Originally Posted by
tjspiel
Or, unless their experience has been different than yours and they WOULD lose some function and/or speed by switching to platforms.
For me personally I have not seen the huge gains that some people have said they've achieved by going clipless. In my case the performance improvements are more situational, but I have found that I do like being clipped in. I feel I have more control of the bike, - like it's more an extension of me rather than something I'm riding on.
That being said, I ride on platforms about 30% of the time. They have their advantages too.
double bingo!
riding clipless for me isn't really about speed improvement, it's about better handling because i feel more in control of the bike when i have a physical attachment to the pedals.
and i also love having the security that i won't experience a dangerous pedal slip when i'm up out of the saddle hammering hard.