Time atac user here as well. Prefer them to spd.

I just use Look pedals on my road bike and I can't fault them. Wife uses it on her bikes so everything im house is interchangeable. They're affordable (as long as you don't want titanium spindles and ceramic bearings), comfortable, pretty light and work well with maybe annual service. Interestingly, third party Look compatible cleats (eg. Decathlon) are more durable and cheaper than Look original ones, although a slight bit heavier.
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​​​​On my gravel & whatever bike I just use flats with MTB flat pedal shoes . While the powermeter suggests I don't lose out during any sort of constant effort, road shoes are just super super comfortable as the hours go on.
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With the exception of the last couple/few replies, it looks like SPD-like pedals are the hands down winner! I have perhaps only one Shimano branded set of SPD pedals with the rest being knock offs. All have required some “fine tuning” to allow for easy release when dismounting while still staying “clipped in” while riding. To be completely honest, some work better than others but good enough that I haven’t stressed out about it. I do have one bike with Campy branded, Look style pedals. They are fine and work well (and admittedly look better on an Italian road bike) but ANY walking in them is an issue.
As most have said, go with SPD type pedals. I recommend that you be sure to get ones that allow for a bit of “rotation” of your shoe on the pedal.

Because of recent medical issues I cannot risk using these ExuStar E-PM218 clipless pedals but I liked them very much especially since the clip in pressure is adjustable. I could be talked into selling them in you are interested - still in the box after only being mounted for a week.

I just converted to clipless SPD myself. I got Shimano ED500 pedals which are meant for touring and easy to get in and out of (good for beginners), and they are only $60. I did purchase sh51 cleats separately to use instead of the sh56 that come with the ED500 because I read some reviews where people complained about the sh56 being too easy to come out of the pedal, especially on upstroke on hills. So far they are working fine (and I haven't fallen over yet ).

Personally, I only want my pedal to release when I make one specific motion. The last thing I want is it to release unexpectedly when I'm pulling up or rotating my ankle slightly.

I'm a huge fan of Crank Bros. Eggbeaters. I have them on 3 of my bikes. They are 4-sided (twice as good as 2-sided ) and the cleats are 2-bolt design. The shoes I have (Sidi Rampas and Shimano sandals) recess the cleat enough to make walking very easy. I tried a low-end Shimano SPD pedals on my mountain bike in the mid-1990s but hated them. Much tougher to clip in and out (why do we call it "clipping in" if they are clipless pedals? ) I'm sure Shimano pedals have improved since then but I am not going back.

As others have said, clipless won't help with "pulling up" on the pedals (it feels like that, but it doesn't/very rarely actually happen). Clipless doesn't help with standing either, that is a matter of balance. The main benefit, as others have said, is keeping your foot in the proper place with relation to the pedal so you spend less energy/attention on keeping your foot in the proper place on the pedal. One side benefit for many of us is that this also makes it easier to maintain a smooth pedaling action, though many are perfectly capable of pedaling smoothly without clipless.

That said, I do encourage you to get clipless pedals (I encouraged my wife to do so for a couple of years before she tried them on our tandem - she loves them). IMO clipless pedals are the most significant improvement in cycling gear since the parallelogram derailleur. As for type, I think it doesn't really matter. I started clipless when Look was basically the only option (I'm sure there were others around back then, but they were much harder to find) and I never had any reason to try anything else. Agreed walkability is an issue, so if you're using your bike for multimodal transportation or to do errands (or just for the sake of flexibility) then a walkable cleat plus a two sided clipless/platform pedal is probably your best choice.

clipless peddles allow me to pull up when peddling but mostly i sweep the leg back because of them. that i can do for a long time, pulling up i usually get tired of doing that so i don't do it for very long. it is incorrect to say that it won't help. you just need train to do it.

They absolutely help with pulling up on the pedals, which you do when sprinting or lugging up a short steep pitch.

