Originally Posted by FarHorizon
Yeah - you'll fall. You might get lucky and just fall, or you might fall in traffic and get killed - in which case we'll never know because your survivors won't be posting on bikeforums, will they? For cyclists who are experienced with clipless pedals (or with toe clips and straps), their speed may be enhanced (but little) when spinning or climbing. Until you get that experience, though, you're a hazard to yourself and to others on the road.
After doing a risk/benefit analysis, I've concluded that platform pedals are safer, saner, and smarter. I'm a "one in a million" minority voice on bikeforums on this topic, but it doesn't make me wrong. For any but the racing cyclist, clipless pedals are at best, unnecessary, and at worst, a life-threatening risk for no significant benefit.
Clipless does help while climbing in my experience. Even if speed isn't a priority, it also helps with endurance in my experience because you are spreading out the work to more muscles.
And bikeforums probably gets news of most cyclist fatalities so I think we would know. They just aren't that dangerous. Being a minority voice doesn't make you wrong, but my experience of the benefits and hazards of each leads me to disagree with you, and that's what, in my opinion makes you wrong. I have ridden thousands of miles on each type of pedal, so I have experience with what I'm speaking about. Do you?