In my experience, having a foot come out in a sprint, going up a hill, or over rough pavement is extremely inefficient.

Also, the quoted studies that purport to show equal efficiency between clips and flats all appear to be comparing steady state pedalling on flat roads.

I couldn't say whether clipless pedals actually increase efficiency much, but clipping in makes you feel "one with the bike" - an awesome feeling! Before using them I did not feel I had a secure connection with the bike, so more effort was focused on maintaining that connection. Clipless allows me to simply focus on the peddling cadence.

I have only fallen once (so far) - the second ride with clipless, I pulled up to an intersection, hoping to ride through it, but there was traffic coming, so I had to stop. I was going to balance the bike for the few seconds required, but then changed my mind & went to take my foot off the pedal, realized it was clipped in ... & toppled into a large puddle. It was embarrassing.

Yeah I could see why road shoes (if that's what you meant) could be uncomfortable for anything else than riding (at least the one I saw when looking for shoes weren't made for walking that's for sure). I chose Pearl Izumi X-Road shoes for that reason. They are very similar to running shoes. I wouldn't walk day long with them I think (but never tried) but I have zero issue walking from my work entrance to my office (about 350 feet).



What make you think I was getting upset? We had a difference of opinion and saw no point continuing the discussion, that's all. True, I'm a novice with clips (but not riding) but could feel right away the difference clips made when starting and climbing. It's my experience, he has his.

I would believe that. I don't really pull when on flats, except when starting or accelerating. In my very limited experience with clips, I find starting/accelerating and climbing to be easier with them. By easier, I mean less tiresome, specially the climbing. My commute is 40 km daily and about 2/3 of that is on either roads or bike paths with lots of road crossing so I stop and go often. My elevation gain on my commute in the morning is about 150 feet and that's gradually so clips makes just a bit of difference but on the evening coming back, it's 250 feet and mostly through just one hill about 35 minutes into my 43 minutes commute. Those clips sure helps my legs getting up that hill. Like I said in another post, I was able to climb it in my big chainring. Never been able to do that before, even when mashing the pedals.

No, I was talking spd shoes. Walking was fine, it was when you had to sit in the things that they got uncomfortable, and I'd been using the shoes for a few years at the point I gave up on them, so they got a fair try.

It's the way it came across. Put it down to reading bike forums at 1 am. Sorry for misunderstanding.

I would not have expected that. D you recall why it was uncomfortable? Was it because of the stiff sole? Personally, I switch to my dress shoes once I get to the office and simply take them off once at home so I don't wear them long.

No problem, it's hard to judge without emoticons and I didn't use any.

Even though you won't want to, practicing unclipping for the first few weeks is what I did. Every other time I came up to a slow point or a corner where I might have to stop I would unclip and reclip. As a side effect I am very efficient at getting clipped in now, almost always the cleat finds the point and after a year I have never had a fall because I just unclip automatically.

I used locktite too. Why not. And as others have said back the tension right off.
Also be aware the multi release really is a beginners thing, in a few months you might want to consider going over to the conventional cleats. Might save you a misshap.

I was the last holdout in my crowd to go clipless. I couldn't believe the difference. It was wise to put loctite on your bolts, I've had them back out more than once. And I've never had to replace a cleat on SPD mountain pedals. I have road SPD's on my road bike and it looks to me like they will wear out faster, we'll see in time.

I do the same thing, but with SPD pedals when I come to a slow point, I just kick my heel out till it unclips, leaving my foot on the pedal. If it turns out I don't need to stop I can just push my heel back inward and continue on. It avoids that uneasy feeling you get when you think you might have to stop quick. I have never actually fallen from being clipped in, while riding. Just once in my garage just after installing the pedals for the first time. I mounted the bike while holding on to my workbench and clipped in, then slowly toppled over. I was too busy frantically trying to get a good grip on my workbench that I never even tried to unclip.

This is exactly what I do, but by this point I am already off the saddle. On a road bike at least your going to have to get off the saddle to reach the ground anyway and doing it just before you unclip allows you to shift your weight and lean the bike as much as you need to prevent falling the wrong direction. Emergency stops are a different animal.

