Originally Posted by
PaulRivers
I use to use clipless and switched back to flats, five ten flat bike shoes with flat pedals with pins. They've done studies on pro racers in the lab and found they're the same speed with clipless as they are wearing basic tennis shoes (some people argue they give an edge in racing where you're sprinting but I'm not racing). Most of the real advantage of clipless is in foot retention, keeping a racers foot on the pedal as they all out wildly sprint, it's not in speed.
Well, I don't know what the pros are waiting for, if someone can win the TDF in tennis shoes, let's see it.
Such a person would make cycling history, become the bane of the rich and powerful pedal corporations who are used to calling the shots, and probably earn a huge sponsorship with Payless Shoes.
I honestly think there is a rather substantial mechanical advantage to being clipped in, but if you don't use it, I suppose you might as well run flats.