Rocky_Bike

Hello,
I've been commuting to school using some small ancient SPD pedals and flip flops on my road bike. It's not a lovely combination but my commute is only 2 miles. I would really like to get new pedals now. I really wanted some new clipless pedals but that just wouldn't be practical for only 2 miles. Mainly only because of the clipless shoes it requires.

So, I found the Nashbar Scratch Pedals:
https://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product...0052_520498_-1

And I can pair them with the Nashbar Steel Toe Clips:
https://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product...0052_175517_-1
Obviously I would wear shoes with this rather than flip flops. Idk if steel toe clips are worthwhile?


Or I can just go get the REI pedals at my local store,
https://www.rei.com/product/752205/we...-21-atb-pedals


Any recommendations?

no1mad 

Unless you are riding a fixed gear bike, I don't think foot retention of any kind is necessary for such a short distance.

I'm rocking these myself (came stock on my bike ).

MEversbergII

I just procured these for my road bike: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Not high end, but they function. That said, they're pretty hefty, and with some exaggeration I'd say they weigh almost as much as the bike itself!

M.

MichaelW

MKS are a favourite platform pedal. The Sylvian touring model is wide and double sided. You can use them with or without toe clips.
Should you toeclip? For 2 miles I would say no. I used to ride toeclips everywhere but switched to plain platforms for zipping around down and rarely miss them.

macdonwald

I like these (pricey) Velo-Orange Sabot pedals for a no-retention option:

cat

I like these on my MTBs:

Wellgo MG-1 - https://www.amazon.com/Wellgo-Magnesi...ef=pd_sbs_sg_5

qualla

https://www.benscycle.net/index.php?m...oducts_id=6922These are cheap, comfortable and reasonably secure. Not so much with the attractiveness.

10 Wheels

I roll with theses.

https://store.velo-orange.com/index.p...alf-clips.html

groovestew

I like this style too. I have cheaper knock-offs for winter riding. The spikes stick nicely to your shoes, partially replicating the benefits of clipless.

fietsbob

These : https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/ergon-erg...als-prod27963/ and 'what ever' shoes ..


The reflectors wrap around for a greater reflecting angle..

jrickards

I was going to say that these and any of the other suggestions are not suitable for flip flops but it appears that you'll be using shoes in the future.

These Nashbar (and similar track-style) pedals could make your feet sore, even in regular shoes, because of the limited contact area - you'd be best to wait until you have stiff-soled shoes for these. Mallet-style pedals, like many of the suggestions above would be better but, because of the "sharp" points to prevent you from slipping off, make sure you have a decent sole between your foot and the pedal.

You could consider a hybrid, a mallet-style pedal with a clipless cleat so you could switch between the 2 (an example would be the Mallets from Crank Brothers, https://www.crankbrothers.com/pedals_mallet.php). Although you might not think that 2mi is sufficient distance to invest in clipless, I disagree, I often go on short runs/rides with the bike and benefit from the tight contact between my feet and the bike. Furthermore, bike shoes are stiff and help with the pedalling action and secondly, hybrid pedals would allow you to switch to clipless when you feel you'd like to without buying a second set of pedals or having to install/uninstall.

Dwayne

If it's a two mile commute, there's no need to overthink things. I would just get a pair of these and be done with it:
https://www.amazon.com/Avenir-Alloy-P...dp/B002BW3HKU/

Toe clips you can remove, reflectors, reasonably lightweight, won't look completely out of place on a road bike. They're similar to the Wellgo pedals you found at REI, but less expensive especially considering toe clips are included.

Squeeze

I need two sets of the ones Dwayne linked right above.

I'm a "no clips, ever!" rider and need two new sets right now for a couple of bikes, but I don't like the ones with the little allen-head set screws sticking up out of them. A couple people told me they will rip up your legs if they come in contact with your skin. I mentioned that to an employee in a bike shop recently. He was wearing shorts and pointed down to the back of his legs and said, "Like this?" He was all scarred up from them.

I don't claim to have pretty legs but I prefer not to bleed any more than necessary.

I found a cool-looking set of pedals at a local REI store but didn't buy them after getting the strong-arm sales pitch to join their club from not only the cashier I went to but two of her colleagues (cult members?) who overheard our conversation and came running over to try to close the deal.

