I have never not unclipped from my shimano 520's. I use them off road. It is a poor biker who blames their equipment.

I use double-sided spd pedals with a flat pedal on the other side. Best of both worlds. since going from plain flats to these, I definitely feel safer and more in control when clipped in.

Being able to put down a foot quickly will not help you much in a high speed crash, only a low-speed one. I fell over one time when first learning how to use my new pedals...since then, it's been almost second nature.

SO MY SUMMARY:

1. So, for regular riding and worries about crashes at speed, I'd say clipped in Is safer because it gives most control without feet slipping from the pedals.

2. If you are practicing your track-stands, and are worried about falling over, then flat pedals are safer.

3. I can't imagine using old-fashioned straps. That's scary to me.

Same here. I'm not anti-clipless but I've never thought there was wrong with quality platform pedals or been motivated to spend money on different pedals and special shoes. Maybe one day, but right now I can't see a need to change how I've always ridden a bike.

wow that looks like one intense commute!

from the old toe clip days. no toe clips = clip'less'

Never got a gash on my calf from clipless pedals...

My switch to SPD M520's came from my mountain biking days. My shins and calves have the pedal bite marks to prove it. Get better pedals and shoes they said, get something pinned and a grippier shoe they said. I opted to go clipless, and have not looked back since. Riding fixed means you need retention of some sort, so SPD's were a no brainer. I have them on my fat bike as well, as I have grown accustomed to clipping in and out.

Adjusting to them was fairly easy. You may forget once that you are clipped in, but that is usually all it takes. Unclipping becomes second nature, and when I was mountain biking and wrecking, it was never because I was clipped in. I also managed to unclip every single time. Your brain figures it out quickly, and your muscles learn as well. It is no different than riding a bike to be honest. You don't have to think about pedaling, you just do it. Same when you go to stop and you naturally unclip.

But the flip side - how many crashes didn't happen with straps pulled tight because the rider knew he had no choice but to find a way to ride through the situation? I know I've ridden through my share. Knowing you cannot pull your foot out has a way of sharpening your focus. (Rode clips and straps exclusively until 2000. The vast majority of those miles was with deep traditional cleats and straps pulled tight. Last platform pedal was 1965.)

As far as injuries after crashing, ie unclipping or still clipped - those injuries are different but I am not sure that one is substantially better than the the other. More skin gets shed in strapped in crashes. I suspect the odds of the bike taking some impact for the rider is better still strapped in.

I don't think safety was very high in the thought process when clipless pedals appeared. As I recall, it was all about the float. LOOK pioneered float. Time and then Shimano followed a few years later. Until Shimano the focus was geared toward the racing crowd. I don't recall safety even being mentioned. Shimano stepped in and from then on, it was all about marketing. Then you heard about "safety" but how much of that talk was market driven? And certainly to the uninitiated, ie the untapped market, arguing that clipless was safer than toeclips and straps was an easy sell.

When I watch criteriums these days, I regularly see riders unclipping for crashes ahead of them and often not making that turn. There was a lot less of that 40 years ago. No one had time to loosen their straps! So it was "what do I do to get around this?" And often we found a way. And when we didn't? The level of carnage wasn't all that different.

Ben

The reason I prefer flat pedals with old fashion straps/clips isn't so much about safety as it is about wanting normal footwear to go about my daily buisness at work, the grocery store, and etc. Do those of you who commute with clipless pedals bring along other shoes to change into?

I keep a nicer pair nice shoes at work and change regardless of whether I'm riding clipless or platforms. The clipless shoes I use most often have recessed SPDs and are comfortable to wear and walk in almost anyplace.

I currently have 3 different bikes I commute on and a few different pedals that I rotate through. In the winter I use platforms with pins exclusively and that is what is on my winter bike. On the fixed gear I usually have "campus" pedals which are clipless on one side and platform on the other. I will use regular shoes for quick trips with it.

I also have a road bike and sometimes I have road pedals on it and sometimes I have campus pedals.

So the quick answer to your question is that I don't bring extra shoes with me. ;)

This debate seems to be a fairly common one where the advantages and disadvantages of foot retention get exaggerated. If you've never felt the need than its likely your riding style doesn't call for it.

