Originally Posted by
Machka
All my pedals are like that. Not that brand, but clipless on one side and platform on the other. I think they're perfect for touring because you've got the best of both worlds there.
And I wear Lake Mtn Bike shoes which look kind of like a pair of hiking shoes. They've got cleats so I can clip in if I want, or they work just fine on the platform side too. And I always have a pair of plain ordinary sandals with me, which I've worn on the bicycle as well for short trips.
I've never heard of this combo approach, but it sounds interesting.
Having the ability to walk comfortably at stops during a tour is a significant benefit of platforms or clips. I think the walking comfort benefit outweighs the value of clipless, unless the tour group is speed-oriented and keeping up is hard to do.