really "Nubie" question.
WHAT are Clipless pedals and how do these things work? do you need special shoes ? ... or ?

Thank you for putting up with me in advance.

clipless pedals require a specific shoe that houses a cleat that locks into the mechanism of the pedal. To unlock you simply twist your feet outwards. This may take time getting used using them on a fixed gear. But I HIGHLY recommend investing in some if you are looking to have more control and speed. I use mtb Time ATACS and they are probably the greatest investment I have put into my bike

Shocking enough, you "clip in" to clipless pedals; your shoes attach to the pedals. You need bike shoes to use them.

From Sheldon Brown:
"Clipless Pedals

Up until the late '80s, the choice was between plain pedals or pedals with toe clips and straps. Since "clipless" pedals provided a way to have a secure attachment to the pedal without the use of toe clips, the name stuck, even though it is sometimes confusing to newcomers. "Clipless" or "Step-in" pedals use a mechanism similar to a ski binding. In fact the first successful system was made by a ski binding manufacturer, Look. Clipless pedals use a cleat which is bolted to the bottom of the shoe. When the rider steps on the pedal with the cleat, the cleat locks into the pedals mechanism, and is held firmly in place. Some systems hold the foot at a fixed angle, others allow various amounts of "float", or angular rotation of the foot on the pedal.
With most clipless pedal systems, the foot is disengaged by twisting the heel outward. Some of the earlier systems, such as the pioneering Cinelli model, required the rider to reach down and operate a release mechanism by hand. This style is sometimes jocularly referred to as "death cleats.""

https://letmegooglethatforyou.com/?q=...pless%20pedals

wow, thanks you are pretty awesome...

anyone have any links to some biking shoes that will clip into these that they really like?

Sidi Dominator / Genius 5s (depending on what you're doing, the Genius might be impractical).

I mostly use my Cannondale Roam shoes (like a mountain shoe, recessed cleat).

JFGI and also check out performancebike.com / nashbar.com as they have a fair selection of footwear to start you off.

eggbeaters and mtb shoes

are there any that look kind of in a way... casual?

I picked these guys up last month.



Nondescript is my middle name.

specialized taho

oh the baby where did you pick those up at?

LBS.

Adistar XC if you're interested.

Thanks a lot man, may i ask what sort of pedals you are running with those / recommend?

I'm running Crank Bros. MXRs that came stock with my Exile, ny only experience with clipless so far. I haven't committed to a pair of pedals for my Angus yet, as I'm trying to decide whether to just roll with the Crank Bros. pedals or go with another system. I figure Crank Bros. would be cheaper, as I only need to get one more pair, but if I decide down the line that they don't work for me, it would be more expensive in the long run.

*OFF-TOPIC* i see on your angus you have the sugino 75's how do you like them? ive been checking them and the zen messengers out lately, what tooth are they?

They're my first set of high-end cranks, so I really don't have much to compare them to. Probably overkill, but I really like them. And I'm running 45tx17t.