From Kevin Tisue,
Your Guide to Mountain Biking.
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Definition: Pedals are where you place your feet when you are on a bike. The provide a place for your feet to push the cranks around. There are three main types of Pedals:

Clipless Pedals - Clipless pedals have a special mechanism that attaches you foot to the pedal using a special cleat mounted to the bottom of your shoe. This type of pedal creates a very efficient connection between you and your bike.

Toe Clip Pedals - These pedals allow you to loosely strap your foot to your pedal. I do not recommend toe clip pedals.

Platform Pedals - Platform pedals provide no attachment to your foot but make it very fast and easy to get your foot to the ground.