traffic and I just don't feel safe in traffic being attached to my bike. For weekend, out of town rides I may go back to SPDs this year.

Adam

I like clipless and have gotten used to them in stop and go traffic. However I question whether or not you see much benefit in those types of riding conditions. On group rides I could start quicker than most of the group using just power grips.

I use SPD's with the Shimano PD-M324 pedals. One side is a platform and the other is cleated - a little heavy, but they are a good compromise between efficiency and utility. My commute is in traffic too, (downtown Los Angeles), but its a long distance between blocks and the stop and go is negated a bit if you can hit the lights.

I commute with SPDs (Shimano A520s) and they work great for me. I've got 15 traffic signals and 4 stop signs on my 5 mile cummute and clicking in and out hasn't been an issue for me.

I use speedplays and road shoes. No complaints thus far. Also Speedplays are awesome for curing knee problems.

i commute with time atacs and i just leave one foot unclipped in the heavy stop and go parts of DC.

SPDs, and I find really weird if I ride without being clipped in. I feel like I'm going to fall off the bike or something.

I use the SPD. I think they are great. I have use them for so long, I don't even think about it any more.

I also use SPDs. My pedal is platform on one side, cleat on the other (nashbar pedal). I like them better than my old pedals which were cleats on both sides. When I take off from a stop light, I don't worry if I clip back in right way, I can just use the platform until i flip it over and click in.

Yeah, I don't think there would be any benefit for me on my commute. I'm fine with grippy BMX pedals and sneakers.

Most of the blocks on my ride are relatively short, plus I often have to stop in the middle of a block for a truck puling up from a shop, a bus leaving a stop, or traffic jams.

Adam

I use Crank Bros 'candy' pedals on all my commuter bikes now, even the winter bike. I have lots of stops, too, but I usually don't need to unclip as long as I can balance/roll slowly for a couple seconds. However, it's really easy to get in/out of the pedals. You'll get more and more confidence with practice. I only unclip now if I know I'm going to be stopped for more than about 5 seconds, but I used to unclip well before rolling up to an intersection.

What sold me on the clipless? After using them on one bike, I found I kept sliding my feet right off platform pedals as I pushed and pulled through the top and bottom of the pedal stroke. I don't like the idea of having my feet come off the pedals and potentially going into the spokes. Also, the extra speed I get from using clipless means I can almost keep up with the speed of traffic on much of my route, so it cuts way down on the number of interactions I have with cars, and our relative speeds are very similar, meaning that motorists have lots of time to notice me, and aren't so aggravated about immediately trying to overtake me. That's a really nice safety feature in my mind. The Candy's also have enough of a platform that you don't really need to put on your bike shoes if you're just taking a quick trip somewhere.

Winter hiking boots and power grips for me in winter. In summer, it's sandals and toe clips. More comfortable for me.

After over 3 decades of riding on platforms, I was dragged kicking and screaming into clipless pedals only about 4 or 5 years ago and now prefer to use them for not only commuting, but for most of my riding. Clipping in and out has become second nature and isn't a problem even in in stop and go traffic. YMMV, some people never feel comfortable with them and using them isn't a "requirement", just a preference. Use whatever works best for you. ;)

I commute 15 miles each way with many stops using SPD clips and Shimano shoes. I love them.

They give me so much more power on the hills, and they are so much easier to get in and out of than toe straps.

Highly recommended. Though I am also thinking about the clips-on-one-side-regular-on-the-other pedals for those light-flow days...

I use strap cage pedals. Works fine.

Just wondering are SPD shoes compatible with Crank Brothers Candy pedals? Or do I need to get a Shimano SPD specific pedals?

I tried them once, took to their use like a duck to water, and never wanted to go back. It improved my pedal position quite a bit and some leg pain I had vanished. The only problem I have is as the cleats wear out, it's actually getting harder to click back in.

Depends o the day/weather but I use SPD for almost all of my commutes.