When it comes to options, there are three main bike pedals you should consider. The platform bike pedals, pedal toe clips and straps, and clipless bike pedals. Each of these pedals are designed for a specific way of riding and depending on your style, they can either make or break your riding game.

Platform Bike Pedals

These types of pedals are most widely used – they were probably the pedals you had on your first bike. They have a wide surface allowing for better stability and are compatible with nearly every shoe. New versions of these types of pedals are now made from lightweight materials, sealed bearings for moisture resistance and even replaceable pins on the surface for better grip. This type of bike pedal is preferred by downhill mountain bikers as they provide great stability and control when going down fast.

Pedal Toe Clips and Straps

Toe clips, also know as toe cages are small frames that allow you to attach the front of platform pedals and surround your toes. This is done to allow you to pull when lifting up your foot in the pedal stroke as well as push down. These types of bike pedals are designed so as to allow you to exert even more force by utilizing the force from both when lifting up your leg and when pushing down. Along with the additional adjustable straps that thread through the top and bottom of the clip, you have a basic retention system that is affordable, lightweight and durable.

Clipless Bike Pedals

Clipless might be a confusing name for these pedals as they need to be clipped on to the pedals cleats much like ski binding. This type of bike pedal works by mounting a small plastic or metal cleat on the sole of your shoe that snaps into a set of spring-loaded “clips” on the face of the pedal. That is why these types of pedals provide high level of control when moving fast and allow you to execute moves such as hoping curbs or riding over logs. They take some getting used to, but once you get the hang of them, they become second nature.

Cycling can be a great way to get around town. I personally love it and it has changed my life since I didn’t like driving my car that much to begin with. Every morning I would get stressed just thinking about the traffic jam that awaits me and I dreaded having to be complete a part of it. On top of that, this cycle made it so that once I entered the office, I was already annoyed and my energy levels were always low. So low that not even two cups of coffee in the morning could fix it. So, in order to change that vicious cycle, I decided to do exactly that – cycle. I prefer to shop online when it comes to making a decision based on comparing different kinds of products cause it’s much faster. After finding a bike that fits my needs from a reputable online bicycle store, I felt ready to change my routine.

Within the first week, I had already started to feel better. The stress was gone and I started feeling way more energized when I got to work. I had no idea what cycling can do, and it’s not like I wasn’t healthy before, I just didn’t know how much better I could feel. At first, I was a little bit worried about getting home from work, thinking I would be to tired to cycle back. But quite the opposite happened since even when I got home I still felt full of energy, and got a lot more work done around the house than I usually used to do.

Yet another benefit I must mention is that I started to save a lot more money, money I usually spent on gas. I no longer use my car for work anymore, so that brought my gas expenses way down. And I am happy to report that I’m no longer contributing to the air pollution. Now I only use my car when I go shopping or to have dinner with someone. For this reason, now I manage to have a full tank of gas last me twice as long than before. Looking up an online bicycle store and getting a bike was such a great decision that I cannot understand why I didn’t come around it sooner – I could have saved my self a lot of money and stress.

One month later, I was pleased to notice I had lost some weight and what’s more, I felt stronger and healthier overall. I realized cycling was improving my life in areas I didn’t even expect. I now feel happier, the boost of energy that I get from cycling and the weight I lost put a huge smile on my face. Saving money and getting fitter at the same time? – Yes please. I even started to spend some of my spare time cycling around town just to feel the breeze on my face.