Originally Posted by
revcp
No, it's not a marketing scheme. If you're an actual racer, spinning for hours at 100+, clipless pedals are better than flats. If you're a racer, sprinting or attacking a hill at speed, clipless pedals are better than flats. Many of the riders I see using clipless, however, are toddling along on flat terrain with a cadence of 75 or 80, or climbing a hill with gearing that will easily get them up it without pulling up on their pedals. You don't need clipless for those things. Those who believe they do are victims of marketing.
Which is EXACTLY why we, who are experienced, should give good advice to newbies when they come to a forum like this asking for it. I would say "get some economy clipless shoes" is rather bad advice for newbies, because that's just a generic toss off and they need actual specific advice (brand, sizing, which clips and pedal system, road or mtb, etc., etc.). Accordingly, the advice I give for flats is very specific, e.g. I use "pinned" flats and a non-lugged soft/sticky soled shoe. Can you use non-pinned flats and non bike specific shoes? Yes, but in my experience pinned flats (Shimano Saints in my case) and soft soled shoes (I use 5.10 Free Rider) work well. And, as I've said in earlier posts, I think both cliplesss and flats are fine. I ride both. I simply disagree that one "needs" clipless for touring.
You're forgetting that clipless is also a foot retaining thing where you don't need to think about your feet even in the roughest of road sections, gravel, low key single track etc. Not saying you can't do those with platforms, but I prefer clipless as it completely eliminates all need for me to concentrate on my feet.
And having a bit of extra capability on the bike even when touring is sometimes really nice, like in a very steep uphill or when you need to sprint to a ferry which has in fact already left.
Also there are really only 2 viable platform pedal types which go well for touring
1) The spiked MTB pedal which tears up shins, pants and shoes extremely effectively. Does retain a shoe really nicely but it's actually slower to the the foot off of said pedal than from a clipless as you need to lift your foot to get it off from the spikes. And it wears down soles. And it doesn't work with minimalist shoes because it wears soles and may even puncture the sole in a minimalist shoe
2) The Ergon platform pedal, which would actually be my choice if I didn't already have the clipless system kitted out.