Originally Posted by
jackb
Use toe clips. Nashbar sells strapless toe clips, but I found them a bit small for my foot. I've converted all my bikes from clipless back to pedals and toe clips. A great convenience, and as I am not a racer or competitive cyclist in any way, no diminishment in performance. I never pedaled up anyway whether I was slipped in or not.
I did the same thing eight or 10 years ago. I flocked to clipless when they came out, and rode with them on most of my bikes for several years, but finally realized I was no faster, went no further and didn't like walking like a duck when I stopped for a snack.
I still have one bike with clipless, mostly because I have the pedals and shoes and can't stand to let them go to waste. But for me, at least, there's no loss in performance. I've done the same 25-mile RT commute at least 1000 times (same house and same employer since 1979), and there's no correlation between pedal systems and times.