I think clipless pedals are safer and more reliable, FOR CERTAIN RIDERS, and I feel that their "efficiency" benefit is negligible for MOST commuters.
For me, that locked in feeling is extremely reliable, I can trust my feet, my bike, and my handling skills (which aren't much). That, coupled with the stiff soled cycling shoes just keeps everything exactly where I need it, all the time. and in a panic "tip over" situation I unclip subconsciously. Even if I thought I might get that "tip over because I can't clip out" situation (which has only happened the first day I had clipless pedals, like ten years ago), I'd still rather have a slow/no speed tip over then bash my youknowwhats on the top tube because a stupid platform pedal flipped over when I shifted gears.

There's no absolutes in this, it's all personal preference. But I believe if you are a competent cyclist, have good balance and forethought, and just a week or two experience with the clipless, clipless is safer every time. It doesn't make them necessary, though. I just built up my beater bike with platforms and I've been loving riding it, and have hung up my nicer biked with clipless for awhile. But I definitely have those moments where I don't trust the platforms and I have to stop pedaling or reposition my foot and make sure I won't slip off before a certain maneuver. Something I never have to do with Clipless.

Toe cages are horrible, though. They keep your foot locked in kinda, but give no emergency exit procedure unless you keep them so loose that they don't do anything for your pedal stroke.

That's the biggest downside to clipless, IMO. Though my Fizik MTB shoes are very walkable, and I've literally been into fancy restaurants, then out to bars afterwards with people not noticing until the end of the night when they saw me hop on my bike. But I'll usually opt to throw my flat/lightweight canvas shoes (I have some knock off Tom's style shoes called BOBS which work well for this, lol) in a pannier if I want to walk more like a normal person. I keep work shoes at work, so don't worry about that. I can pop into stores and friend's houses just fine, and even do a short hike if I want on the MTB shoes.

I am safer with my cleats than without, but that speaks of only one person and doesn't say anything about anyone else. It is not a safety issue. I'm safer with them because I'm used to them. If I weren't used to them, I'd be better off without them.

It really doesn't matter. Use whatever you like. Getting other people's opinions on this matter is not likely to help make your decision.

I have those pedals that I call one-sided that others call double-sided. Why do they call them double sided when nothing is doubled? They accept a cleat on one side and not on the other. So today, I rode with plain old shoes because I'm riding over snow and ice and also because they are warmer than my cleated shoes. I didn't slip off, so it's safe enough for me.

There is a definite terminology problem when it comes to clipless pedals.

I generally feel safer when I have more control over my bike so I prefer clipless pedals in most situations. But it's no big deal to treat SPD-SL pedals like platforms for a short mellow ride. I do it all the time when I don't fee like changing out of my dress shoes. I'd just recommend against leather soled shoes, though.

All it needs is an airbag and blind spot sensors!

Say what you will but the Huffy of old definitely knew how to think outside the box. The attention to detail was admirable. Notice how the rear reflector could swivel making sure it would be properly aligned even if you were doing an extended wheely.

I have two bikes set up as fixed gear. One has toe clips and straps and the other one has pinned BMX pedals. Riding fixed gear with toe clips and straps is a lot safer, but I also don't have a problem riding fixed gear without foot retention as long as the gear ratio is low and I am not riding too fast... I have a lot of stops, I run errands and walk a lot so I hate cycling shoes and I hate any type of cycling specific kit. Platform pedals are easiest and most convenient to use for my style of riding.

Just put some Tioga D-Spyder platforms on my commuter. I use the plastic toe clips (no straps). I only put 3 pins in the top of the pedal and 2 pins in the bottom. I think, because of the length of these pedals, that it feels like my shoe is almost attached to the pedal. I mean it doesn't move. By only using 3 pins it is super easy to slip my foot into the clip. They are a definite improvement over the stock cage pedals. I just like being able to ride in whatever shoes I'm wearing.

Safety first!

It would be a lot safer if it had clipless pedals.

Regarding shoes, I purposefully chose spd shoes that look pretty much like normal hiking tennis shoes...so I can wear them a few places if I need to, and the spd recessed cleat allows me to walk normally.

