Quote Originally Posted by kie_fujo View Post
ok, i'm trying to get serious about my cycling. i'm getting a bike that actually fits (yay!) and here's my dilemma. clipless pedals scare the crap out of me, but i hate cages. how important are either of those? when i ride around here i do have a bit of stop and go which is why clipless scares me, and even cages are a pain. i've been riding just pedals. is that a bad thing?
If they are working for you and you are happy with the way your bike rides, then they are a good thing.

I'm starting to question the whole "attach your feet to the pedal" idea. Knot holds her own on flat pedals in a pair of street shoes. My next bike build will be a cargo bike and it will have flat pedals.

Serious cyclist doesn't mean you need to have certain gear. It means you have a bike that you love and you ride it. The rest is just marketing.