Obviously, it depends on where and when you fall. No traffic remote location - minor scrape. In traffic wrong time - death. So the question is: Is the miniscule efficiency gain you receive from clipless pedals worth your life? The answer, in my case, is "not a chance." I use platform pedals even for LONG rides, and will continue to do so. Your life - your choice.

I haven't fallen on pavement since I was a kid jumping off homebuilt ramps. I've taken a few spills mountain bike riding, but always in leaves and grass...sometimes mud =)

Pavement riding is, in general, something I'm learning all over again. I used to everywhere as a teenager, but got out of the habit in college. Still went off road from time to time...but I started hit the roads and paved trails almost exclusively in the last year or so. Even then, it's been my MTB up to this point, and it's nothing if not stable ;)

Long story short...I'm not used to falling down. It's something you just do a lot less of as an adult. As a kid, my knees were always scabby...now I'm just a big wussy.

I went about 15 years between being a kid and crashing and then crashing as an adult. I was suprised at how well i can still bounce off the ground. :D

I road plain pedals, then toe clips, then new mt bike, the Shimano SPD's, then new road bike with Ritchey SPD's, now Campy road pedals. Never any problems falling over, but it could still happen. The Campy's are slightly more difficult to release the the SPD's. Just ride and unclip a foot if it looks like something might happen (intersection, etc...)

John