Originally Posted by
Stucky
No, that is not my contention. I'm just saying that any benefit of being clipped in is NOT from gaining power by being able to pull up with the opposite leg; because what little power you put into that pull, is essentially subtracted on the push on the other side.
I do respect your observation though. I almost thought the same thing, the first few times I rode with clipless- but then I realized what I said above. That, and the fact that my time didn't improve any compared to when I was using loose clips and straps. But that is just my experience, in my situation- Granted, it could be different for you, but from what I've seen, the evidence is to the contrary- but you also make a point in that perhaps the scenario was never tested with just sprinting.
....ummm...so where are we, again?
I'm not sure why you think the force you pull up with subtracts from the other leg. It's certainly possible to push hard with one leg while pulling up with the other.
In any case I did do a test for my own curiousity a little over a year ago. I went for a brief ride with platform pedals and then did the same loop with clipless. I included a couple of brief sprints as well as a steep hill (Imp Hill) and a couple of 5 min sections at 300W. There was essentially no difference in my HR on the two 300W sections and I didn't find it a problem riding with the platforms which agrees with the research papers for steady state riding. The sprints on the other hand I was able to put out more power with clipless. Unfortunately, there was no money on the line so you'll just have to take my word that I was trying hard on both sets of sprints
I've attached a summary of the test results from Golden Cheetah. Doesn't prove anything, just my personal observations:
