The normal pedal is just flat without any straps or anything else on it. Some pedals have a toe-clip which holds your foot in place on the pedal. It can either be just a simple clip which your foot fits in to, or it may also have straps which go round your foot and the pedal. When the strap is tightened up, you cannot get your foot off the pedal until you loosen the strap. Clipless pedals have a mechanism in the pedal which locks into a special plate or cleat fitted into the underside of a cycling shoe and to get out you merely rotate your foot to the side (push your heel outwards).
So why use a pedal like this?
It is because more of your effort gets transferred into making the bike move. It may seem strange, but you will not only use the pedal by pushing, but you will learn to also pull the pedal as you lift your foot up! It sounds hard to do, but is something that you will eventually do without thinking.
Must you use clipless pedals? – No , but if you start to do quite a lot of cycling, will it be a good thing to try? – Yes .
