Whether clipless pedals are more efficient depends a lot on individual biomechanics/pedaling style, ride intensity, and terrain. Experienced riders tend to ride more efficiently with clipless pedals when pushing themselves, particularly in hilly terrain. Most experienced riders use clipless pedals because they find them to be more efficient and/or comfortable. I say use the pedal that makes you happy. But all of these assertions that clipless pedals don't offer benefits are just ludicrous. Some riders do benefit from clipless pedals, while some do not... it's as simple as that.

I commute with Shimano's PD-M324 pedals, with SPD on one side, platform on the other. I'm a high school student, and commute in my running shoes, but do my recreational rides with my cycling shoes. I live in dense, urban traffic, and my commute is all stop-and-go, so clipless doesn't really make sense.

I use toe clips. I can't really ride in hiking boots with 'em, but riding in hiking boots means I have to raise my seat past the min. insertion mark (I have a short-ish torso and long legs). They're a very cheap in-between and I notice a little more efficiency than straight platforms. It's just easier being able to pull up.

I've given up on connecting my feet to pedals. I'm using MKS Sylvans.

I like to move my feet around on my pedals during all my rides. I like to position the foot higher and lower on the pedal, and I like to twist my toes inwards sometimes too. Both toe-clips, and clipless pedals end up hurting my feet and knees. I've adjusted the pedals endlessly but I'm never happy, so now my spds, and toe clips are sitting in a rubermaid box.

hmm...looks like you guys have hashed this out over and over but pls help me anyway... I am a commuter with a 40 minute ride, and I ride a fixie with metal toe clips and runners except in winter when I use platforms. I'd like to try clipless cause I think i could get unclipped faster than i can get a tight toe strap shoe pulled out and its time to buy new runners/shoes anyway. The main thing available for least $$ in shoes in Winnipeg seems to be SPD compatible stuff at Mountain equipment coop. So... eggbeaters or spd? My one concern is about float... which one gives you more motion and is that easier on the knees?

Strapless ATB toe clips. There just a safety item keeping your foot from slipping off the platform pedal when standing, especially when your loaded with 40 lbs of grocery items or touring gear trying to climb that steep hill. You can see them on my grocery getter and touring bike below.

I use toeclips, I like them a lot. I have noticed a significant difference in speed and comfort with them on. I would do clipless, but I don't really like the idea of changing my shoes everywhere I go, and I don't want to wear clipless shoes all day.

Of 13 bikes I have 1 with clipless pedals (my mtb) and when I get the new ss mtb built it too will run clipless since I ride on some pretty sketchy terrain.

The bikes with toe clips number 6... these are all road bikes or fixed gear bikes and the clips are essential with the fixed gears.

So that leaves 5 with flats or half step pedals and these are either older bikes with rat trap pedals, bmx half steps for utilitarian / winter riding, or simple flat pedals.

Finding good shoes for the clips is a bit of work as you want a shoe with firm sole for good power transfer, sturdy construction to handle the wear, and a fairly smooth sole to allow the pedal to slide in and out of the clip/strap smoothly.

This is one reason why clipless pedals are also very effective as they have extremely rigid soles to provide enough strength to hold the cleat and this also provides a better power transfer... when you are going fast and hard a little foot retention is a good thing.

I can ride pretty fast on any type of pedal and don't worry about my foot slipping off but am faster when I am clipped in or run clipless pedals... bunny hopping stuff is also easier when you are attached to your bike.

After a few years of comparison testing over my weekly exercise route and on longer 30-60 mile rides I have concluded that (for me) I get no recognizable benefit from being attached to the pedals. I've tried power grips, old school slotted cleats and toeclips with straps, and finally SPD clip in shoes. Except for certain bike styles ( high bottom bracket recumbents and fixed gear riders) or actual racing, I think any retention pedal system to be a solution to a non-existent problem. I think many riders are fooling themselves into believing that a retention system gives them significant performance gains. I'll bet many riders have not tried a plain BMX style pedal on their good bike and so have nothing to compare with. I've tried them all and my evidence shows no significant gains. Perhaps my spin is efficient enough. I am not racing for money. If I were, I might want to be on an even playing field equipment wise since I wouldn't want my feet slipping off in a mad sprint, causing others to crash. I rarely if ever ride in a pack so its not a concern to me.

Flat pedals on the old Raleigh (errand bike, commutes), toe clips on the touring bike (commuting, longer pleasure rides). I can't afford the $ for clipless at the moment - upgrades to shifters and brakes came first!

I'm getting used to the toe clips - may try Powergrips at some point. However, I am having a problem with my feet that may actually force me into clipless. It would appear that my pedaling style is putting too much pressure on my metatarsal arch and on the joint of my big toe. Stiffer shoes and a fixed point of pressure may help, apparently.

Have gotten used to clipless over the last few years, starting at just the roadbike being clipless and having the offroad mtb and commuter mtb being platform, but have converted all to clipless -- this winter commuting with clipless as well as taking the offroader on some pretty grungy and trying places - and feeling comfortable (ok, maybe a mishap or too) - I'm all clipless. Have to feel totally comfortable though - especially when riding in heavy traffic with lots of lights, right only lanes (and you have to go straight), etc. Have to add though, I love my mtb shoes - Diadora (versus my roadbike) - they are soooooo comfortable - they make a tremendous difference in the ride for me - and the want to continue with the pedals I have.

