Question about pedals/shoes from a newbie

[sbj405]

Ok, this may seem like a dumb question, but I can't find the answer in all my searching. I have a flat bar road bike. Most of my riding consists of bike commuting and mostly casual riding. I want to get pedals and shoes, but I have no clue what to buy. I am confused by the various types(LOOK, SPD, SPDR?). Based on the type of riding I do, I would prefer shoes that don't have a cleat since I ride to places where I'll be walking or going in a store (work, farmer's market, stores, etc.). It seems like those are more for mountain biking, yes? I don't ride a ton, so I'd prefer to keep cost down. Any recommendations for an entry level shoes and pedals? Thanks.

[Kolesar]

1. I would recommend Powergrips or old-style clips (&straps)

The powergrips are on this page of the Nashbar catalog: http://www.nashbar.com/results.cfm?category=108&subcategory=1077&storetype=&estoreid=&init=y&pagename= . My sweetie uses them and likes them. The mini toe clips and ATB toe clips on that page look good.

I searched www.Bicycling.com , www.roadbikereview.com , www.nashbar.com , and www.HarrisCyclery.com and just could not find a technical article that develops the ideas, so you will have to go with my short explanation. I think cycling shoes are an excellent idea because they are stiff and preserve the energy of your stroke that would otherwise be lost. You could buy any of a number of cycling shoes and achieve that. Cycling shoes often feature a cover to keep your shoelaces from getting into the chainworks. They should have a "smooth" design with nothing to catch on when sliding into the clips.

Some other DU forum user may have a better idea of what to shop for. Those forums at www.bicycling.com were pretty darn interesting. Just try to resist getting drawn into them. :) http://forums.bicycling.com/eve/forums

[happyslug]

2. For Commuting I prefer old fashion toe clips

For it is easier to get in and out of the clips when you stop at a red light or, since I live in the Mountains of Pennsylvania, to get off the bike and walk up the rest of the mountain. Another Advantage of Toe-clips is that you can use permit ANY SHOE, from winter boots, to Tennis Shoes to Dress Shoes, with toe-clips instead of a shoe design for the clip-less system you select.

SPD clips are the most common today (Shimano makes them and thus the most common). The main advantage of the Clip-less system over toe-Clips is that your feet do a better job of lifting the pedal on the upstroke as opposed to toe clips (Toe-Clips also helps on the upstroke but not as well as the "Clip-less" systems). My question is that this improved efficiency is more important to a racer than a commuter/recreational/normal cyclist. The reason is a racer is looking for any edge to help him win the race, no matter how slight, while the commuter/recreational/normal cyclist has other concerns (Such as how to keep from falling with the bike while waiting for a light to change).

Thus I must agree TheBorealAvenger, I would recommend Toe-Clips.