Sweet- That Ruby will grow on you- I love mine, and the more I ride it, the more it feels like 'home'. Sorta like a good pair of jeans, you wash, wear, wash, and they seem to mold to your body. And at the end of the day, I don't feel all banged up; the ride is so silky.

Without cages, the typical road cycling shoe, if that is what you are using, is going to have too slick a sole for pedals without cages. I would use mountain type shoes for platform pedals, or those grippy-soled downhill style shoes that look like beefy sneakers. My feelings on cages have been aired before; I hate those things. It is easier to use clipless provided you setup a shoe/pedal system that works for you IMO, flipping pedals over to snag the cage is not fun; playing with those straps is not fun.

You may or may not find clipless to your liking, down the road. For now, choose a shoe with a sole that grips the pedals well.