Actually this is more of a rant directed at well-meaning, but misguided, shop owners and employees.

After years of working in shops, teaching cycling clinics, and observing new riders, I decided to start selling clipless pedals to new riders with the bike purchase.

Why? Because I think they are safer than those god-awful clip-and-straps ("cages") so oftern foisted on beginners. If someone is morally (or financially) opposed to going clipless right away, I usually suggest they ride around on plain-old falt pedals until they are comfortable with the bike.

If clips and straps are used correctly they need to be tight enough to hold the shoe so that the rider is secure on the bike and has the mechanical advantage when pulling up on the stroke. This also means that the rider needs to be comfortable enough on the bike that she can reach down and loosen the straps before coming to a stop. Hmmmm, how many beginners can do that?

Usually the new rider rides with the cages just loose enough to be ineffective, and just tight enough to be dangerous. There is no real advantage, it's difficult to get the foot in (how many times have you witnessed a new rider riding on the "wrong" side of a pedal with cages?) and when crashing the rider is hopelessly trapped. I have seen some pretty nasty knee injuries over the years due to the odd knee-angle produced by these falls.

Starting out with clips-and-straps will actually lengthen the amount of time it takes a beginner to adapt to clipless. Why? By riding in clips-and-straps the rider trains her brain to pull BACK and out when coming to a stop. With clipless the motion is a simple twist of the ankle OUTward. Generally it takes a while to un-learn the old behaviors first.

I have a personal theory that crusty old bike shop guys put beginners through this hell as some sort of a hazing ritual

OK rant off.