Without pedals, you're going nowhere on your bike. Pedals let you transfer your leg power to the bike by allowing you to pump down and turn the cranks. They seem pretty simple at first glance, but pedal styles have grown wider and more advanced over the years. Your ideal pedal style depends on the type of riding you do, your budget and what feels most comfortable.
Standard Pedals
Though rarely seen on modern high-end road and mountain bikes, standard pedals still grace most BMX and children's bikes. These have no clips or attachments, just a plain surface, often with ridges for extra sneaker grip. These work best in situations where you may regularly jump or fall off your bike. For example, BMX riders often need to get off fast or take their feet off the pedals to perform a trick. Children learning to ride might find themselves toppling off more than they'd like. In both cases, being attached to a pedal would cause possible injury and inconvenience.
Toe Clips
Pedals with toe clips offer some extra security for longer distance riders or mountain bikers. A toe clip works like a small harness over the toe of your shoe, keeping it attached more firmly to the pedal. To remove your foot, you must pull back before lifting. The attachment allows for more control over the bike, providing lift as well as downward pressure when you turn the cranks.
Recessed Clipless Pedals
Many road, mountain and performance bikes now come with clipless pedals. These pedals require special shoes to use. Instead of holding your toe to the pedal with a strap, clipless pedals use a simple locking mechanism to clasp the sole of your shoe to the pedal. Recessed clipless pedals have a shoe clasp set into the sole so you can walk on the shoe if needed -- ideal for mountain bikers who frequently need to jump off and carry their bikes up hills.
Non-recessed Clipless Pedals
Non-recessed clipless pedals follow the same basic concept as recessed pedals. However, the shoe clip is not set into the shoe sole, which makes walking normally very difficult. They're often lighter than recessed clips, but you must take care not to walk on them too much or you could damage the clasp. Clipless pedals should increase your cycling efficiency by applying power on your leg upstroke as well as downstroke. With all clipless pedals, it may take a little time to get used to them. You usually have to twist your foot slightly to release the shoe from the pedal.
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