it seems that most FG bike have straps.is there any reason beside the shoe factor that more people dont SPD pedals...

fear...

get SPD or whatever flavor of Clipless you want. You won't regret it.

i just recently went clipless for the first time and have spd pedals/cleats

i love it, the only thing that i prefer with clips and straps are the aesthetics, i think they look much nicer than clipless pedals. But for functionality and putting the power to the pedals, clipless is so far beyond clips and straps.

I know this was it for me. Although I was MUCH more afraid of spending $200+ on something that I might hate than I was afraid of being clipped-in.

I <3 clipless.

they would be used for around town....

Sheldon (as always) has something interesting to say about that. With clips and straps you can place your foot at many different points. You can push with your toes or your mid-foot or anything between. This basically changes your seat height on the fly. When you can't change gears or stop pedaling this can be sort of handy.
I tend to push my feet in as I go up hills and drag them out a bit when I spin down hills.

...and it should be noted, then, that sheldon brown rode clipless on his fixed gear.

As I recall, Sheldon was specifically referring to pedals without straps. "Platform pedals," as we call them (though Sheldon hated the term). For a fixed gear, Sheldon advocated (rightly) that your feet be directly connected to the pedals with tightly-affixed straps or else with clipless pedals, especially when one or no mechanical brakes are used.

so i will "clip in"in a few days...

Then get mtn shoes if you intend on walking a bit.

You should really be shifting yourself on your saddle instead of your pedals. The further behind your bb the more endurance oriented the position is, while the further forward or above the bb the more aggressive position allowing you to spin faster, that's why you always see track guys super far forward on their seat.

why are so many people with straps?almost every bike has straps...

why why why why why why why "so many people aren't with spd?".... Mmmm... Would you walk within specified soccer shoes/ or baseball shoes in mall around??

I ride SPD's and love them.

Straps are (generally) cheaper than buying shoes/pedals.

I went SPD and have never looked back. Cycling is so much better with them.

haha Engrish.

SPD for the win, and you can still buy the worst shoes and pedals for 60 bucks and they will still have better retention than toshis or whatever doubles you prefer.

for hipsters, like myself, it would be impossible to do those "cool" over the bar skids

No, its not impossible with clipless pedals...

The only reason I rock cages on my fixed is for my shoe selection. I commute almost everywhere on my bike, so wearing those shoes is a NO-GO. Also, I can't just toss my other pair of shoes in my bag, due to holding camera gear, my laptop, and all kinds of other ****.

If you can pull it off, go clipless.

^ what he said. If you use your bike for commuting/everything you don't want to be walking around with spd cleats everywhere.

My bike is my only means of transportation (that is, the only one I use) and I just wear my SPD shoes everywhere. Wore them all winter in the snow, too, never bothered bringing a change of shoes with me. When I used straps I found that only specific shoes worked even remotely well anyway, the other ones would get hung up on the pedals or be too tall for the clips or get stuck in the straps, so I didn't see any reason NOT to buy special shoes just for cycling. Easier to get back into at stoplights, too, or if you clip out (for whatever reason) at high cadence on a fixed gear. Oh, and the cornering clearance and toe overlap are better and you don't have toe cages bouncing off everything when you wheel the bike around.

In short, clipless is F***in' sweet. Worst thing about the shoes is that they're hard to get into when caked with road salt.

Absolute hogwash. Any decent MTB shoe plus a thin profile cleat (Eggbeaters worn down for a bit) = no clacking. Plenty comfortable for 8 hours or 4-5 hours walking around.

it's really not that bad.

Well, if you are into bicycle themed fashion, then sure, go ahead and wear you spd's all the time.

As for me, when I'm going to the class/store/movies/girlfriend's place/work/etc (I use my bike for everything), I don't want to be wearing biking specific shoes. In my opinion, they don't look too hot.

When I need to ride for real, as in non-just around town biking, I switch pedals (ie, long weekend rides, training).

Using a good pair of toe clips and some stiff leather straps should be sufficient for riding around the city, even enough for moderate skidding and whatnot (but you should have a brake for that either way). For the kind of riding I do, lots of stopping, going into places, etc, I don't need/want spd's. I could see a messenger using cleats all day, since they are mostly on their bike, but not me (and I would venture to say, most people).

I use both clips and clipless. I like clips just to get to my classes. I don't want to be that ****** with mountain shoes clacking around walking down the halls. My Adidas Hammers with crank brothers cleats sound obnoxious walking down an echo-y hallway, and any decent mtn shoe will too.

But clipless is the way to go. If you can fit a pair of shoes in your bag with all your other stuff, then it's completely understandable.