welshTerrier2

Most of the year, I use clipless pedals. When the weather gets cold, though, I swap out my clipless for flat pedals so I can wear my warm clunky boots.

I prefer clipless pedals although I don't really see much if any performance advantage. I like that my foot remains properly positioned on the pedals with my clipless setup and I like that I can pull the pedal up because my shoe is attached when I restart after a stop.

With my flat pedals, I sometimes don't place my foot in the perfect position when I first start up after a stop and sometimes it's hard to adjust the position because of the ridged pattern on the soles of my boots.

zonatandem

Toeclips/straps on both our tandem and single.
Tried clipless about 3 years ago for about 3,000 miles on our then new tandem. Stoker had foot/knee issues (not enough float?) and at her request switched tandem back to toeclips/straps.
As for using toeclips/straps while racing . . . they worked just fine a couple decades ago when I won 4 gold medals in the Senior Olympics beating guys with fancy bikes and clipless.One competitior looked at me on my C'dale before starting the road race and said "You're not gonna win anything on that piece of sh*t you are riding."
I answered "I'm gonna beat your a$$" . . . and got the gold.

LesterOfPuppets

I have a couple with flats, a couple with clipsnstraps and a couple with SPD clipless. Rode flats today!

BluesDawg

I keep one bike set up with cage/platform/flat/whatever pedals or quick neighborhood rides, store runs etc. because it is more convenient. For the vast majority of my riding, whether athletic road rides, commutes, gravel, single track or adventure, I feel more comfortable with clipless pedals. Lately I've been using Shimano SPD for everything, but with more long road rides in the plans for this year, I'm probably going to go switch back to SPD SL road pedals for one bike.

Kindaslow

Platforms on my MTBs and flats with clips and straps on my road bikes. I even have flats with clips and straps on my Venge, it really bothers people to see these on an aero bike. Luckily, it is my bike and I like it!

h2oxtc

Your Cannondale while technically vintage, barely, would be very adept with clipless pedals.

Most of my bikes are set up with SPD-SL's, a couple with SPD's and a couple with flat pedals. I'm an equal opportunity kind of guy

John_V 

At 69, I ride with clipless pedals on my road bike and platform pedals on my hybrid. I prefer clipless, especially on long or fast rides. Platform pedals are fine for me on short slow rides but I would never pick them over clipless for anything else. Unless I'm riding with my wife or friends/family that ride very casually, my short rides are 35 miles with my average ride being 45-50 miles and I ride 6 days a week (weather permitting). I've been riding my hybrid for the past few days since I'm waiting for some parts to arrive for the road bike. I tried doing a short ride on my hybrid the other day and had to give up after 22 miles because my legs were starting to fatigue from trying to keep my feet on the platform pedals where they're suppose to be. My platform pedals are studded as are the walking shoes that I used for that ride and my feet still slipped off the pedals on numerous occasions; especially at speeds near or greater than 15 mph. I'm glad my riding buddy understood and agreed to ride at 12-13 mph with me.

In my opinion, pedals are like tools - you pick the right tool for the job. Personally, I could never see myself riding with platform pedals on long distance rides and I know that there are many of you that do. My hat's off to you guys that do.

OldsCOOL

The Cannondale would do well with clipless. Currently it has very light pedals, lighter than the Campy or Superbe. My son wants to get me going with clipless.

OldsCOOL

That fires me up.

katzenfinch

A couple of my bikes have clips and straps, a couple have clipless, and one often (but not always) has a set of Gripsters, which work great with about any kind of shoe. Just know that if your foot does happen to come off the pedal, those little grippy spikes make very effective ankle-scratchers.

alathIN

Not sure how this counts - for my commuting bikes, I like platforms with Powergrips straps on them. You get some level of connection to the pedals, but not as much as a cage or cleats.Power Grips

RockiesDad

Okay, I feel better about still using my flat pedals...

Anyway, looking at everyone's responses it seems that there are a lot of strap users here. Its interesting that since this a 50+ forum many of you still use these because it might be something that you grew up using and that its what you are used to using. The new clipless technology might be for the younger folks due to being available to them at an early age. Straps are so old school man...

This whole strap thing might be be in a bicycle museum in a generation or so when all of us start to die off. Maybe we should start a new "strap movement" to get the younger folks to start using these.

Thanks for all your comments...

OnyxTiger

I ride flat pedals on my commuter bike, riding about 7 miles each way. If I want to go out on longer weekend jaunts, I'll put clips on.



And then I ride cliipless on my faster weekend/training bike.



