I have a trek 2100 road bike that i bought used. The Pedal on there is a clip-on pedal. And i don't have the shoes/clips, or anything, so i'm planning to change it for me to ride it easier and more efficient.

I see some toe clip/strap/cage thingy that can allow me to output power while i'm doing downstroke and upstroke, are those useful?

And any recommandation for a budget, light, good pedal?

I assume you mean you have clipless pedals but not shoes and cleats. You could try a platform or cage pedal with toe clips and straps, but I like Power Grips a bit better:

Power Grips

But don't throw away the current pedals; at some point you'll probably want to go clipless. I have Power Grips on one bike and clipless pedals on my other two.

I bought some inexpensive pedals for my around town bike that had platforms on one side, and clipless on the other. I put Power Grips on the platform side and it's worked out great so far.

I'd definitely recommend trying out the cleated side though. It's night and day and will become second nature in a matter of weeks and you'll feel strange riding without them!

But i guess my concern is that if i go with the clip-less cleats, I'll have to carry an extra pair of shoes with me all the time, and the inconvineance of having another pair of shoes to change to, it really borders me when i think about it. I don't cycle everyday, i do it like 2 times a week and about 18 miles round trip. It to me doesn't justify the extra spending and the extra effort everytime, So i'm trying to avoid it.

Am i really on the wrong track of thinking?

clipless will change how you ride a bike. I tried with my tennis shoes the other day. I almost hurt myself and i was the most worn out i've ever been and i'd only ridden 3 miles lol.

You will never be one with your bike until you're physically attached to it.

imo a small backpack with shoes in it is worth the enhanced riding experience

My father had been riding without clipless for a long time, about a year and he put more than 2,000 on his bike. I just switched him to some mtb ones and he loves him. he says he is much faster and his feet never hurt anymore, i guess this is because they don't let your feet move.

look keos are the best imo

I had used toe clips for the past 15-20 years. Just last year, I got a pair of old Look Delta road pedals and got shoes and cleats to go with them. The improvement from toe clips to clipless was amazing. No looking back.

Since then, I have got myself a pair of Shimano SPD pedals for my short rides bike. The shoes have recessed cleats. Therefore, I can walk conveniently in these shoes. No need for an extra set of shoes for walking.

You just have to try clipless some time. It seems different at first, but believe me, you'll never look back at clips and straps!

You could get clipless shoes that are also comfortable for walking with...

That's probably against The Rules.

But for the OP, as already suggested look at SPD pedal/shoe systems if you really want a cycling shoe for walking in. If you don't want mtn bike pedals there are plenty of touring and 'sport' pedals that work with these.

ok, you guys are horrible, you guys just make me really think hard about getting a good padel. (i was only thinking about a normal platform one.....)

Now i'm really torned. I still really want to avoid clipless because of the reason i've said in my previous post, so i was really thinking about the power grip padel. But from what you guys have mention about the experience with the clipless, i'm really interested too. Any more power grip user that can help me differentiate them more?

you can put any amount of straps on your pedal and it will not be anywhere near equal to clipless pedals. The shoes are a ton stiffer than your tennis shoes.

+1. This is what I have on both my bikes. For any actual ride of over, say 4 or 5 miles, I always use the clipless side. But, it is convenient to have the platforms for really short rides.

There is a reason people use clipless now rather than toeclips or platforms for road bikes. Safer, more efficient. I would recommend starting with mountain biking shoes with recessed cleats. While you wouldn't want to run a marathon in them, they don't look much different, and they aren't any less comfortable than a pair of tennis shoes. Actually, my sister in law saw me wearing mine when we went on a bike ride when she was visiting and she liked how they looked, said she might buy a pair for her husband (until I told her they are really just for biking).

Alternately, I believe there is a platform you can buy that will clip into a clipless pedal for occasional riding without cycling shoes. That might be a stop gap, and solve the problem of what to do when you don't want to wear cycling shoes.

I have the clipless on one side normal on the other side pedals. They're called spd campus pedals. Only reason i haven't changed em is cause i'm poor but they will do what you want them to.

ok, i'm kinda sold on trying on the clipless. Can someone tell me how is the following item looks?

https://www.pricepoint.com/detail.htm...20SETMG8%20KIT

I'd recommend Shimano M324 pedals and a pair of mountain-biking shoes.

The pedal has a clip on one side and a standard pedal on the other. That way you can wear special shoes or regular shoes, it doesn't matter. And, if you need to get going quickly at an intersection and don't have time to click then, you can use the flat side of the pedal.

Non-biking shoes have the clip embedded in the bottom of the shoe so it doesn't stick out onto the pavement. You can walk around in a pair of those just fine, but you do need to be prepared to have elite cyclists laugh at you if you show up for a distance ride wearing a pair... not that this is ever happened to me!

I love Shimano MTB shoes and pedals. I have road-bike Sidis, Time, Look and Speedplay Zeros, but the Simzo MTBs keep rising to "I love these pedals". Really easy clip in and out. Super for lots of intersection stops/starts and walking around. I set my wife on cllipless, she does spin classes. Her Specialized SPD shoes were fine for spin classes but hurting after 20 miles on the road. I got her some Sidi Eagle Pros from wiggle. She totally loves them. 40 mile rides, no discomfort in the slightest.

I have used platforms, toe and clip and power grips. Power grips are sold and toe clip pedals are in my parts bin. I will never go back to non clipless. You can walk just fine even in SPD-SL shoes. You will look a little bit like a duck though.

I caution buying shoes online without checking their fit. Also do not be one of those A-holes who use an LBS to get a fitting and then by the show online. I had to get Specialized shoes due to my foot being wider. Shimano shoes seemed very narrow. For a good pedal, take a look at the Shimano R-540.

I'm really looking for a cheap combo here, under $100 for the clipless pedal and the shoes. Is there anything wrong with the pedal or the shoes? I"ve seen some decent review for the pedal as a beginner pedal and it is super light. Is there any down side to it, or some drastic improvement going to some other pedals?

And another question is: How is the compatibility of the pedals and shoes? I'm looking for this combo partly because i know that they are definitely compatible.

i fixed this to ring more true.

later.

I would be willing to bet that you will get what you pay for with that shoe and pedal combo. How do you know those shoes will even fit you? All brands size differently. Will it be worth it if the shoes are too tight or too loose? Save your money and do more research on what pedal and shoe will be right for you.

My personal opinion, start with a cheap set of Nashbar/performace/etc MTB SPD style pedals, and once you've gotten the hang of them, you can decide to stick with them or switch to Road pedals.

I did this by accident, sort of. The SPD pedals are a little easier to clip in and out of than the road specific SPD-SL pedals. I found they were a good pedal system to learn on. For me, they started causing some pressure issues and I switched to the SPD-SL and am glad I did. I am, however, very glad I started on the SPD system first. Probably saved me a fall or two.

My roommate is having a blast on his new clipless pedals:

https://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product...7_10000_200410

and shoes:

https://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product...5_10000_200383