Originally Posted by
Zephyr11
It depends. It's a preference thing, some people love them, some people hate them, and some people, like myself, go back and forth.
I agree with DX-Man though, it's not so much about push-down/pull-up, but being attached to the bike. I also think it's easier, but I tend to cheat the bike into the air with clipless pedals, so I do try to mix in platforms to work on technique.
Clipping out is more intuitive than you think.
THAT'S what I forgot to mention (knew I was forgetting something, always do!) -- the motion for 'clicking out' is a simple twist of the ankle/heel OUTWARD, and you snap on out. I do it before coming to a stop, and ready that foot to touch down. I also use it as a signal to my kids when we're out together that a STOP is coming. Pick whichever foot is more comfortable to you to put down, and unclip that one; it's usually the foot you DON'T use to start the pedaling motion.