When I finally sprung for clipless about five years ago, I was enamored with the power increase that they made possible. I could sprint harder and jam up hills faster, and that was way cool and totally justified the cost to me. Yeah, I fell twice, once at an intersection and once burning out on a steep uphill, but you learn how to get out pretty quick.

But I'm a commuter, not a racer. Hard sprints just wear me out faster, and don't shave any noticeable time off of my ride. And having to wear a separate pair of shoes for riding and for work or walking in the store got to be a real drag. I tried skate style clipless shoes, and I still scarred up floors. After the first year I began to wear my regular shoes more and more, and started to ignore the clipless side of the pedals. I still clipped in for pleasure rides, where I'd leave the house and return straight to the house so it didn't matter what shoes I wore.

Going back to platforms regularly also illuminated one more potential disadvantage to clipping in: it made me a poor pedaler. I would overpower the backswing because I could, and would end up just pulling straight up and jamming straight down on the pedals. When I went back to the plats, I had to re-learn circular pedaling. If you feel like you can't transfer power to your bike without clipless, then you've forgotten how to pedal.

If the trail is so bumpy that my feet might rattle off my pedals, then I'm not in the saddle anyway. I ride a rigid bike and my skinny ass doesn't provide adequate suspension for my spine. So I'm standing on my pedals. If I'm standing on my pedals then I cannot be rattled off of them. Winter conditions are such that I get stuck on stupidly rough frozen footpaths, and I have never once rattled off of my pedals.

I wear three different types of footwear year round, one for below 10F, one for between 10F and 45F, and one for summer. When I want to go play disc golf and the course is flooded, I wear rubber boots. And it's never a problem on the platforms. Both of my winter boots hold to my BMX pedals with no slide. I picked up a pair of these this summer and they're almost too grabby. I have to lift my foot all of the way off the pedal to reposition.

If you like your clipless setup, great! Ride what you want to ride. But don't try and convince others that they need clipless to ride. Or that there'll be much of a difference in anything other than a few specific situations (sprinting, hard climbing, and bunny hopping). I'm not afraid of clipless, and I feel that over the course of two years I gave them good try. When my old Novara with the clipless setup was stolen, I replaced the bike but not the pedals. I spend enough money on accessories that I do need to commute, like lights and fenders. I don't feel like blowing more money on racing gear that makes almost no noticeable difference in how I ride. I'm not racing, I'm just going to the store/school/work/bar.