Funny, the same thing happens to me with clipless pedals. I'll belatedly notice that the driver in front of me is not paying attention to the green light, and one of my feet is unclipped and on the ground before I realize it. Reptilian reflex, I guess.

All that could be nothing more than the differences in riding styles between you and erig007. I can't recall a single riding situation where what type of pedal I was using ended up causing or saving me from a spill.
It seems self explanatory that the needs and desires of a competitive or aggressive cyclist will be different from a cyclist who rides for utility or relaxation, and what they prefer for their primary type of riding will carry over into the rest.

I never had my foot slip off platform pedals, never... I often ride FG without foot retention and never had any issues, however, most times I prefer toe clips with straps...If you can't ride with platform pedals without foot retention and if your foot is slipping off and you're banging up you shins then you're doing something wrong, maybe cycling is not for you.

I've had feet slip of of this kinda platform pedal. They're tough to keep the feet on in the rain.




These are a lot better - it's almost like being clipped in with a new pair of Vans, or trail runners, but one pair of mine are getting worn out. Might splurge for some replaceable pin pedals when I decide they're too slippery.



Finally, if you're doing at least slightly spirited riding, keeping your feet on these in the rain, without clips and straps would require some magic incantation.

All depends on what you get on your bike to Go Do ...Myself, I think I'll go have a Pint

These were on my old cruiser:



The uptown has these:



Night and day, really.

- Andy

Why are you criticizing my opinion?

Being a competitive or agressive cyclist doesn't mean that we don't ride for utility or relaxation.

Many of us who have transitioned from platforms to toe clips and/or clipless (some haven't gone through the toe clips at all) can recall riding situations where the type of pedal has ended up causing a spill. While slow speed crashes using clipless (and even clips) is common, higher speed crashes with far more potential for disastrous results are more common with platforms. There is nothing quite like landing in a heap at the bottom of a hill from slipping off a platform pedal to teach you that being connected to the bike is a good thing.

And once you are connected you find all kinds of situations where the pedals keep you on the bike through situations where you might have bailed or crashed before.

Yet I think at least a third of these guys ride on platforms:

platforms for commuting / touring / dirt road coffee shoppe rides
clipless for road biking with road bikers who are wearing all the plastic super hero outfits

once i tried to bunny hop with platform pedals - kinda forgot i wasn't clipped in - hurt quite a bit when i thankfully landed on the seat. (as opposed to the top tube or crashing)

Not the old clips/cleats vs platform debate again.

As with many things, it can take a while to get used to the clips/cleats. And so beginners can have problems (and thus good for some spectacular candid videos).

Do 5 yr olds crash their bikes because of the flats? But, they also learn to ride flats... so clips/cleats are new to them when they eventually install them on their bikes, perhaps years later.

For those used to the clips/cleats, they are no less safe, and just become a matter of preference.

Close the You-Tube, and get out and ride the bike.

Any science and evidence to back that up ??...Are there any studies or statistics which show that clipless pedals are safer for city commuting ??. I am not talking about competitive cycling or competitive aggressive mountain biking .

Majority of free riders and mountain bikers that I've ridden with have used pinned platform pedals. Trust me, some of the rock gardens I've ridden through were pretty bad ass.

I am not against clipless pedals, I know they have their place in competitive cycling, I just don't find them practical for my daily riding. The only time I find foot retention to be of any benefit for safety is when I am riding FG. I am fine with toe clips and straps, wearing normal shoes is just a lot more practical for me.

It's not a debate..... its .... how i feel about it. Youtube.....no idea what you're talking about. Please do read the whole thread including my own replies (which are several and extensive).

- Andy

You seem to have totally missed what I was saying, and are now contradicting what you yourself said in another post.
Once again, I have used all 3 types of pedals, and still have clip and clipless pedals, just not currently in use, as I have found for my current needs and desires, pinned platforms provide 99% of the efficiency, and stability benefits of foot retention for how I ride.

