Originally Posted by
noimagination
For me, the studies about whether using foot retention increases efficiency or power miss the point. Those factors may be important to racers, but for me using foot retention is about allowing me to more easily spin circles, to more easily use different muscle groups on a ride and to more easily spin at higher cadences without losing a pedal.
Is spinning circles with flats possible? Is spinning a high cadence possible with flats? Yes, of course, but I'm not a pro, I don't cycle 10's of thousands of miles a year, I get tired and sloppy, I'm not the most coordinated person in the world
I like clipless pedals, they're far easier to use than clips and straps, and cycling is far more enjoyable for me using foot retention than not. Other people have different experiences, and that's fine. If the OP tries clipless and finds he/she doesn't like them, then at least they know.
(edit: oops, didn't realize that "s p a z z" is verboten)
Thank-you for putting this up, it perfectly shows the real reason for clipless pedals is misunderstood. Clipless pedals are not in reality a performance addition except for the top tenth of one-percent of riders who actually ride for money. For 99.9% of cyclists they are a crutch exactly like an E-bike, a device to help those who do not have the coordination or muscle memory or development, skill or practice to keep their feet on the pedals without a lot of help. These people could seriously hurt themselves riding flat pedals, so it is nice that they have this type of accessory to help them, just like E-bikes are there to help people without the fitness to go on long rides without the help of batteries and motors.