Originally Posted by
bluefoxicy
You get a V8 engine instead of a little 4 cylinder, and no longer have to downshift to go up hills like they're not even there
I think this needs a little clarification. Having you're feet attached to the bike, gives you the ability to push down with one legs while also pulling up with the other leg.
The term I know is pedaling in circles, It's a much smoother motion. I'm sure you can understand the advantage of using more muscles.
I feel much more connected to the bike while clipped in, it wasn't like that when I was first using them. It was more like feeling trapped, as I learned to trust that I wasn't going to have the bike slid out from under me I was able to turn at much faster speeds than ever. I'm relearning that road riding now (dam skinny tires).
My experience is way more mountain biking, using clipless gave me a much higher "bunny hop".
I also learned to turn the bike 180 degrees using the from brake and nose wheelie, get the rear wheel off the ground and pivoting on the front tire, handy when you want to change direction fast (it also pisses off the roadies). It was so much simpler to do clipped in.