Both serve their purpose. The platforms work best because the ride isn't as long, and the hassle of changing out shoes to normal campus shoes is more than its worth. For dedicated bike rides with no extra gear (pannier, trunk bags, etc.), clipless is fine with me. The orthotics and stiff sole ensure that my feet never get numb. With the platform pedals, my sneakers allow me just about as long as my commute before complaining.

plaucc

Flat pedals on my mountain and gravel bikes, half toe clips on my hybrid and road bikes. Good for all round riding except road racing. Done it for 30 years with most regular shoes I wear and goes well with my normal clothing (sport shorts and tee shirts). Easy step-in step-off and go anywhere.

woodcraft

Flat pedals never, except maybe to test ride a bike.

Pearl Izumi 'X Road' shoes & eggbeaters for groceries & social calls.

Sometimes wear the shoes when not riding- basically tennis shoes w/ cleats.

OldsCOOL

The guy on the movie "Transporter" is a clip/strap fan. In the first movie he uses them to stand up and fight in the drain oil scene.

doctor j

MKS GR9 platforms on both of my road bikes with toe clips and straps. Sheldon Brown said that MKS GR9 pedals are the last true platform pedals. 46,976 miles, no problems.

mrodgers

Same, I'm only 7 years away.

I've been riding 2 years now. My Escape came with toe clips and straps and I've been using them since buying the bike. I just took them off though and will continue on just flat pedals I think.

I don't know what clipless is like, but sitting around cars at a red light waiting and then only having half a pedal turn to get going because you have to flip the pedal upright with the weight of the toe clips pulling it upside down to get your other foot in on narrow PA roads with a car 3 inches from you isn't ideal. I just started riding with more traffic as where I was riding was out in the country where I would see at most 3 cars on a 25 mile ride.

I also noticed that as I rode longer, my foot would push into the toe clip further and the axis of the pedal wasn't really at the ball of my foot. My toes would push into the clips and that would get annoying with slight pain after a while also. I'll give riding with just the flat pedals when the weather breaks a try for some time.

CrippledKonaBoy

Got onto clipless in '03, stayed until a couple months ago. The right design helps make the decision...if I'd stayed with SPD's, I'd have been off them years ago. ATACs treated me SO much better. I just don't realize any advantage now with my 'new riding style' (less aggressive, upright position) and the ATAC pedals. I may go back someday, but for now, it's pinned BMX's (wonderful!).

JanMM

The bikes I ride all have SPD clipless pedals but one side is clipless and the other is mountain-style platform. I spend probably 98% of my pedaling on the clipless sides.

Doohickie

Flat petals and toe clips (no straps) on most of my bikes. Flat platforms on the others. No clip-ins.

canklecat

Old style toe clips were best with cleats and hard, smooth soles, like Detto Pietros and similar shoes. In traffic during stops when it was necessary to put a foot down, with a little practice it was quick and easy to flip the pedal around and slip the shoe in without any delay. I usually didn't strap down my left foot too snugly for commuting.

The tricky bit wasn't getting the foot back into the toe clip, but concentrating on not slipping and falling when I put a foot down. Those Dettos were useless for walking more than a few feet, and very slippery on pavement if there was any sand, pebbles, gravel, oil, etc. The hard, rigid soles made it difficult to get any feel for the pavement, so it was critical to pay attention when commuting.

Seems like casual shoes would be better. But toe clips and straps were a PITA with any shoes that had soft rubbery soles, especially all terrain running/hiking shoes. The soles would snag on the pedals and make it an uncertain chore to get back inside the toe clips. When riding with regular shoes I'd keep the straps really loose, and sometimes bend the metal toe clips upward to give plenty of room to quickly get my feet in and out. It was basically like riding platform pedals with a little less wiggle room.

Nowadays I'd choose clipless pedals and shoes over toe clips. Toe clips were fine back in the day, especially for long rides where there was no need to set a foot down. But that wouldn't be my first choice now as an alternative to platform pedals and casual shoes.

choteau

MKS touring pedals with half clips on both my bikes. No interest in going clipless.

avidone1

I too have been having some problems. Outer toe and ankle. What about the pedals was causing the problem, and what is 'float'.

avidone1

I'm 66 and ride platforms. Been using he race face affect pedal, but am having some problems with toe/ankle pain. Can't say for sure if it's the pedals because it didn't start when I switched to these but rather a month or so later. I use 5 10 freeriders. Pedal/shoe combo is incredibly sticky. The race face pins are angle cut so are fiercely sharp. I have the bloody shins to prove it.
I wonder about the 'cage' that some use for foot placement with platforms. Are they a separate item that can be used on any platform? I may try them.