I've used Shimano SPD's ( hate 'em: they're beginner clip-ins: they breakaway too easily for me, and I've gotten hurt when a surprise breakaway happened. People who want easy breakaway should like 'em )
I've used Speedplay Frogs ( hate 'em: unless you have warning of when you need to get out, you can't swing far enough to get your shoes out from the things. I've gotten injured in these, too. )
Time ATACs ( hate 'em: got stabbed in the solar-plexus with my own handlebar, when falling, on trail, because I couldn't break out from them, when tired )
and Crank Brothers ( love 'em: Goldilocks mechanism, for me. )
If you're a wrestler, or other muscular type, you'll probably prefer the Time ATAC pedals.
If you're a small light rider, who only does city, the Shimano SPDs may be your ticket.
If you never fall ( I rode too many edge-of-the-highway miles, & the it's better to fall on the shoulder, than it is to fall into the ditch, so falling is .. normal enough, when you've no brain left, from riding too many hours, with cargo ), then maybe the Speedplay Frog pedals are heavenly for you.
You have to figure out your style, your need, & find the pedals that fit you, eh?
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Cheap SPD pedals sometimes aren't adjustable, but any decent ones will have set screws for adjusting release tension.
Atop that, there's a difference between the silver and black cleats. The silver ones unclip if you simply pull in any direction except up, while the black ones only unclip by twisting.
Between these two things, they can be adjusted for anyone. From beginners who want their shoes to unclip if they panic, to experienced riders who want to stay clipped in riding the roughest rock gardens.
To say they are universally an "easy-unclip" clipless system is simply untrue, and someone who gets the black cleats will NOT have that experience.
Yeah, anything that hooks in scares me too much to start using
It's really not that scary, and there are very real benefits. Pedaling uphill is just nicer when you can pull as well as push on the pedals.
I started off with combination pedals where one side is flat and the other has the mechanism, so you can use them with both normal shoes and cleated shoes, thinking it would come in handy a lot of the time.
Literally never used normal shoes to ride again, because I ended up preferring to be clipped in so much that I went out of my way to make sure I always had my cleated shoes on if I was going to ride. I've ridden other bikes except my own, since, and it feels weird. I keep lifting my rear foot off the pedals trying to use both legs to apply force to the cranks.
Clipping and unclipping becomes completely natural after just a bit of practice, and if you go with SPD like me, you can get the silver cleats and adjustable tension pedals, to set it up so that the slightest force in and "off" direction releases the shoe. I had plenty of cases at first where I forgot how to deliberately unclip, but it never led to taking an actual fall.
When you get used to it to the point that you start wanting the clipping and unclipping to be more deliberate, just turn up the tension.
That said, unless the benefits interest you, it's not life-changing enough to be worth spending on. Flat pedals work, just fine.
But as someone who uses clipless, I don't ever want to ride without being clipped in again. It's just better.
The ones that came with my cheap ebike. They're fine - I've never really thought about replacing them.
I ordered a pair of Pedaling innovations Catalyst flat pedals - they are very long and designed so the pedal axel is in the middle of your foot. I haven't used them yet, but I've found a LOT of foot relief by riding with my mid-foot, even on flat pedals that aren't large enough to do that optimally.
Generally speaking, most flat pedals work for me, but on very long 100km+ rides, I get hot foot, general foot pain, and don't enjoy it as much as I should. I'm hoping the Catalyst pedals solve this problem.
Pedaling innovations Catalyst flat pedals
Thanks for that, I've moved to zero drop ("bare foot") for running, and this is right in line with that. Always hated clips anyway...
I've got those same pedals on my trike recumbent. They feel great and incredibly grippy, which is important for avoiding "leg suck."
Don't wait on installing them! I'm sure you'll enjoy them.
They should arrive on Tuesday, and I'll have them installed the minute they get here!
Hey, FWIW, I also ordered a Rockbros wide pedal, which I took for a spin on a 120km ride today.
Based on the platform measurement, it's just a tiny bit shorter than the Catalyst, but for $55 Canadian, so this will go on my other bike when the Catalyst pedals arrive.
With the Rockbros wide pedal, I experienced absolutely zero foot discomfort and my feet feel great after the ride, too. I'm completely blown away.
Mid foot cycling should be taken more seriously. I'm sure some people give up on cycling due to various pains, and they only move to smaller and more restrictive pedals because that's what they've been told are "the best".
I'm so excited to get the Catalysts!
I like Black Ops Squatch pedals: They're a nice big platform, sturdy, and pretty cheap. Plus they don't really fuck your shins up.
Whatever shitty folding pedals my EP2 Pro came with and some basic plastic Wellgo flats on my hardtail MTB.
Might eventually upgrade them to something nicer once they break but they work well enough for me.
Whatever comes with the bike and shoes that are good to walk in.
My ebike: the default flat pedals. (Good for stopping at lights and when cars veer into the protected bike lanes.)
My traditional enduro mountain bike: crank bros mallets, a clip in pedal.
