Originally Posted by
PaulRivers
I personally went with flat pedals with pins and five ten shoes and stopped using clipless entirely. There's a lot of debate over whether clipless might be a hair faster, and in racing a hair is pretty important, but I'm mostly commuting and riding for fun so gaining 30 seconds won't even make up for the time I spent changing shoes (for commuting) or the just the general inconvenience.
I've been riding with pinned pedals for several months due to a foot injury that won't allow me to get out of my clipless pedals without a lot of pain. I have to say that on the road, even on steep climbs, I notice almost no downside. I don't feel like my pedal stroke has changed much, and I'm riding at the same or faster speeds (faster because of my fitness level this year, not the pedals).
On the mountain bike I do notice the difference - I get bounced off the pedals riding through rough sections at times. Maybe if I spring for some 5.10 shoes that would be less of an issue.
I'm not sure I'll go back to clipless on my road bike even after I recover from the injury.