Originally Posted by aley

DataJunkie, thanks - you saved me having to say almost exactly the same thing. If someone's getting the same efficiency and power out of platform pedals as out of clipless or other foot attachment methods (toe clips, Powergrips, whatever), then it's because they're merely mashing on the downstroke, which isn't a particularly efficient way to ride.

A month or so ago I test rode several bikes after not having ridden anything in ages without being clipped in. I'd never quite realized how much pulling up I was doing in my pedal stroke - I kept having my feet leave the pedals on my test rides! Somewhere along the line, I guess I made the transition from a masher to a spinner, but not having my feet attached is what made that noticeable.