As to personal safety considerations, I was agreeing with you, sparewheel and others, the safest pedal is which one we are most comfortable and familiar with, I was simply expanding on that by saying an aggressive or competitive cyclist that benefits the most from, and prefers foot retention, will likely also find it safer and preferable to use foot retention when riding for utility or relaxation because that's what they're familiar with, and the opposite will most likely be true for more sedate riders like myself.
I have had only one bail off in the past 30 years if I remember correctly, obviously judging by your extensive experience with crashing and saves, our riding styles are entirely different, ergo our experiences with, and benefits from foot retention will be entirely different.

Unless you're now attempting to claim that foot retention offers unquestionable benefits to all types of riders under all circumstances, I don't understand what point you're trying to make.

My anecdotal experience is 20 years of riding clipless in all forms of biking road/MTB/commuter/winter etc. I can say with 100% certainty that platforms are not safer. I've had many many crashes, none of which were made worse or have had anything to do with the pedals. In fact I'm certain that they have saved me from many crashes dues to increased bike control I gain from being connected to the bike.

Stop watching you tube and ride your bike.

Youtube has absolutely no relevance to anything i've said in this thread. Also, knock off the attitude and do not tell me what to do. I've been living car free longer than some on here have been riding a bike. Leave the attitude at the door, thanks.

- Andy

Statements like this seem to reinforce the concept that its the cyclist, not the equipment that really matters.
If a piece of equipment emboldens a cyclist to take more risks with the expectation it will mitigate the risk most of the time it doesn't make them safer, it just raises their threshold for failure.

there is no question that learning how to balance a bike better can make one a more skilled rider...and riding clipless provides a good incentive to do so.

that being said, riding a bike is an incredibly safe transport mode so safety is really a non-issue.

According to your OP, it was the basis for your conclusion.

Whew, very lucky you planted yer butt on the saddle. My more frequent problem is pulling the rear end too high when I'm clipped in, since I bunny hop on platforms just as often as when clipped in.

Just yesterday I encountered a problem that may be common for folks that go from clipless to platform: I struck pavement while pedalling through a turn. If I'd had SPDs on that probably wouldn't have happened.

Luckily I've never gone down from a pedal strike on the street - knock on wood.

Over the span of 10 years i've seen more than enough videos that people have sent me to look at to make the statement i did. I didn't claim no one ever crashed when using platform pedals, nor did i claim that clip/strap pedals were unsafe. I asked a question backed with why i was asking it, simple as that.

You know what i do use youtube to watch?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nW7mEoZypX8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JbnDXw-0pM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MT0IsW9AUf0

I'm a huge nerd, not a pedantic hyperbole gripping worry wort.

- Andy

yea.... i don't know WHY i didn't have my platform pedal all the way tight in the crank, but on a different bike i was standing on the pedals to pick up a bit of speed, and one of the pedals came out of the crank. all my weight went on the other pedal and the bars with the bike zigging/zagging every which way. my super-expert CAT3 old-guy retired bike racing skills kicked in and i managed not to bounce into a curb or do a face plant or some kind of nonsense.
worst bit, a neighbor saw me, and i had to double back to pick up my pedal. just embarrassing...
(yea, not related to pedal preference or the OP....)

autoharp? you are a nerd. i paid good money for a piece of paper that says i'm an engineer, but... autoharp? banjo is where it's at.

Who knows. Maybe one day I will adopt clipless , not for all of my cycling but at least for some of my biking trips...I am already used to riding with foot retention by using toe clips and straps so I feel comfortable being attached to my bike. I bet a transition from toe clips to clipless would be very easy for me...I can fully understand why people who have longer commuting distances would prefer clipless. I do notice an increase in efficiency and performance and climbing hills is easier with foot retention.

What were all the videos that supported an argument that clipless is less safe?

Seems like BMX bails on youtube would far outweigh the available tombay or triathlon transition blooper videos.