Originally Posted by
Schwinnhund
riding with them while touring, or in town, where you will be stopping and even dismounting often, is a Royal Pain. Plus, you have to wear special cleated bike shoes, and carry an extra set of regular shoes to wear off the bike.
I hear ya - I've gone from SPD to SPD-SL and back to SPD (with dual-purpose clipless/platform pedals) for exactly the reasons you mention. I really liked the SPD-SL setup, but they're good ONLY when you're on the bike and moving. Otherwise they suck!
I'll routinely clip out and go to the platform side anytime I'm approaching a busy intersection, congestion, or any other low-speed situation (like coming up on a family with small children/animals out for a stroll on the MUP!)
By the way, I used Power Grips too for several years when I transitioned back from recumbent to DF. They work really well. Not as good as clipless for me, but for those not happy with clipless I think they're a better option than toe clips.