Click-in style pedals commonly known as Clipless are a barrier to just riding your bike. They are also the cause of many low speed crash injuries when people's feet get stuck in them and they fall over.
A common misconception is that clipless pedals are more effecient because they allow you to pull up on the back stroke. Fact is you don't!! Your downstrokes pushes your back leg up! Our thinking is if that is so, then why invest in special shoes and pedals when you can just ride in regular shoes with the same power?
Modern platform pedals with steel traction pins are not slippery, even when wet! Get a quality pair of sealed bearing platform pedals wtih steel traction pins and you will have the EXACT SAME efficiency and still be able to walk normal. You can even wear nice dress shoes! Also you won't have any rides that start with wet shoes if you keep a spare pair at work.
Clipless pedals have their place for racing and super elite racer types and we are not trying to convince them otherwise. It is just that normal everyday folks certianly do not need them. We think it keeps folks from riding sometimes because it is a hassle to change shoes just to ride a bike.
We are happy to special order clipless pedals. Our staff used to all ride with clipless pedals in the past and find that Shimano and Time are best. We also stock replacement cleats. We are also experts at cleat fitting. It is extremely important that you let your body position the cleat on the bottom of your shoe. We use a bio-mechanical device called the R.A.D. Read our fitting page for more info.
Grant Peterson of Rivendell has written a great article about riding with flat pedals. He, like many shop employees, used to convince folks to use clipless pedals. We had all drank the Kool-Aid. Only recently have many of us converted away from clipless pedals to flat pedals. The popularity of BMX bikes have brought to market a wide selection of large, grippy, quality, lightweight flat pedals.
We no longer sell shoes but here is a chart that can help you determine your size.
When shopping for pedals make sure you get a large size platform with steel traction pins. Avoid all aluminum or plastic molded pedals.
Compare this Velo Orange pedal to the Origin-8. Note the size of the smaller pedal is the same size as a kiddie pedal!
Many pedals now have cartridge bearings and can be rebuilt. A large pedal will even let you ride in Crocs!