When considering city riding on a road bike, there are parts best suited for each purpose.

Among them, this time we will focus on "pedals."

Two Options

First, there are broadly two types of pedals.

There are "clipless" pedals, which fix your shoes to the pedal, and "flat pedals," which intentionally do not fix them. Most beginners will likely choose flat pedals.

Flat pedals are often chosen because they are cheaper and offer the convenience of easily getting on and off the bike.

And it seems there's also a mindset where, once you've gotten used to a road bike to some extent, you upgrade from flat pedals to clipless pedals.

First, I'd like to explain the pros and cons of each, and then consider which is more suitable for city riding.

Pros and Cons of Flat Pedals

Without a doubt, the biggest advantage of flat pedals is their low cost.

Some inexpensive ones start from around 300 yen, and even high-end models range from about 5,000 yen to 20,000 yen.

Naturally, you can ride with regular shoes, adding to their convenience.

Conversely, a disadvantage is that since your shoes and pedals are not fixed, they can be slippery, especially in the rain.

The power transmitted to the pedals, as explained below, will also be less compared to clipless pedals.

Pros and Cons of Clipless Pedals

The good thing about clipless pedals is that they firmly secure your feet to the pedals.

This prevents your feet from slipping and you from falling over when starting to pedal.

When pedaling, you can use both "pushing" and "pulling" motions, which reduces fatigue and allows you to achieve faster speeds.

The muscles used for pushing and pulling are different.

For example, when you are pushing down with your right foot, your left foot is moving upwards on the pedal.

In this case, with flat pedals, your left foot is just resting on the pedal, making it a "load."

With clipless pedals, when your right foot pushes down, your left foot pulls up.

Since you rotate the pedal by both pushing and pulling, more power is transferred to the gears.

This is advantageous for both fast riding and long-distance riding.

Speed is also easier to maintain.

With flat pedals, if you only push, power is transmitted only to the right or only to the left, resulting in moments when no power is being transmitted.

In contrast, with clipless pedals, you apply continuous force almost at every moment.

Therefore, it's easier to maintain a stable speed.

It also makes climbing hills easier because power is transmitted more efficiently.

A disadvantage is that since your feet are fixed to the pedals, your feet won't separate from the bike in the event of a fall.

There have been reports of accidents where people are hit by cars after falling and being unable to get up because their feet remained attached to the bike.

They tend to be more expensive due to the need for special shoes and a mechanism to secure the shoes to the pedals.

Another disadvantage is that they can be difficult to get used to, requiring practice.

Flat Pedals Recommended for City Road Bikes

Flat pedals are recommended for city riding.

When riding a road bike, you might want to switch to clipless pedals once you get somewhat used to it, but for commuting to work or school, flat pedals are likely more convenient.

Firstly, it's easy to get on and off.

This is because there's no shoe fixation when getting on and off.

When riding in the city, you will inevitably encounter traffic lights.

There are also times when you need to stop suddenly at intersections or side streets.

If your shoes and pedals are not unclipped, you might fall.

Flat pedals are advantageous in terms of both convenience and safety.

However, if not fixed, your shoes and pedals might slip when you start pedaling.

Especially on rainy days.

When your shoes are muddy, they become even more slippery.

This can be avoided with caution.

Since you can't use both pushing and pulling motions, there's a slight disadvantage in pedaling efficiency.

However, if you've chosen a road bike, regardless of the pedals, it's still a road bike.

It's distinctly different from a city cycle (mamachari) or a mini-velo.

While the riding speed is completely different and you won't enjoy the benefits of clipless pedals, you'll still fully enjoy the benefits of riding a road bike.

For commuting to work or school, this is considered sufficient.

Flat Pedals Are Not Suited for City Riding

When you first start riding a road bike, you might pedal with the arch of your foot. Clipless pedals, by fixing your foot, can sometimes be better for learning to pedal correctly with power applied around the ball of your foot.

However, the special shoes for clipless pedals are difficult to walk in once you get off the bike.

They can be slippery, and with the protrusions, you might waddle like a penguin.

For commuting to work or school, there are very few instances where you wouldn't walk at all.

Some people even prepare two pairs of shoes: one for walking and one for cycling for their commute.

Ultimately, it's your own judgment, but the author believes flat pedals are more suitable for commuting to work or school.

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