Whether you ride a road, cyclocross, mountain or comfort bike, you have your choice of three basic pedal types: platform pedals, pedals with toe clips and clipless pedals. Platform pedals are the original bike pedals, but toe clips were invented soon after, and have been used by cyclists for nearly as long. Clipless pedals are a more recent development, heavily favored by professionals and enthusiasts. If you’re not ready to commit to clipless pedals, how you ride your bike can help you choose between platform pedals and toe clips.
Platform Pedals
The basic platform pedal is broad and flat on both sides, and can accommodate nearly any kind of shoe. Some platform pedals have notched edges or a surface that grips your shoe treads to maintain a better connection. Arguably, the biggest benefit of the platform pedal is that your foot is free to step off at any time. Whether you use your bike to commute around a town or a city, ride trails or go off-road, not having to worry about reaching down to loosen toe clips or twisting your heel out of a clipless pedal can give you the peace of mind that you’re not going to fall over when you make fast stops.
Toe Clips
Toe clips are usually plastic or metal cages bolted to platform pedals that hold your feet in place with adjustable nylon straps. By keeping the ball of your foot centered over and attached to the pedal, you can maximize the power and efficiency of your pedal stroke. This becomes more noticeable during hill climbs when you engage your hamstrings to lift through the back half of the stroke. Although some of the older toe clips required special shoes, the majority of toe clips currently on the market fit over most types of exercise shoes. Toe clips are inexpensive and you can bolt them to — or remove them from — platform pedals as desired.
Disadvantages
Because your foot isn’t attached to a platform pedal, you can’t use the backs of your legs as effectively, which diminishes your overall power on the bike. In rainy weather or muddy conditions off-road, it’s easier for your feet to slip off of platform pedals, which can be especially dangerous if you’re in a standing position. The most prominent hazard presented by toe clips involves falls due to not sliding your feet out of them before coming to a full stop. Although toe clips can keep your foot in the most effective position on the pedal, you’d have to tighten the straps considerably to maintain that position over the course of a long ride, which can cut off circulation to your toes.
Considerations
If you ride your bike for fitness or often go on long rides that are relatively uninterrupted by traffic stops, toe clips can give you a noticeable power boost by allowing you to use both sides of your legs. Even if your normal riding pattern includes a lot of starting and stopping, you can become accustomed to slipping your feet in and out of the toe clips to minimize your risk of falling. If you ride off-road and tend to take your feet off the pedals a lot, platform pedals may be the better option for you. Likewise, if you use your bike to run errands around town rather than for fitness, platform pedals are a solid choice.
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