Grant changed my mind, too, but I was already headed in that direction. I'd probably been riding for 25 years with toe clips when clipless pedals came out. I tried two or three types, and they worked OK, but I wasn't any faster or stronger with them, and it's really hard to find comfortable, efficient shoes in size 51 or 52. A few years ago I sold them at a bike swap, and now I use toe clips and straps on two bikes, Power Grips one one and plain BMX pedals on my singlespeed.
FWIW, I've lived in the same place for 33 years and done many of my regular rides thousands of times. There's no significant difference in my times or perceived fatigue from one pedal setup to the next.