Originally Posted by zx108
i dont think this is totally accurate. i am much better on my trails wil tons of roots and rocks and stuff like that.
i my feet stick to the pedals when i am powering up a hill with roots, my feet dont go flying, and i get more power to get over stuff.
and on the dh my feet dont move because of the bike bobing around under me.
Exactly. Look at some of the top downhillers, e.g. Peat and Gracia, they use clipless. And getting out doesn't require much time or thought once its committed to one's muscle memory (AKA practice). I've endo'd and been able to jump over the handlebars and land on my feet (well, not always). Even slid out both wheels on a sandy flat corner and managed to land on my feet as the bike continued to slide away from me. The big disadvantage of clipless, IMO, is not being able to jump off the bike easily. On some stunts/obstacles like skinnies, you want to be able to bail when things start to go wrong. Otherwise you'll fall with the bike and risk crashing head first possibly from a good distance up.
Dave