My guess is your front brakes need to bled (assuming they are hydraulic) either that or maybe some new pads. Both are super easy to do.
As far as the pedals are concerned I personally go with platform pedals. I have a set of clip in's but I find for the stuff I like to get into (rocky, fast, downhill) I feel more comfortable having my feet unclipped. If your riding easy single track clip in's might be the better bet just to get that extra dig. If you buy a set of good platforms they will provide pretty damn good grip though. I'm currently looking at getting some new pedals, possibly the crank brothers 50/50 pedal. I liked them when I rode them on my friends bike but they seem to get mixed reviews online.