Hello everyone, so I just built my first fixed gear, I have been riding single speeds for a couple years and wanted to try something new, I have a super old school panasonic. My question is in regard to pedals and straps, I have alway ridden with platform pedals but on the fixie i realize this can be a danger and I also plan on doing some light commuting (5-10 miles). I have an old pair of pedal with the old school metal cages on the front and the strap, i find these to be not only a hassle to get into while riding, but uncomfortable. Can anyone help me out with suggestions on clipless pedals. Are straps the way to go? If clipless pedals are the best option does anyone have any tips on really good ones that maybe do not cost an arm and a leg? thanks for your help. have an awesome day.

If you're willing to change shoes to ride and can deal with the slightly higher initial cost, clipless are the way to go. I've got clips for the convenience, but am considering picking up a clipless system, especially for longer rides.

mks custom nuevo

Big fan of Candy SL's

I wouldnt commute over 5 miles without clipless pedals. The Candy's have a good degree of platform to them which I think helps make them comfortable, also you could (in a pinch) ride with regular shoes.

I love egg-beaters. I have them on all of my bikes.

You want shoes with stiff soles. Make sure the cleats are adjusted right. Trial and error. There is no magic to it.

I definitely recommend clipless pedals and a good set of shoes. Time ATAC beats the crap out of every other clipless pedal I've had, including Eggbeaters (which I liked a lot but which were distinctly less secure). The ATAC Alium pedals are excellent and can be had for under $50 sometimes (currently $58 from Jenson).

Look Keo Classics. Brand new, 90-120. check your local craigslist for a used set.

wow thanks for all the advice. i have read many good things about those look keo pedals. those may be my next purchase for bike. part of me really wants to get the hang of the toe straps because they are apparently the trendy way to go, but i suppose being trendy is not the purpose of riding. it would be really great if my town had a local bike shop, but oh well. thanks again everyone.

I didn't know straps were trendy, I just thought it was for people who wanted to ride their bike without changing shoes when they get off.

I ride clipless and I don't change my shoes (Sidi Doms) when I get off. This last year there were probably 10 times where I did that, and that was when I stayed at my girl's overnight where I had left a pair of shoes there for that reason. I find that walking around in those shoes is perfectly comfortable.

Never woulda figured that, regardless I enjoy my chukkas. And it saves me the new shoe expense.

are look style single sided pedals compatible with brakeless riding?

As compatible as anything else, sure.

IMO, clipless pedals are kinda a PITA for commuting. Of course, iwould never use clips on my dedicated road bikes, but for my FG I will always have regular clips and straps. Look Keos are quite possibly the worst shoe/pedal design for commuting. They are impossible to walk in. Not only that, but if you do it too often you can snap your cleat like I did. they are good for road bikes, tho.

My favorite non-clipless pedal is the MKS GR9. Pretty comfy. As far as clips and straps go, a lot of ppl like doubles.

mks gr9's definitely. comfortable as all hell. definetly the way to go if you do clips and straps. i ride mks single steel toe clips. i dig them

I switched over to clipless recently, and I love it. I chose to get a pair of mtb clipless shoes because they're easy to walk in (cleat is recessed into the shoe, and the shoes have spikes that touch the ground before the cleat), and mtb pedals as well because they can clip in on both sides (are there road pedals that do this too?) Anyway I chose the Mavic Razor shoes and they are super comfortable, and the time ATAC Alium pedals which work well too, although I thought they were adjustable when I bought them, but they model I bought are not.

i ride eggbeater sl pedals off road and have tried several options on the road but i'm going back to looks. i just picked up a set of these keo classics. you can get a brand new set on ebay for around $80 all day long.

over the last few days i have learned that road cleats get clogged up with snow really bad, really fast and it makes it a pain to clip in. also, i don't recommend every wearing road shoes to wal mart. i needed 1 thing and almost slipped and fell like 5 times.

I use twisted PC with Hold Fast straps. They aren't expensive and I will never go back to clips.

sue walmart for their unreasonably low friction coefficient.