Hi Pat!

Thanks for the reply! I appreciate your views. I appreciate the fact that being clipped to the bike is more efficient - no possible argument there. Racers have clipped themselves to their pedals by straps or other means for over a hundred years. They weren't being "trendy" for sure!

Having said that, I must focus once again on my own personal priorities in bicycling:

1. Safety
2. Comfort
3. Fun

Notice that efficiency didn't even make my list. I ride for fitness, and when I do, efficiency isn't important either. In fact, inverse efficiency might be better . I'm willing to trade all kinds of efficiency for safety. Since it is likely that I'd fall (at least once, possibly more) with clipless, there's absolutely no incentive for me to even try.

In fact, though, I have tried (briefly). When I resumed cycling after a 30 year hiatus this past January, the first bike I bought had clipless pedals on it. I went to the LBS, and they sold me a pair of Specialized shoes that must have been made for someone with a 13aaaa sized foot. They said the shoes would mutate to fit my feet.

After I managed to get clipped in (in my driveway), I promptly caught my front tire in a seam between two of the concrete slabs, and went down gracelessly. My wife (ever the thoughtful one), commented about what might happen to me if that scenario occured in traffic. Got me thinking...

Since I bike on really badly cracked/rutted/potholed pavement and bike paths, I opted to get some platform pedals and try those for the first few weeks. I've never looked back. In my 140+ miles per week of cycling, I've had at least two near-falls that would have been either bad falls or falls into traffic (possibly fatal) if I'd been clipped to my pedals. Being able to put my foot down without any delay saved the situation.

For others, clipless may make perfect sense. For me, it just isn't an issue.

Thanks again for the reply - I really enjoyed your thoughts!