not to sound smug,
but i've been realizing that "go try whatever and see what fits" sounds ok in theory, but in reality, doesnt help much. all pedals feel different in so many ways, that's its hard to choose.
instead, i've found when shopping, that's its really helpful by taking your old pedal with you to the store (heck, bring your own kit's bass drum! if you're serious about your gear, you're serious about your gear.
), and comparing it head to head with whatever's at the store, on a real bass drum.
think of your old pedal as your experiment's "control" to judge which pedal feels nicer than the old one, and which ones feel worse. works far better than just going blindly into a store, and merely guessing at which one would feel good to you.
but if you need steering, ask your drum teacher if he/she can go with you to the store. he/she knows your technique, needs, flaws, etc. more than you do, so might as well, ask him/her what they think would be a good pedal for you to develop your technique.
for me, i like alot of the newer japanese manufacturer entry level, single chain, double pedals like Tama's HP200 line, or Pearl's P122 line, etc. they're all affordable, yet rock solid.
i've been looking for my own inexpensive double pedal, and call me crazy, but the Pearl P122 on my friend's little sister's kit, is pretty righteous! much better feeling than pedals 3x its price.
finally, its not about how much you spend on a pedal, its what you make of it. there are plenty of guys here who can show up to a gig, and use whatever pedal's connected to the club's house kit. so, no matter how awesome your pedal, if your technique sucks, it still sucks. trust me, i know...