...That said, when i go to work, I just pack other shoes into for work, because I don't want to wear out my cycling shoes, and the stiff sole makes it not comfortable to walk all day.

Using both clipless and platform pedal bikes I don't think they have much to do with safety and commuting. We could argue which is safer on a nasty MTB trail (I go with clipless), or which is more efficient (again clipless :lol:) but on a commute? They are equal to me, at least once one has been cycling clipless for a while and use them naturally. I use platform pedals on my commuting and everyday bike usage because I don't have to cover long distances, and with clipless I'd be uncomfortable either using bike shoes for walking either carrying another pair of shoes. For a longer commute I'd consider clipless.

That's pretty much my thought process on it as well. I don't have a winter wheelset with grippy knobby tires, so sometimes i gotta put a foot or feet down to stay upright. As i have a limited financial means to repair damage from a crash, i'm not willing to risk a system i'm unfamiliar with. More than a few dozen times on my old cruiser putting a foot down quickly saved the day. Yes, i've had feet slip, i've had pedals push hard into my heel when the toe of my shoe hot the ground, but for me personally a small price to pay vs eating pavement in traffic.

And as for the implication of being a troll.... No... i'm not bored nor am i trolling, i'm simply asking a question looking for opinions... you can do that you know, have an opinion. I've stated mine.... just curiosity bout other riders' opinions and experiences

- Andy

That i had to do a lot on my old cruiser, as it had full flat rectangle nylon pedals & my shoes would slowly migrate fore or aft on rough pavement, stop & reposition. The other big big thing is i liked to position my feet a certain way for what kind of pedaling motion i wanted to do. For example if i really just needed to mash up a hill, i moved them so my lower legs were doing very little work & no foot extension, saving those muscles for the top of the hill, and other times i'd move them another position to have the pivot placed in such a way that i could get maximum extension and cruise along. The new bike has platforms but they are definitely not the crap i had on the cruiser.

I totally agree. I believe the original clip pedals were mainly utilized in racing especially velodrome & track (vs open road).

I can totally understand fixed gear having some kind of attachment mechanism, as its just seems to make sense since you need maximum control and confidence at all times, especially in mixed traffic on roads.

I personally don't have the money for bike specific shoes, and i am a size 14 wide (US), so sizing comfort & availability would probably be an issue. I can barely find regular shoes that fit properly, so i can't imagine having to shop (most likely sight unseen/no fitting) fr shoes i'd only want on my feet for the 20 minutes i'm riding. I'm also not prepared t carry 2 sets of shoes everywhere, plus in winter i'd have issues with keeping my feet warm as has been brought up in threads many times on this site. Cold feet are bad news, if your feet are cold, your whole body cools down much faster.

For me i giess its a mix of my own experience, practicality, cost, and simply sticking with what i know & what my reflexes are used to.

- Andy

The topic of clipless pedals for commuting has been rehashed and debated multiple times, and often has led to people's choices being insulted. You know... typical BF stuff. ;)

That's why the word "troll" was being tossed around.

I like clipless pedals and use them but aside from riding my fixed gear I see no particular need for them on my commute and completely understand why lots of people wouldn't want to bother with them. Other folks feel like they make a night and day difference.

I kind of split the difference with campus pedals so I can decide on a per trip basis whether I want to ride clipless or not. Some people think campus pedals are the worst of both worlds.

I know its a goofy idea........but I have been intrigued by the idea of campus pedals used in conjunction with cleats that could be attached to any type of shoe or boot, something like a mini crampon.
The few times I would benefit from the extra efficiency of foot retention, are also the times when when carrying an extra pair of shoes would be the least desirable.

My bike has pedals. My feet have shoes. The pedals on the bike go round and round, round and round, round and round... DISCUSS!

[MENTION=369902]TransitBiker[/MENTION], I agree with what you said in post #56 . To combat the foot slippage problem and to accommodate your 14's, you might shop for some of the larger platform pedals that accept the screw in pins. I did not put any pins on the bottom of the pedals for the first ride and saw that was not going to work. I have been able to get by with what I consider a minimal number of pins on both the top and bottom. Just putting 2 on the bottom made a huge difference.