I'm a junkie for the Shimano, dual SPD pedals where one side is clip in and the other is platform. I have both the T8000 for my trekking bike and PD-EH500 for my road bikes and recommend them highly. They're well built and light for what they are. Obviously, nobody's racing with these pedals. I'm clipped in 95% of the time but it's nice to have the option for:

1) A shoe or clip failure that would make the platform side useful.
2) Running to the store.
3) Riding in heavy traffic.
4) A casual ride with the family in my Crocs.

How much were the sh56 for you? I understand cleats come with the pedals, so isn’t it better to buy pedals that come with sh56, since cleats cost similar to the pedals no? Also what shoes do I get, does any two bolt system work , or is there limitation with before and after and float on the shoes. ?

Thanks

The Shimano XTR PD-M9100 are very nice pedals and work very smoothly.



Although, as mentioned above, there may be reasons not to dive into the deep end. Perhaps a cheaper starter set.

I went from decades of toe clip use to SPD pedals. No "flats". I have ridden on occasion short distances with street shoes, but 99.9% of riding is with the cycling shoes and the SPDs.

I guess I can see that use. I have regular two-side CLIP spd's. A few weeks back I had to bring the bike to the local shop about a mile away. I was going to walk back so decided to just wear my sneakers (running shoes for most!). So I tried heading out. I guess I'm so use to being clipped in that I did not realize how slippery the mix of spd and sneakers were. I got about ten feet away and realized I was going to kill myself. Turned around. Grabbed a backpack for my sneakers and put on my bike shoes. A flat side probably would have been very nice in that circumstance but I guess I prefer the clip on both sides.

I think cleats are maybe $15 or so? So not that expensive. I still prefer the multi-release but as noted, others like the more limited type.

Many bike shoes come with an insert where the cleats fit. Usually it has to be ripped our or removed to make way for the recessed cleats. If you look at the bottom, you can see where this works. Shoes will usually indicate "spd compatible" or similar. There all kinds of variety from sandals to racing styles to more casual (I have keens that look like regular walking keens). And prices can be all over the place.

For that sort of situation - short ride without your regular shoes/cleats - you might look at some of the platforms that clip onto clipless pedals. Shimano has their own SM-PD22, but I have seen other ones that are more generic in form, and require that you attach cleats to them.

I have no personal experience using those.

My everyday bike has Shimano PD-T8000 pedals, which are their "trekking" hybrid / SPD pedal, and I get along well with them. I've never ridden two-sided SPD, so I may not know what I'm missing.

Having past knee injuries, Speedplays were recommended to me. I really like them and have been using them for years.

This. Back when I did only road riding, I used toe clips, straps and cleated shoes. I skipped the Look phase but did use SPDs for a long while. If I were still doing road rides, I’d use something like that, probably SPDs.

Now I just use roads to get to trails, and have no problems wearing myself to oblivion with
nice VP flat pedals. I’m riding SS, so there is a lot of standing and climbing and generally standing to accelerate as needed on the trails. No problems. We get good at whatever we train for.

So, for the OP, it’s a matter of what works for the type of riding to be done.

Otto

what about these
Amazon.com : SHIMANO DEORE XT PD-M8100 SPD Pedal, Without Reflector, Includes Cleat, Black, One Size : Sports & Outdoors

i feel like 150 usd compared to 80 for entry level is not too much of an increase, if you don't recommend these for a beginner please explain why?

Yea, i'm not sure about how far deep into it, if i buy a cheaper set, what would be pros of it? i rather buy once than buy twice though you know.

what determines the float on spd pedals, is it the cleat? If so which cleats have what float?
for any given pedal model, do they come in different sizes?

There's a wide range of spd pedals just by Shimano and a wide range of prices. As an example is my local shop but I also use REI

https://www.greggscycles.com/product...080/?rb_br=336

You have $150 to spend on pedals? And will you be spending $300 on Sidi mountain shoes, too? Sheesh...

Hey does anyone have any thoughts about Issi pedals?
also as a newbie what float should I look for and how many different ways to clip and clip out?

Another vote for dual-platform Shimano PD-EH500's. I've been using these about a year, and they are a great compromise.
I still like unclipping at a busy intersection and using the flats.


https://www.amazon.com/SHIMANO-PD-EH...42401491&psc=1