Originally Posted by
gregf83
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
Ah, but the problem is, your test does not reveal WHY the clipless enabled you to put out more power in the sprints. In fact, if it were due to you being able to transfer more power due to the ability to pull up, then you should have realized the same benefit on the hills.
And remember, I'm not doubting that any form of foot retention provides more efficiency than no foot retention- especially in sprints.
Posting your test results did give me an idea, though: Maybe I should start naming the hills around me! "Alp De Hernia"; "Cardiologist's Boat Payment"; "The Widow-Maker"
