Originally Posted by
JohnDThompson
If you have caliper brakes, there's no compelling reason to have foot retention. I prefer to have foot retention just to stabilize my foot on the pedal, but it's not strictly necessary.
Unless you are one of those oddballs that likes going fast downhill. There are humans that have this odd love of going as fast as they can downhill. Seems to be a trait from birth. If you happen to be one of such people, pedal retention can mean not being struck in the Achilles by a steel pedal driven by the weight of you and your bike.
I have had cars pull up and tell me I"m going 40 mph. In a 42-17 gear, 67 gear inches. That's 200 RPM. If I were to slip off a pedal, that pedal strike would not be fun. Probably lead to a nasty crash also but years later, that pedal strike is going to still have consequences long after the bones have healed from the crash. I only ride my fix gears with toeclips and quality leather straps in good condition. With traditional slotted cleats. But the strap is more important. Cleats can come out. I want my foot to never leave the pedal when I am at speed.
Edit: Bah! I answered this thread already. Oh well.