Originally Posted by
PlanoFuji
For touring style riding, in particular, good platform pedals are perfectly acceptable and have little (to none) difference in pedalling 'efficiency'.
I disagree with this statement. My typical cadence with clipless pedals is 90-100rpm. That's true regardless of whether I'm on the road bike, touring bike, or full-suspension mountain bike. With platform pedals, I can't get anywhere close to that cadence.
You may not see any efficiency loss from platform pedals, but I
definitely do!t
And for touring, being able to have a single pair of shoes that are comfortable and work well on and off the bike are a worthy consideration.
FWIW, the only shoes I took with me when I rode from SF to LA were a pair of Shimano MT-31s. They worked just as well for 6 miles of walking around Hearst Castle as they did for 500 miles of pedaling on the bike. For my next tour, I'll probably upgrade to the Specialized Tahoe Sport. Similar look to the MT-31, but just as stiff as my beloved Specialized Comp MTB shoes, according to Specialized.