Pedal types

[SadieKate]

Back in the day, we had downtube shifters and were used to reaching down all the time, and toe clips weren't as big of a deal as they seem now that we're not so used to that long one-handed reach.

As long as you had plenty of time and no surprises, like a huge gravel pit around a blind corner and a cyclist who overtakes you unannounced and forces you into it. With clipless, I wouldn't have fallen (at least probably not.

Yeah, the two learning curve thing. I'm totally an advocate of the KISS method.

[Yelsel]

Okay, I'll 'fess up, I've used both. But I've used the Crank Brothers with a platform, not just the eggbeater.

I learned on Crank Brothers clipless -- I wanted a platform for just hopping on the bike for errands and around-town, and clipless for longer rides, and the LBS swapped the crappy stock pedals for a pair of used Mallets. You can adjust the amount of "float" before you clip out with Crank Brothers -- I started with the easier 6 degrees, and now have them on the standard 15 degrees. You set the float by which cleat is in which shoe. Unclipping is parallel to the pedal.

My 1998 Bianchi Eros had shimano mountain pedals on when I bought her. There are two different shimano cleats. One has little (no?) float, and you can only unclip parallel to the pedal. For a couple bucks more, you can get cleats that unclip in multiple directions - for a panic stop (or for a mountain bike), you can even rip them out straight up with enough pressure. This is the only cleat set that I know of where you can rip out the cleat straight up... depending on the perspective, you could view it as "training wheels" or developing "bad habits" if you want to use other clipless systems. I still have these on, since I haven't decided on what clipless pedal system I want to go with (I'd really like Speedplay, but the road and mountain pedals do not have compatible cleats).

I haven't found any difference between the two as far as pressure needed to clip in or out; it depends a lot more on how new the cleat is. It is usually a bit easier to clip in and out with a newer cleat.

[SadieKate]

Oh, trust me. I've managed to rip out of Eggbeaters/Candies by pulling straight up.

Panic can make you do a lot of things without thinking.

[Crankin]

I intuitively knew that cages would be a disaster for me. DH bought me a pair when i still was riding the old mtb on the road, thinking it would help in the transition to clipless. I told him to send them back after he told me what was required! When I got my first road bike, I went right to spd pedals, with no issues. I had one fall, but it was months after I started using the pedals.
And I am not the most coordinated person in the world. I don't think I could have ever reached down and touched my shoes! I can barely grab the water bottle.
I have campus pedals on my around town bike, but I really hate riding without being clipped in.