If you prefer flat pedals, at least on some bikes, do you opt for the ones with teeth or pegs?
Thanks.

REI had a really nice display of pedals bolted to a wall. After I picked out my shoes I held them up to various pedals to see how grippy they were in combination. It made the decision much more obvious.

Would you care to comment on your choices?

What shoes?

What pedals?

Assuming that the combination was the grippiest in your test, what is your experience on the road?

There is a number of us riding platform pedals and such a discussion could be enlightening.

Did you choose pedals with teeth or pins?

I chose Wellgo MG1 magnesium BMX pedals. They stay in contact with my shoe for 3/4 of a circle, if I pedal only with that foot. I feel that my feet are very secure on this pedal.

I was in a different situation in that I was trying to decide between Shimano M324 and A530 both with platforms on one side and clipless on the otherside. Once I selected the Shimano SH-M089L shoe it became obvious that traction was much better on the platform side of the M324 which is a U-shape with teeth. My point is find a store with a good selection of pedals and physically push the shoe against the pedal to see how they will interact. Seeing is believing.

My new favorites are Race Face pedals. These are for my MTBs, where slippery pedals and shoes covered with mud require pegs and a design that really works. Some of the designs do not work all that well, when things are really slippery. Also, the Race Face pedals are rebuildable.

Would there be a way to attach toe clips onto those skinny pedals?

The Wellgo MG1's are grippy. I know someone who rides those and has had no issues.

I have Rivendell's "Thin Gripster" pedals (actually they're VP 001 pedals only in a special color that only Rivendell sells), and I love them. I usually ride in mountain bike/"lifestyle" type shoes - rigid bottom, but walkable.

I used caged pedals like this Avenir Pedal Set Alloy 9/16" Axle in combination with strapless mini toe clips Eleven81 Mini Clips-Strapless Md-Lg for years on all my regular bikes and recumbents. The pedal is just right for me when it comes to getting my feet on and off the pedal (using fairly smooth soled shoes). They are fairly light and I have some that have seen many thousands of miles and are still good.

You can get them with a more aggressive surface like this caged track pedal All-City Wallner Pro Track pedals Black/silver but I like being able to get my foot on and off easily. Platform pedals almost all seem to have pins to hold the shoes in place Components - Drive Train - Pedals - Platform - Niagara Cycle

For now I like the plastic pedals with plastic pegs. Grippy enough for my slick-soled street shoes without discomfort wearing my thin-soled lace up moccasins. Fine in dry and rain. The couple of times I've ridden in mud these pedals weren't very grippy with my hiking shoes, so metal with pegs might be better for those conditions.

But this is for my comfy/hybrid do everything bike. If -- or when -- I get a second bike it'll be primarily for longer and/or faster rides and I'll probably go with metal pedals and those replaceable pegs, since I probably won't be wearing thin-soled shoes with that hypothetical bike. Might even consider the combo clipless pedals.

I use two sets of Wellgo pedals (sold as Diamondback) that are very nearly like the ones shown by GerryinHouston (#5). They stick my shoes in place so strongly that I must lift my foot to change position. I have settled on skateboard shoes as being the best because they have stiff shanks and very sticky flat soles. The combination is terrific and, well, cheap too.
The downside is that you must learn to keep the pins (Allen set-screws) away from your shins; they'll eat them for lunch! ;o)

Joe

I have a set of Wellgo's with teeth and half clips on my mtn bike.

Pins look too newfangled for me (says the guy with spd-sl's on his road bike.)

+1 Bear traps with half clips on MTB. On the road, plastic and plastic pegs Pedals | Stolen Bike Co. but I like fixie straps on my road pedals as well, (if not spds)

I have extremely wide feet 8 1/2 EEEEE. Any type of bike shoe that fit me would have to be custom made. This is cost prohibitive. i wear hiking boots that I bought through the mail from Hitchcock Shoes which specializes in wide shoes. I use flat pedals with pegs and they work well.

My favorite, old fashion shin busters. Wide platform, feet stick like glue.
Odyssey Triple Trap Pedals All Silver 9 16 for Racing Old School BMX Bike | eBay

Pedals with teeth are the reason I switched to clipless pedals on all my bikes. I kept gashing my shins open, and it hurt.

My casual ride errand bike and my off road bikes have always had metal pedals with the set screw style pegs or teeth or whatever you want to call them. The alloy or plastic pedals that have serrations cast into them don't grip at all well once they wear to a rounded shape.

When I ride offroad I wear good shin and knee guards that have a heavy Cordura wrap around to guard against hamburger shin or back of the lower leg. And that way my knees are also protected. Nothing worse than jamming your kneecap into something that doesn't like it.

So yeah, just about anything like those in the picture that GerryinHouston posted are good for me. And I like that for a few bucks I can buy a box of 100 replacement set screws for if/when the originals get smoothed off too much.

On the other hand my road riding bikes all use old style Shimano MTB clipless pedals and shoes from 20 years ago. When I chose those over "proper road bike" clipless there were not a lot of options that were double sided and the road clipless shoes all had the big lumps on the bottom. But after trying them for dirt riding one day I realized that I'd need plastic surgery very quickly if I kept riding with them. Thus the switch to the set screw style toothed platforms WITH the mandatory lower leg guards.

Have MKS Touring Lite pedals on my winter bike. They have TEETH, but I flattened all of the Points of the teeth with a grinder- now they bite just right with snow sneakers.

Pegs. Shimano Saints.