Originally Posted by
HillRider
Yes there are a few dissenters but the vast majority of serious riders use clipless pedals nearly all the time. The make and model of pedals and shoes are highly personal choices but the ting, concept is nearly universally accepted. Garhr is a member of a small subset.
As pointed out by
Grant Peterson, in his usual bombastic fashion, studies of pedaling efficiency would argue otherwise. Pulling up during pedaling does not appear to result in an increase in overall (gross) efficiency. One study mentioned that the muscles that flex the leg (pull up) appear to be inherently less efficient than the muscles that provide downward force.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17545890
http://wattagetraining.com/files/JMa...gTechnique.pdf
https://www.thieme-connect.com/ejour...s-2008-1038374
Interesting stuff and it is telling me that riding clipped and pulling up during pedaling doesn't necessarily confer the overall efficiency that many seem to think it does. If one prefers to ride clipped in, that's fine but those of us that ride on platform pedals don't necessarily need to feel like second class citizens. There are as many arguments for riding on platforms as not. Not that I really expect to change any minds. I'll never ride clipped in on my commute. I like riding in my running shoes or Tevas too much.