Davidc said:
Retailers will use anything to help profits, it's up to them whether and how they chose to try to keep or lose your business!
Indeed, and the French retailer I mentioned succeeded, seeing as we went back to them some months later for another bike (a hybrid this time)! They were part of the Velo+Oxygen franchise, a network of small dealers operating more or less independently.
For the user, both systems are still readily available, and I hope that remains so for a long time.
That may be so, but I had difficulty getting shoes for use without cleats - rigid flat soles I mean. Of course, with flat pedals and clips you can use almost any shoes, but hard cycling shoes are an advantage.
Many bikes seem to be sold new without pedals, leaving the choice to the buyer. That makes sense to me with there being such a variety of pedals, toe clips, clipless systems and so on.
Suits me too, but it isn't always so, especially with the cheaper models. Maybe it depends on the dealer as well. I would also like to see cycles sold
without saddles, but that's off-topic, sorry.