I'm still tempted to go back and brave the commission-hungry recruiters just to snag a set of these: https://www.rei.com/product/752213/we...14-city-pedals

Rocky_Bike

Wow! I was not expecting so many replies. Thank you all for the great suggestions. You are probably right about not needing those toe clips, things just get a little slippery in the winter but if I have one of those pedals with the studs then that shouldn't matter too much. I'll be wearing thick shoes, I'm not a converse kind of a guy.
The biggest reason I'm not digging the giant platform pedals is because I take sharp turns and it's nice not to have the pedal protruding out a significant amount. I used to have what Dwayne posted so I'll probably go with those, or a hybrid pedal as jrickards suggested.

@Squeeze - Those pedals certainly will work in ideal riding conditions but I would be careful of putting too much power to the pedal when it's wet out without the stabby stabby's to grip your shoes.

Squeeze

Agreed about wet conditions with those. Some reviewers mentioned that as well. But they look so comfy! I know that's silly, but fortunately I live where it seldom rains. I'll probably never buy them but figured I'd mention them in the platform pedal thread anyway. They'd be perfect on a beach cruiser with bare feet.

squirtdad

i use these on my city bike https://store.velo-orange.com/index.p...g-236g-pr.html

PatrickGSR94

I run pinned platform pedals on my MTB similar to the Wellgo MG-1's posted by @cat above. Yes they can tear up your legs if you're not careful, but I very rarely have that issue. The upside is that your shoes will stick to the things almost like they're clipped in. And they WILL NOT slip off when wet, ever.

I've used them plenty of times with stiff-soled flip flops and never had a problem, other than my flops are quite old and the pins have torn up the soles a little bit. But I don't care.

I just put a set of the Wellgo's like you posted from REI above, on my wife's bike, and those seem work pretty well for her and have good build quality. And they're actually even lighter than the stock plastic platforms that came with her bike!

jrickards

Right turn = right pedal up, left pedal down
Left turn = left pedal up, right pedal down

Advanced moves:
Right turn = lean bike to right, lean body to left overtop the bike
Left turn = lean bike to left, lean body to right overtop the bike

Reason, shifts centre of gravity back towards the tires and closer to the vertical point over the patch of contact between the tire and ground. I found it to be a bit disconcerting to do this but am getting used to it.

Dwayne

And when it rains, pedals are the least of your concern (looking at your location, not far from Boulder, CO).

noglider 

Foot retention isn't necessary, but some of us prefer it whenever it's available. It becomes a habit, and it's pretty harmless as habits go.

I happen to like these pedals and their ilk. They're SPD on one side only. On the other side, you can use street shoes. They are weighted in such a way that you can choose the side you want by flipping it forward or back. I get in quickly almost every time with no fumbling.



Nowadays, when I buy shoes, even shoes that will not be primarily for cycling, I try to buy SPD shoes. I have about four pairs of SPD shoes of various types. One is a racing shoe, one a hiking shoe, one a running shoe, and another is a sandal. Actually, I have two of each of the above, since I have two feet.

Squeeze

Well, given the recent tragic flooding in Colorado, I guess my comment looks silly. However, it's true. We get less than 20 inches of rainfall annually. I lived on the East Coast for most of my life, including several years at the beach, so I know what a “day of rain” is like, or even a whole week. With the exception of recent rain, that doesn’t happen here very often.

I don't even have fenders on my commuter bike. Will that get me banned from here?

rumrunn6

REI pedals are not very large if you have big feet you might prefer bearclaw, I saw them recently on the forums, they look awesome.

I prefer plastic 1/2 clips aka mini clips w/o straps

gregjones

Those Nashbar pedals have the same idea as the Shimano A530 that I love. It's almost too nice to be able just jump on the bike to the corner store and back with any shoes laying around and not worry about clips and straps screwing them up.

I just ordered (not here yet) some M520s that are double SPD and come with a plastic platform that "clips" in when you want it. They were quite a bit, relatively so, than the A530s.

If they don't work so well, I might try the Problem Solvers platform on them. I guess I could sell them with the pedals and buy some more A530s if all else fails!!

Rocky_Bike

I'm in the Boulder area too. I actually lived right next to Boulder creek last semester and have kayaked down it a few times when it is more lively. Was a little too lively the past week... It's still crankin away too, just not at flood status.
@gregjones - The Nashbar's are incredibly light too, the lightest platform I have found yet too. Only 228 grams!

rms13

I got some GT bmx pedals for about $12 for my commuter and they are great:

https://www.gtbicycles.com/2013/goods...on-pedals-9-16

Or if you want foot retention there are "normal" shoes that are spd compatible

https://www.chromeindustries.com/us/en/footwear/city-spd

https://www.dzrshoes.com/