Many of the mid-range mass produced bikes these days don’t come with pedals, I gather because pedals and compatible shoes have become a personal choice for a lot of folks. I went pragmatic with this piece of gear as well, cannibalizing pedals I had purchased several years ago for my old Cannondale road racing bike. (I rode that thing so many miles in toe clips that I had physically broken both original pedals.)
These pedals are clever, if not fancy. They are Shimanos with standard bindings* on one side and a flat pedal surface on the other. It was important to me to get use out of the bike by just jumping on whenever, without necessarily going through a lot of preparation or having to clip in. On the other hand, my whole history on bikes was clipped in, and I like the feeling of being attached to the pedals, as well as the convenience of having my feet held in the right position, not wandering around on the pedal surface mile after mile.
These days the cycling market seems to have settled on basically two styles of shoes, rigid-soled ones inspired by old road racing shoes, and less fashionable but more comfortable shoes you can walk around in. I had always penguin-ed around in the racier kind in the past, so these basic touring shoes I bought from Giro are a real treat. The cleat is recessed into the sole, and the sole itself has just a little flex, so walking around is more comfortable, and one looks less bizarre in a convenience store or campground.
I bought these particular shoes when I saw them marked down significantly online. I think I would only give them about a 3 out of 5 stars because I wonder about how they will hold up long term – but they were an outstanding value for money. My hunch is they went on sale because of those bright orange accents.
* There are a few shoe/pedal systems out there, and I picked the old, basic SPD, which is widely available. There are some others, so be sure to get a combination shoe/pedal system that works together.
Link: SPD pedals explained: Everything you need to know about Shimano’s popular pedal platform
The Pragmatic Cyclist 
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