Which pedals do you recommend for commuting?

Hi there,
First of all, amazing blog, I read it almost every day, and I love
all the comments from other cyclist as well.
Very well done, and well presented.
I have recently started cycling for my daily commuting (even though
at the moment, I am more trying to find a good route to use everyday,
because, so far my 12 miles commuting ends more into 20 miles
commuting because I didn’t turn at the correct section, etc….) 12
miles each way from Bromley to London Soho.
I just bought for my birthday, last month, the bike I always wanted
to have, but it came with some clipped pedals, which I never used
before. So here we go, I buy a cheap pair of clipped shoes and I start
riding… first evening, I fell twice, came back home with blood from
both knees. So not such a good experience.
Here is my question:
What pedals do you recommend for commuting?
Thank you
Damien

Your experience Damien is one shared by many. The pedals you refer to are actually called “Clipless”. (I know a weird name considering you do clip-in). They are the most efficient pedals as they provide forward motion as you lift your leg up and also they keep your foot in the optimal position. However, they do take a while to get used to.

What I tend to opt for is flat pedals coupled with Power Grips. I would tend to stay away from all plastic pedals that come with cheap bikes as they are not very durable and provide very little grip.

I prefer having Power Grips because it means I can wear any shoes I want and I can slide in and out of them pretty fast.

Many commuters choose to stick with clipless pedals (what you have now) and take the tough learning curve. Though I’d recommend figuring them out first on quieter roads.

In terms of pedal recommendations I’ll open that up to London Cyclist readers..

See also:

• What is your uphill cycling strategy?
• What cyclists can be fined for