You can't pedal in an efficient circle without clipless. And I've never had a foot come out unexpectedly in over 20,000 miles.

Here's how to get comfortable using clipless. Go and grab yourself a set of pedals with toe clips and straps and a set of leather soled bike shoes with nailed on Blocks (an old name for cleats). Go ride them for a while. Having to reach down and release the strap and twist your foot up and out before you stop makes clipless easy.

And the relevance to the real world in which we live is...
Don't be bloody stupid. That was old world technology and in no way relates to the choice between clipless and platforms and toe clips now. You can imagine that you're gaining huge amounts of efficiency with your clipless setup and we know you'll ignore the studies that have shown that even pros gain little benefit from it, but that's cool, you read all about it your bike magazines and are thus an expert.

You Grumpy Old Bugga!

I use Speedplay Frogs (mtb pedals) on my mountain and road bikes.

Getting out is so fast and easy I seldom think about it. For all practical purposes, it is as fast as putting my foot down with flat pedals. I really don't make any extra allowances for getting out. This includes technical mountain biking. It has been well over a decade since I've been caught in my pedals.

The only time I think twice about if I can get out is when riding skinnies, which I basically never do, anyway (they just freak me out).

Ah, those "scientific" studies (study) consisting of a couple of dudes on a set of rollers in a lab. Yeah... nah. That you read about online.

I'd prefer to rely on my experience racing with blocks and thousands of km of touring with SPD. When clipless came out it was like "wow, these things are awesome, I can get my feet out"

And BTW, I've never bought a cycling magazine in my life.

You need to get out more, if you couldn't pick up the wry humour in what I wrote.

Sorry if this is a bit late, but I keep thinking about this and wondering if anyone described it right. To unclip you:
1. Stop pedalling when your left pedal is at the bottom of the stroke (so you can put your weight on it).
2. Put your weight on your left foot. The idea is that no matter what you do with your right foot from here forward, all your weight is on your left foot.
3. Unclip your right foot.
4. Move forward off the seat into a semi-standing position, still supported by your left leg.
5. Coast to a stop and put your right foot on the ground as you stop.

There shouldn't be any crazy jumping around with this. If you can't get unclipped you can just lean back onto the saddle and pedal a few more strokes (on a path).

I now unclip both feet with my pedals at 3 and 9 o'clock position as I slow down. If I don't stop, I clip back. If I do have to stop, both feet are available to lean on.

I'm not a racer by any means, but I agree with your point about the clipless pedals' main benefit being a sure-footed feeling for the rider. They also help in wet conditions when some platform pedals get slippery.

Also, in off-road conditions the pedals are really useful to lift the bike over potholes and such. I'd feel much less secure hopping over something without my feet being reliably attached to the pedals. This works on the road as well. I've been able to lift my rear wheel and avoid bashing the rim on potholes that mysteriously appeared as I was momentarily looking elsewhere!
Steve

This wins the internets!

Yep, which is pretty much what I do on platforms too. Other than kicking my foot out to unclip, I don't find the process one bit different than how I ride platforms, including getting the bike to lean to the right.

As one who has started trialing SPDs very recently, I wish this was the talking point that was used more than the efficiency one. I'm not personally seeing much efficiency gain (and still not buying "pulling up" adding anything to my stroke), but the sure footed feeling is quite nice, and at times may encourage a bit more spirited pedaling.

For those that might be going to a tadpole trike, because of the safety concern clipless pedals are really needed. They prevent your foot from falling off the pedal on a bump wont get trapped under the cross bar.

However the plus here is that on a trike you can stop and start without unclipping, making riding a trike really easy.

One of the other great things about clipless, on a touring bike at least, is not having to worry so much about heel strike if you need to set your panniers forward or you have short stays. You can make clearances tighter than you would otherwise.

Another thing: you can pedal with one leg! A couple years ago I was doing the Apple Cider Century a month after I had Achilles tendinitis in both legs. Near the end of the ride one of my ankles began to hurt. I was able to give it a rest for short intervals by unclipping and letting the leg just hang down.
Steve

I gave that a shot at the suggestion of someone here. Trying to pedal one legged the first time sure does show you how uneven your pedal stroke actually is!