cosc, In mountain biking there are times when unclipping, stabbing a foot on the ground and reclipping in as quickly as possible is SOP. Richey pedals worked for me there and I installed them on the touring bike also. If you actually use a retention style pedal as intended you may not like a platform style, but there is nothing easier to move your foot off of or onto than a platform. Somewhere around here I have a spare set of pedals like in post #4 that I like because they aren't slippery if wet.

Brad