Pedals, pedals, pedals.
Thirty years ago I used to have "cage" pedals
(also known as "quill" pedals) - open metal contraptions with rounded, raised, "teeth" at the front and rear (to grip the bottom of one's shoes). Some of my contemporaries had toe-clips that held the pedal more firmly to the shoe, allowing one to "pull" on the upwards stroke as well as "push" on the downwards one.
(also known as "quill" pedals) - open metal contraptions with rounded, raised, "teeth" at the front and rear (to grip the bottom of one's shoes). Some of my contemporaries had toe-clips that held the pedal more firmly to the shoe, allowing one to "pull" on the upwards stroke as well as "push" on the downwards one.
Nowadays, toe-clips are rare, having been replaced by pedals with special fittings on them, and shoes with matching fittings, that "lock" together to give a similar push-pull effect (such as Shimano's SPD system).
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| low-cost metal pedal with rubber pads |
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| Plastic "cage"-style pedals |
I seem to have a preference for flat pedals, metal with a bit of rubber - the sort of pedals that are comfortable to pedal in whatever footwear you are wearing, be it thin-soled gym shoes, or wellington boots (galoshes!). However, my little folding bike has plastic "cage"-style pedals, and I seem to get on all right with them, so I just leave them.
My cycling is mostly urban these days (and, overall, mostly always has been), and I have always liked the security of being able to quickly get a foot (or two!) down on the road. This can be used to aid balance, or, equally well, as "emergency" braking - when you work out how much of your bike tyres actually touch the road (or whatever), you can see the difference an extra pair of shoes can make!
I commute in an urban environment, almost all fairly short distances at fairly low speeds, in all weathers, rain and shine. So I have pedals I can wear just about any footwear in, including a pair of short wellies.
If, however, I was commuting 10 miles (16 kilometres) a day each way, then I might think about clip-type pedals (such as the SPD type), and shoes to suit, with a pair or normal shoes either left at work or carried in my panniers etc. The benefits from the "push-pull" possible when you pedals are locked to your shoes would probably be worth the extra effort cost and trouble (you need 2 pairs of shoes all year round, while I usually cycle in the pair I then wear at work!)
If one is engaging in a bit of friendly competition with one's friends, then SPD pedals (or toe-clips) definitely allow one to go faster, and/or pedal a longer distance for the same amount of effort.
But like so many other things in cycling (and life) there are different answers for different people - all equally right. So think about the type of cycling you do, and get pedals to match. There is no reason why you can't change the pedals on a bike part-way through owning it, so fit what is best for you.
One last word - remember that on normal (also known as "British") pedals, the left-side pedal (facing forwards) has a "backwards" thread - so it undoes CLOCKWISE. This is so that it undoes in the opposite direction to the normal rotation it gets in use.
If you have a French bike (especially something from Peugeot!), then chances are that you have TWO right-hand pedals that undo "normally" - that is to say, ANTI-CLOCKWISE. While the bolts are conventional, they have a tendency to undo during use unless done up really tightly, or a thread locking compund is used. Some Italian bikes also have French-type pedals, but my little Cinzia folding bike (Italian made) has "regular" pedals with a left-hand "backwards" thread on the left side!
I commute in an urban environment, almost all fairly short distances at fairly low speeds, in all weathers, rain and shine. So I have pedals I can wear just about any footwear in, including a pair of short wellies.
If, however, I was commuting 10 miles (16 kilometres) a day each way, then I might think about clip-type pedals (such as the SPD type), and shoes to suit, with a pair or normal shoes either left at work or carried in my panniers etc. The benefits from the "push-pull" possible when you pedals are locked to your shoes would probably be worth the extra effort cost and trouble (you need 2 pairs of shoes all year round, while I usually cycle in the pair I then wear at work!)
If one is engaging in a bit of friendly competition with one's friends, then SPD pedals (or toe-clips) definitely allow one to go faster, and/or pedal a longer distance for the same amount of effort.
But like so many other things in cycling (and life) there are different answers for different people - all equally right. So think about the type of cycling you do, and get pedals to match. There is no reason why you can't change the pedals on a bike part-way through owning it, so fit what is best for you.
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| Marking showing "left"-side pedal |
If you have a French bike (especially something from Peugeot!), then chances are that you have TWO right-hand pedals that undo "normally" - that is to say, ANTI-CLOCKWISE. While the bolts are conventional, they have a tendency to undo during use unless done up really tightly, or a thread locking compund is used. Some Italian bikes also have French-type pedals, but my little Cinzia folding bike (Italian made) has "regular" pedals with a left-hand "backwards" thread on the left side!
