Originally Posted by
RubeRad
The main disadvantages of no foot retention is the extra effort to position a pedal for starting off, and some loss of efficiency under certain conditions.
? Seems trivially easy to just kick the pedal back to where you need it.
OK, now I get it. It is slightly, naggingly annoying to get the pedal into position. I never realized how much I relied on having my left foot clipped in to easily start off...
I got a pair of the cheapest alu platform pedals on eBay (they say "BASE CAMP"). I took a mtb ride with them, and they were all right. Definitely it makes it easier to get started uphill. A couple commuting rides as well, and don't like them much; as I expected, I'm continually fussing where to put my feet. Also, the pins on these things have no bite. That much at least, I'm certain is due to the cheapness of these pedals.