Originally Posted by
Stucky
True- but again, it's a zero-net-sum gain, because all they are doing is reducing the resistence of the downstroke pedal; so any gains they make on the upstroke are just making other side's pedal easier to push down on- more force on the upstroke- but less force on the corresponding downstroke. If this weren't so, there'd be a ton of evidence showing substantially performance with clipless. But there is not- and the above is why. It's just simple physics.
I think you need to review your physics. By pulling up you increase the torque applied to the crankset. During a sprint you are applying as much force as possible on the downstroke. Any force you can apply on the upstroke is additive and will increase the torque.
There is a ton of evidence that pulling up on the pedals allows for extra power during sprinting, it just hasn't been published (at least I've never seen any published papers).
For reference take a look at how track sprinters lock themselves into their pedals. They use a combination of clips and straps over top. That's not because they're pushing down harder on the pedals