Are there any hills or any places you always sprint during your commute? If you are seated throughout all or most of your ride then you may as well use platforms.

I use road shoes and road pedals and when I stand on the pedals, the bike accelerates. I like. If I didn't sprint so much, though, I would probably just stick to some stiff touring cycling shoes- without cleats installed- and use platform pedals.

Please define the correct spin technique. And define it correctly, without error.

+1! Add to this, that if you ride a folding bike, you have to use platforms because nobody makes folding SPD's or other clipless pedals. I believe there is a folding pedal that will take clips, but I'm not interested.
I wouldn't say I sprint, exactly, but I tend to go as fast as I can at any given moment. But I never stand up on the pedals. But I find when I lean forward into an aerodynamic position, bend my elbows and take all the weight off the bars, the bike accelerates. I like that too, but it's tiring! I sit the whole time, spin in lower gears than I ever thought possible back when I used clips, cleats, etc; and have no trouble keeping my feet on the pedals. Well, that's not quite true; I have a pair of Goretex shoes that I like to wear in the rain, but their soles tend to slip on the wet aluminum of the pedal. But I can deal with it.

By the way, since I last posted to this thread, I have changed my cranks to even shorter ones. In December or so I had switched from 170's to 152's; in February or so I changed to 140's. Took a couple days to get used to that; now I'm looking for short cranks for all my bikes. Short crank arms changes things, that's for sure. I already mentioned that it's easier to keep your feet on the pedals if the crank arms are short, so there is no need for clips &c. Also, since seat height tends to be determined by leg length when fully extended, then if you shorten your crank arm by an inch, you will want to move your seat up by an inch. This reduces the need ever to stand on the pedals and, again, reduces the need for clips &c.

+1
I feel detached from a bike without clips/straps nor can I ride as efficiently without them. My IronHorse fixie is the bike I ride 98% of the time or more and I wear Chucks for riding year round be it a short 2 mile errand or a 50 mile fun ride. I have my straps adjusted so that my feet slip in and out easily yet are still effective in allowing me to pull on the upstroke. I can climb easier and sprint quicker with clips because while I'm pushing with one foot, the other is pulling up... a more efficient way of pedaling.

I just bought a set of Crank Brothers Mallets. They have the crank brothers egg-beater style cleat engagement doohickey in them, but are also bearable to ride in regular tennis shoes, so I can ride the bike to places and still be able to walk around.

I'm not sure if I'm going to actually use them as platforms for riding to work, but I rode it to dinner yesterday, and it worked pretty well.

Edit: I did feel hugely down on power, though. Stretches of road that don't seem hard on my Cervelo with clipless seemed like a struggle on the other bike with platforms.

I ride clipless. I don't really see the point in clips or anything like that.

I also have nothing on my Koga VP-191s platform pedals, but I am just a commuter wearing street clothes and regular shoes riding a dorky Dutch bike made for that sort of rider. I'm looking for some sort of solution, but not very hard. I know I need to read up on what my options are. I want to get something, though, because my foot position is really crummy (duh, I know).

My pedals sure don't look like much -- the only printed description I have is 'industrial bearing', which could be a way of describing the way the pedals look, not just what they have inside.

I commute 20 miles round trip to work every day on a Bianci San Jose. I have MKS Touring pedals on it with no clips or straps. It allows me to wear weather appropriate footwear all winter without any issues, and, IMO, is not really a detriment to my power during my pedal stroke compared to my tri-bike with Speedplays.

The bikes I have the most miles on typically have toe clips and straps on them. The bikes for slow city riding, running to the corner coffee shop, are almost all platform pedals. I do have one with half clips. Touring bikes currently all have toe clips and straps, but I may go to SPD pedals on one of them. Might give the Power Grips a try on my newest bike...if it will ever get here. Vintage Raleighs came with platform pedals, get ridden with platform pedals. I am not in a big hurry to get much of anywhere these days

Aaron

rhm - I could never see myself riding 152's and actually prefer my 175's and 170's for the extra torque.

It might be worth some experimentation as there is no such thing as never around here when it comes to cycling.

+1
You've detailed my experience and said it much better than I could have.

I have a couple blocks to walk and don't like doing it in clipless shoes. I got platform pedals for my commuter this list winter and never swapped them out this spring. Platforms are great for my short rides. My weekend bike has the clipless.

i ride in platforms.. i've never even used clipless before. i'm curious to see if they really are more efficient, and one day i probably will get a new road bike and have clipless. but i would never use them for commuting.. i'm not gonna wear a cycling shoe just to commute, and have to carry my normal shoes

+1, my commute is only 3 miles one way, mostly flat and my commuter bike is a Giant Cypress with platform pedals, I don't see any advantage to clipless with an upright riding position. I have had toe clips on my previous road bikes and willbe trying clipless for the first time on my new road bike when it arrives.