Originally Posted by
aerodynamic
I don't know where it was anymore, but I saw somewhere that the figure of a 15% improvement (of what exactly, I don't know) stood between clipless pedals (what kind? I don't know) and some undefined baseline.
The only "equipment change" that translates to 15% improvement in speed/reduction of effort is an aerodynamic position (in the drops compared to riding on the hoods). Other equipment changes appear to produce much smaller improvements but there's still value in the even small improvements, especially for racing.
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Originally Posted by
mechBgon
Let me ask you this: when you put your foot into your toeclip, do you then roll out, reach down while coasting, and cinch the toestrap down? And are you using cleats that grip the pedal cage so you can pull back and up without yanking your foot out of the pedal?
Clipless pedals are much, much easier to use that using toeclips the way they are supposed to be used.