Bike: 1993 Trek 720 Multitrack
Pedals: Shimano PD-M324 (clipless on one side, platform on the other)
Shoes: Shimano MT34
Cleat: Shimano SH-56 (multi-directional release)

I should start off by saying I'm a commuter, shopper (I get most groceries via bike) and pleasure rider mostly. I started biking again in May after a long (10 year?) break (mostly due to college). I'd say I bike between 20 and 40 miles a week, depending on work, shopping needs and how much free time I have to ride (that's my primary limitation on longer rides).

Before I decided to go clipless, I read a lot about it, and just wanted to share my experience to help other commuters, new riders etc who are considering them. I guess I should start off by saying I really like clipless. I found it improved my pedaling a great deal, and also having biking shoes makes the ride a bit more comfortable. Also you don't have to worry about slipping off the pedal and whacking your shin in the rain. I will say my pedal strokes feel great, but I'm not sure how much extra power I get on the upstroke. At least some of this improvement may be from having a stiffer shoe. But since you are fixed to your bike you are able to focus on other things than your pedaling technique (for the most part!).

I read a lot of people saying they wouldn't commute with clipless due to all the stopping. I personally have had zero problems with this. There are parts of my ride with several stop signs in a row in traffic, and I never have any problems getting out. I usually unclip my left foot and plant it on the ground, leaving my right foot clipped in. The only issues I have had was clipping back in (often times when I stop midway up a hill cause I'm out of shape). When trying to clip back in, sometimes I will push too much and start swinging toward the clipped in side. When this happens I have always been able to unclip that foot in time, if only bearly. My solution to this has been start pedaling and don't worry about clipping in till clearing traffic. I'm sure one day I will fall and everybody will see, but so far so good.

A quick comment about the gear. The shoes are great. I wear them all day at work. I'm a grad student, so this style of shoe is perfectly acceptable. If its not, you can always change at work. The cleat is recessed enough that I have no problems when walking indoors. However, when walking on surfaces that are not 'perfectly' flat (cement, especially if it has a lot of smaller stones added, and some uneven tarmac), you will hear your cleat rubbing (and it sounds painful!). I have not noticed any major damage so far, but walking on such surfaces may reduce the life of the cleat.

The pedals are nice and work fine. However, I find that I never use the platform side (except sometimes when I'm getting going until I am able to fully clip in). I might use them in the winter if wearing boots, but if I were to do it again I would get one with clipless on both sides. If you think you will bike a lot without a cleat, it might be worth getting these.