awm03 asked:
"Are the shoes stiff & uncomfortable? Is it something you just get used to? Do the clips lock your feet into one position so you can't shift around? I do kinda like being able to move my feet around on very long rides. Any tips on how to pick from the many types of clipless pedals?"

There are many shoes available. You can buy very stiff road shoes with protruding cleats that don't allow you to walk that much when you're off the bike, but I found mountain bike shoes (that actually look like hiking shoes) quite comfy and easy to walk with (the cleat is integrated to the sole). They probably don't give me as much power, but starting from no automatic pedals, it made a big difference. I got used to it instantly. Nearly fell twice, but managed to unclip at the last second (they're probably not too tightly set - but I never unclip unexpectedly so why change?).

Can't tell about the shifting of position - seems to me that I can move enough, but I don't know how much moving you'd like to do. In all cases, if you're like me, you could always unclip and stretch out once in a while.


ACG wrote:
"I rode with one foot clipped in and the other foot I wore a tennis shoe."

I'm not sure whether it's my specific pedals-shoes combination that does the trick (Shimano SPD, Garneau mountain bike shoes, on a road bike) but I can ride for short distances without having my foot clipped to the pedal. I also unclip long before stop signs and when I ride behind old men wearing hats. I do a lot of that in the city, especially when there's a lot of traffic. Once in a while I do get clipped unintentionally, but never on both feet, and it's easy to get out of it anyway.