Originally Posted by bragi
1. I suspect that the performance improvement of clipless pedals is vastly exaggerated (though I don't really know, never having used them before).
I have two-sided pedals to solve the "need special shoes" problem. When I'm clipped in I feel a better connection to the drivetrain, and detect a slight increase in performance, which increases with RPMs. This increase is significant enough to make me prefer to ride clipped.
Originally Posted by bragi
2. They might be a real pain if you have to stop/start every few blocks.
Eh -- you get used to it. If I'm going to have to stop every block, I'll leave one foot unclipped maybe. Usually clipping in and out happens automatically. (It takes time and practice for it to become reflexive though.)
Originally Posted by bragi
3. I'm secretly afraid I'll fall over trying to unclip, and get laughed at by a fat guy in a minivan eating a burrito.
Oh, yeah. That'll happen.
But it won't be the fat guy in the minivan, it'll be the nice-looking young lady/gentleman on the nice-looking bike you just rolled to a stop next to. S/he will look down at you and ask if you're okay; there will be pity in her/his voice.