I test-drove a bike that had platform pedals on it. I came to a few red lights ... when they turned green, I'd go to pull the pedal to where it should be for me to get moving, and it didn't come with my foot. Annoying.

No I never use clipless for any type of riding. I use toe clips and straps on my fixed gear and singlespeed bikes. In winter I switch to platforms. I like wearing regular shoes, that's the reason I don't use clipless.

Clipless on the road bike, BMX-style platforms on the beater/winter bike. I was going to put clipless on the beater bike for the summer, but never got around to buying any. Because I alternate bikes often enough, I don't have any issues with my feet coming off the pedals when using platforms. I'm just programmed to know how to pedal on each bike.

All my bikes have clipless: Ultegra or 105 on the road bikes; M520 on the CX. It feels weird to not be attached to the bike.

I usually ride with them but if I don't want to work in my cycling shoes, I wear street shoes.

Platform/SPD combo. Took some time to get over apprehension in traffic. More control clipped.

I have a pair of fairly comfortable Specialized MTB shoes. They do clack a bit on hard surfaces, which is all my workplace has, but I could probably get away with it. I may just leave an extra pair of sneakers at work. Thanks for all the advice and experiences. I'll try it next week.

Nope. I have lots of stops along a MUP and I don't want to have to carry or leave an extra pair of shoes on the other end. I use toe clips without straps and I find they work fine with cycling shoes, casual shoes and combat boots

I use clipless all the time. I started with some shimano spd pedals but I could never get the right one dialed in properly so it was hurting my right knee. I went to speedplay frogs and have no problems. I could never handle platforms without clips anymore but I wouldn't mind regular toe clips, I just prefer the clipless.

Yes, always and forever forward on all my bikes period.

11 miles ones way, ride clipless (shimano m540, I prefer mtb shoes coz I can walk with them). Plenty of stopping at lights. Wouldn't ride any other way.

Had 'em for a couple of years, until they (and the bike that they were mounted on) were stolen back in '06. When I replaced the bike I didn't bother with new clipless pedals, since I'd stopped using the clipless side of the pedal for commuting long before they were ganked. I never found a pair of shoes that were comfortable enough for the 8 to 9 hours that I was on my feet for work (restaurant workers represent! We don't get no breaks, YO! We don't get no breaks, HEY!), which more than trumped the minor gains I received from riding clipped in, gunning it up the hills on the way to work at maybe 2 to 3 mph faster than riding in my work shoes and using the platform side of the pedal.

I do. They're more secure than platforms especially when hammering (there's 12.5 miles between my home and office with 23 traffic lights and 10 stop signs. Getting there or back in under 50 minutes means parts of the ride are happening at 18-22 MPH) or in inclement weather (I've slipped off wet platforms riding in Seattle on the comfort bike I picked up after herniating a disc - that sucked).

For over a decade I wore my Shimano BMX shoes around the office, although since switching to Bebop cleats which are only somewhat recessed I started changing into Tevas.

It's not a big deal.

Around here, that'd be the same time in a car... ;)

Always. Shimanon PD-M424 combination platform and clipless. Platform lets me get started at lights (and I have a lot of them) without worrying about clipping in instantly, while the clips give me confidence that my feet will stay on the pedals over the potholes and other "irregularities" in the Newark streets. I use them all year around, including when I've put the studded tires on to deal with the ice.

No.

I have clipless pedals on my fixed gear, but not on my road bike. When it gets cold I will have to give up the fixed gear for the winter because my shoes are too tight to layer socks for warmth.

Clipless for commuting, 4 years now:

I find that Shimano 5 series SPDs are affordable (I bought both pairs used) and shed mud and snow wonderfully in the winter. I would be kind of scared to ride anything except clipless on snow/ice. It seems that even when conditions surprise me they just release automatically at just the right time.

This takes a little practice, and a set of platforms with decent grip would certainly help; but I do it at every stoplight, without clipless and without problems. From the 6 o'clock position you apply forward lateral force to the pedal, then bring your foot up as the pedal swings forwards and upwards. It's just circular pedaling technique applied in reverse.

Why? I could see how someone would be inconvenienced if they were big fans of clipless and had to go without, but how is it scary?

My bike has M520 SPD pedals (only one bike). I'll sometimes use regular shoes with them if i'm riding slowly and a short distance, otherwise I'd clip in.

At traffic lights, I attempt to trackstand but my skills aren't quite there yet (I have to put a foot down roughly 50% of the time). Either way, clipping out isn't any hassle.

Stopping/starting is easier on platforms (you just hook your foot under the pedal to bring it up to the starting position before you take-off), but it's certainly not a deal breaker for either side.

The main benefit of clipless is not having your feet slip. The main benefit of platforms is wearing whatever shoes you want, and not having to bring a pair to change into. The rest is just whatever flavor of Kool-Aide you enjoy most.

nope, I use mini clips so I can use whatever shoe or boot or rubber over boot I want. then when it gets really cold I use toe warmers and reuse them by keeping them in airtight plastic between uses

I only have one bike.. so yes. My commute is 19 miles though.

just curious how do you NE year-round clipless guys deal with snow and ice. doesn't it clog the mechanism when you stop and put your foot down or walk around like X-country ski boots? also, in sub freezing weather, doesn't the mechanism freeze?

i have a pair of clipless pedals from look on my road bike, and i really like the efficiency they provide.

the drawbacks - i still cannot easily clip into the second pedal. it always seems to be upside down. while this is fine when you're starting flat or downhill, and have room to get clipped in, it's a bit scary when you're trying to cross a road and your foot slips as you try to clip into the second pedal. also, walking on cleats is just not fun.

i haven't tried clipless pedals designed for mountain bikes that allow you to clip in on either side, and have the smaller cleats, but i'd like to.

I haven't had mine freeze yet, but when it's really crappy, I don't need to ride at all. When we got snowed in for a week this past February, I just walked.

It can depend on the mechanism, too. Some have close tolerances and small parts that don't like dirt (Speedplay), and some seem impervious to just about everything (CB, Time).

I use Bebop clipless pedals on three bicycles, and I commute year round in Northern California (where it's cold and rainy half the year, but we don't have to worry about ice). If you like float, I strongly endorse the Bebops--I migrated to them after about a decade of using Speedplay Frogs, and the Bebops are comparable, but better in every metric for my purposes (lighter, cheaper, lower stack height, more float, cleats last longer, etc.). The one downside is that the cleat is not quite as walkable as a true SPD cleat, so if you're optimizing for walking on your commute, Bebops are not the right system.

It also just occurred to me to check the Winter Cycling forum for what they use in snow n' ice.

Clipless always for me, no matter the conditions, even snow. The one exception may be ice and then I have pedals with platform on one side. I think in time, most of us get so comfortable with clipless it's second nature with no worries. Riding without clips is just weird for me.